Compressed paper rolls take on a new life, a new form, at this year’s Milan Design Week. ISSEY MIYAKE store, in collaboration with Spanish architecture office Ensamble Studio, has used these rolls for a project called The Paper Log: Shell and Core. Conceived by Satoshi Kondo of MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO, the installation transforms industrial waste from the brand’s signature garment pleating process into furniture and sculptural art.
More than just becoming the physical product, the memory of the garments and their imprints become molded, bent, and formed into structure in furniture (core) and sculpture (shell). The Paper Log is a compressed roll of wafer-thin, pleated paper sheets. These sheets are byproducts of the garment process, where they were used to protect fabric before being discarded.
To be showcased at the Milan Design Week, 2026, the installation is divided into two conceptual halves. First is the Shell series, crafted by Ensamble Studio, where the outer layers of the logs were peeled to create delicate, translucent sculptures. These “shells” are treated to harden, preserving the intricate texture and memory of the pleating process.
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The second is Core, where the in-house team uses the solid center of logs to create functional furniture prototypes, including stools, chairs, and tables. By bonding the logs with wax or glue, they achieved material strength and an aesthetic similar to solid wood. Together, these sections explore the possibilities of a second life for something that was discarded without a second thought.
The Paper Log: Shell and Core is a deep dive into material metamorphosis where waste from pleating is treated like timber. When cut, the layered paper reveals a marbled pattern similar to tree rings, serving as a physical archive of the garments that were once wrapped inside. Apart from the two sections, there will also be a section showcasing the making process of the prototypes.
Via: designboom
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