Dezeen Showroom: Stefan Diez had to rethink sofa construction to create Italian brand Magis's Costume system, which is easy to take apart, recycle and clean.

Conventional sofas are typically difficult or impossible to separate into their component parts, preventing recycling and repair.

But Diez and Magis came up with a new construction method for Costume that does not involve its constituent elements being permanently fused together, while most of the materials can be recycled.

The new product was unveiled in February in a live Dezeen talk, in which Diez explained the concept to Dezeen's editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs.

"We set out together with Magis to develop a sofa system that could be completely dismantled, with as little polyurethane foam as possible and a textile cover that is washable and can be replaced," said Diez.

"At the beginning, it all seemed quite complicated, almost impossible. In the end, we worked on it for four years and invested a lot of time in studying it."

The resulting product has a polyethylene structure made from recycled industrial waste that is itself further recyclable. Cushioning is provided by a pocket spring core and a thin layer of foam, which are held in place by a fabric cover with elastic loops that hook into the sofa's base.

The system has just four modules — a seat, left and right armrest, and an ottoman. This allows it to be assembled into various configurations and easily rearranged to suit different spaces.

Costume is available in a range of fabrics, with plastic module connectors in either matching or contrasting colours.

Watch our talk with Stefan Diez to find out more about the concept behind Costume ›

Product: Costume
Designer: Stefan Diez
Brand: Magis
Contact: [email protected]

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