Noemi Cortizas
I work at the intersection of industrial design, engineering, and material research. Investigating how materials, manufacturing, and emerging technologies shape the future of luxury.

FDIA Awards Finalist

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I work at the intersection of industrial design, engineering, and material research: investigating how materials, manufacturing, and emerging technologies shape the future of luxury.
CLIENT: Vivaluz

cmf design · product design · color research



Vivasoft. Sustainable soft good 
and apparel accessories.


Transforming heterogeneous fast-fashion waste into dual-state composite systems: flexible acoustics and structural furniture.


The fashion industry’s waste stream is notoriously complex: a chaotic mix of cotton, polyester, elastane, and blends that are dificult to transform with standard recycling techniques. The Vivaluz project tackles this heterogeneity head-on. Instead of sorting fibers by type, a costly and energy-intensive process, we developed a compression molding technique that accommodates mixed, unsorted textile waste.

This research yielded two distinct material systems derived from the same waste source:
  • VivaSoft: A flexible, felt-like composite optimized for acoustic panels and soft accessories, with a tactile warmth and several colors (by sorting the clothes).
  • VivaHard: A rigid, structural board capable of replacing wood or MDF in furniture applications, achieved through higher density and specific thermal bonding.

The Vivaluz system celebrates heterogeneity. The resulting materials feature a unique aesthetic where color and texture are dictated by the incoming waste stream. The goal was to reveal the inherent beauty of the reclaimed fashion by creating a scalable pathway to turn "unrecyclable" clothing into durable design assets.
Strategic Takeaway

True circularity in textiles requires designing for heterogeneity, not purity. By creating a manufacturing process that thrives on mixed inputs, we eliminate the need for complex sorting infrastructure. This turns the "liability" of blended fabrics into the primary aesthetic and structural asset of the material, proving that waste can be engineered into both soft comfort and structural rigidity.


The RTS color and waste collection

 Material outcomes

Key Observations

  • Waste origin directly influences color and texture — a source of unique, non-replicable identity.
  • Material stability is highly sensitive to moisture, binder type, and waste format (fibres, powders, etc.)
  • “Imperfections” become desirable attributes — rare, expressive, and story-rich.
  • True luxury sustainability requires end-of-life consideration: RTS is designed to be recyclable again.

Potential Applications

  • Interior architecture for the retail and hospitality industry.
  • Furniture as a substitute for wood and stone.
  • Small furnitures, lamps and decoration elements.

Project Information
  • Role: Material Systems Designer & Researcher
  • Context: Fast Fashion Waste Valorization / Circular Economy
  • Materials: Post-Consumer Textiles (Cotton/Polyester/Elastane Blends)
  • Status: Industrial Research & Patent Pending (Vivaluz)

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