by Jack Shaw
What the Hella?, a set of sustainable hair-removal products by New York design studio The Way We See the World, combines sustainability and aromatherapy in one DIY concept.
The tongue-and-cheek name comes from designer Hella Jongerius' experiments using sustainable chicle latex for The Nature Conservancy's Design for a Living World exhibition. "I really don't know what to do with this material," Jongerius explained in a video related to the project. "It was really nice to have an alien in the house. You know, how often to you find a material which is still a secret?"
Their interest piqued, before long the TWWSTW team had their hands on and industrial-sized block of chicle, donated by Glee Gum. After a good deal of experimentation and a few singed fingers they developed an effective and sustainable home-epilation system.
The award-winning prototype includes a chicle body wax, chicle and copal aromatherapy incense, and a sapodilla fruit-scented soap and oil to moisturize and remove excess wax. Each product is designed with its own porcelain vessel.
