Verena Brom founded A Matter of Fruit after her vocational experiences inspired her to develop new material systems targeting various industries to improve the [re]usage of our resources. As an advocate of a circular economy, she works on alternative material solutions with the aim of designing out waste. Her mission is to make use of renewable resources using design as a tool for optimising material cycles.
Q > Tell us about how you came to develop A Matter of Fruit?
A > During my time as a garment technologist / product developer in the fashion industry, I became extremely aware of how wasteful we are with our resources and of the complex manufacturing processes — what huge distances our materials and products have to travel before they reach us.
This motivated me to learn more about how to create a better material foundation and I decided to pursue a master’s programme in textile and surface design [at the Weißensee school of art and design]. The idea for transforming apple pomace (juice press residues) into films developed about three years ago during a food-related project in my master’s course.
A Matter of Fruit — Apple pomace grains and shades
Q > What are the main goals of A Matter of Fruit — both in terms of material development and its applications:
A > The overall goal is to implement circular structures and to make people aware that there are many attractive natural alternative materials, which can be used to shape our day-to-day life.
Q > Tell us about your creative process and the importance of research and collaboration within it.
A > For me as a material designer, it is always very important to stay pure and stick to very few raw materials — which can be quite limiting and challenging, but also opens up opportunities. For me it means to dig deeper, exhausting all possibilities that one material can provide, trying different manufacturing methods, before opening up and bringing in the next element. Research builds the foundation. It means understanding processes, developing new approaches, and connecting the dots.
I enjoy working on my own but collaborations also play a central part in my process — it helps bring in new angles into the work and jointly propel projects to a higher level.
Q > How do you think awareness about the concept of a circular economy could be amplified, and how can this approach gain greater traction with both producers and consumers?
A > From an economic point of view, it is important to concentrate on communicating the benefit of circularity in a positive way, which is: save resources and thus money. And also promoting a problem solving attitude towards the climate change challenge that we are facing.
Humans are creatures of habits. And comfort. And because our world is becoming more and more complex, people will hold on more intensely to their routines. That is why it is so important to elucidate and show the positive impact results from saying goodbye to the linear take-make-dispose system wherever possible.
Q > What support is available from institutions and public bodies for young designers in this field currently? How could such institutions help designers set themselves up for success?
A > Fortunately, my work is part of a hot current topic. There is a lot of (public) funding out there, supporting sustainable and circular projects and initiatives. Not so much design-focused, though.
So what definitely could help is increasing the visibility for designers outside the design world, and help connecting to other fields (e.g. science and economics).
Design is still too much seen as a purely aesthetic and superficial “discipline”, but especially in the field of circularity it is crucial to use the power of design — employ and use creative minds to change entrenched systems.
Q > How does where you live affect your work?
A > As it turns out, it has been crucial [and] highly influential. For example, my current work revolves around a local raw material and stems from a local “tradition”: German apple juice drinking.
More specifically, Berlin as my working/living base provides many opportunities and possibilities for growing my work.
A Matter of Fruit — Apple pomace
Q > In your explorations of materiality, what has been your most surprising or exciting discovery?
A > It sounds trivial but using different raw material “scales”/“dimensions” and different tools can totally change the outcome of the new designed material. By changing the raw materials shape, the aesthetics, function and application of the developed material can differ entirely. That is why it often does not need a second, third and fourth component, as playing around with the first one can already multiply your options.
A Matter of Fruit — Pomace films: black carrot, orange, apple
Q > Brands and designers are much more aware of the importance of sustainability — could you tell us about your dream partnerships. Is there any designer or brand you would love to collaborate with?
A > I am super interested in collaborating with likeminded designers and brands who share the same values of circularity, resource-efficiency and designing a ‘better world’. As light and my material are such a good combination, I would love to explore how to shape new spaces and apply my material to the interior together with architects, interior and light designers.
I recently came across the Cullinan Studio based in London. I admire their commitment to reform the way we live and connect humans back to nature.
Q > What are your biggest sources of learning?
A > Profound research. Learning by doing. Observing and interpreting. It’s all a process with lots of surprises, failures and improvisation that can lead to new knowledge.
Q > Where do you see yourself taking your work in the next few years?
A >
— Establish the brand A Matter of Fruit.
— Strengthen the bond between science and design.
— Grow my network and my own material library. After working on one specific raw material, I am ready now to move on and explore further sustainable and natural material options.
— Focus on shaping the interior and built environment
— Increase collaborative work.
Q > Which resources do you recommend for people interested in learning more about sustainable practices?
A > For all eco-conscious designers, Victor Papanek’s book “Design for the real world” is a must read. He is a pioneer and promoter of ethical and environmentally responsible design, starting to elevate these ideologies already in the 1970s.
In the area of material design, I can recommend the platform Material District. Here you can get up to speed with all relevant material innovations and projects.
