Elvis and Kresse are obsessed with waste. They say, “We are always looking to take on new waste materials, so if you have any commercial and industrial waste, that you don’t know what to do with, then maybe (just maybe) we’ll be able to help…”.
The duo reclaim materials and see what can be done with them. Their fire hose range, takes old firehoses from fire brigades and redesigns them into beautiful accessories like belts, bags and wallets. Fire hoses usually end up in landfill, in mass quantities because although quite durable, the hoses have a shelf life. To date Elvis and Kresse have rescued 40 tonnes of hose destined for landfill fate.
The fire brigades love Elvis and Kresse, as 50% profits from their fire hose products goes straight back to the Fire Fighters Charity.
Their lovely, high quality, all-consuming products have graced the pages of Vogue, Wired and Bazaar magazines, and are currently stocked in retails outlets include Harrods and Skitsch. Sustainability is at the core of what Elvis and Kresse do and it’s really inspiring to see their condemned fire hoses products do so well.
(For more visit Elvis and Kresse)
Katherine Hui is currently the Social site editor at Green Thing, a web-based public service in London that inspires people to lead greener lives through creative content.
Before this, she worked as the Development Manager at Social Innovation Camp, an organization that encourages people to use web and mobile-based technology to mobilise social change. She oversaw 300 ideas submission and helped build 20 prototypes – five of which have gone on to get further funding or investment.
Katherine’s came over to the UK form Canada in 2007 for an MSc program at the London School of Economics. Before arriving in London, she managed a small environmental start-up in Vancouver called the Canadian Climate Change Alliance.
Katherine is football mad. She is a loyal supporter of Arsenal FC, plays for Islington Borough Ladies FC and coaches for Gunners in Islington in her spare time. Her second favourite hobby is kite surfing and she can sometimes be found chasing the wind.
