no matter what humans invent, Mother Nature will always be more powerful.

Concept mockup. Dezeen hasn't discovered me — yet.

Before polymers, there was henequen.

Native to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, henequen has been used for generations to make rope and textiles.

Every piece of plastic made still exists in some form — in our oceans, our soil, our bloodstream. That's why I created a material that's antibacterial, water-resistant, and durable — but never meant to last forever.

Xuxe

henequen + latex

Henequen fiber is brushed by hand, separating it into clean, thin strands ready for layering.

The strands are laid onto a plastic sheet in a light, even layer, then rolled up onto a tube.

The rolled sheet is hung on a custom rig built by the artisans. As it's unrolled and pressed, natural latex is poured over the fiber, binding it into a workable, fabric-like material.

Xuxe (“Shush”)

Final Product