Kyrgies has loyal fans that scream out for the most desirable and fashionable slippers in the world. They are made from wool felt in Kyrgyzstan, thanks to the strong sheep that graze on the mountain pastures. The processing of the wool into usable goods is left to collectives of artisans who have learned the centuries-old technique of felting.
Barclay Saul, co-founder and president of Kyrgies, saw an opportunity for comfortable and fashionable footwear made from Kyrgyz felt for a savvy American audience. Sales went through the roof, and a clog-style slipper became the company’s most popular design.
But with sales come the occasional return, and when they started taking up space in his Chesterfield warehouse, Saul saw another opportunity. “They were perfectly wearable,” he says, “but they had a small cosmetic problem,” such as a tear in the felt or a scratch on the sole, and couldn’t be sold as new.
To solve the problem of excess, Saul worked with FABSCRAP, an organization that collects excess fabric from the fashion industry, as well as students at Drexel University. Kyrgies suggested reworking the foils into a new collection that uses leftover denim as a decorative element. “It’s a great example of successful collaboration in circular design,” says Saul, adding that the trio – Kyrgies, Drexel and FABSCRAP – also shows how old and new processes can work together. Kyrgies.com
This article originally appeared in the August 2024 issue.
