The Done & Dusted project by Rahat Rai reimagines domestic waste as material by turning vacuum cleaner dust into a felted textile used to craft soft slippers. The process begins with collecting household dust, which is then heated, filtered, and mechanically compressed using felting methods. Once cleaned and bound, the material is reinforced with stitched grid lines and finished with latex edging. The result is a pair of slippers—objects typically meant to keep feet clean—made from the very substance they protect against.

Done & Dusted raises broader questions about material reuse and how even invisible waste can take on aesthetic and practical form. Rai envisions the concept evolving beyond footwear, potentially serving applications in interiors and packaging. The project reflects personal lifestyle through its source material and challenges assumptions about value, beauty, and disposability in modern design.

Image Credit: Rahat Rai