Issue #084

Welcome to your weekly dose of TooXToo, this week featuring kid-made clothing from wool, Burger King’s new ‘Fall Collection’, the Vending machines in Kenya dispensing clean fuel for cooking, and how Romanian citizens are getting a free bus ticket for 20 squats…

Kid-made clothing from Wool

Learning to sew is a skill rarely taught to the children of today. Scottish brand Almaborealis wants to educate kids in the art of knitting, sewing, and repairing clothing from a young age. They have created a kit that allows kids to make their very own clothes, fashioning a homemade wardrobe of their own!

You might be thinking this is all sounding a ‘wee’ bit complicated- but it is quite the opposite. Their kit, called Puzzleware, consists of a variety of woollen panels, a wool yarn and a wooden needle. The panels already have the necessary holes in to offer a guide to the children on where to stitch. This means no sewing pattern is required, making the process easy to understand and complete.

The brand likens puzzleware to LEGO because of the piecing together method of construction it requires. The beauty of puzzleware is that it considers the growth of the children making these woollen garments- its design means you can easily pull out the stitches to restitch and make the clothes to fit as the child grows.

A brand that is fostering important motor-skills in children, as well as trying to facilitate a sustainable approach to clothing. These 100% Scottish spun wool clothes have a longer lifespan, promoting the repurposing of materials over discarding them.

It is no surprise that this wonderful project has been shortlisted for the ‘Deezeen Awards’ in the wearable design category! Get your kids some wool in time for these chilly winter months!

Burger King’s New Fall Collection

Food, fizzy-drinks, and a night out stop-off- to name but a few things this fast-food giant are known for. New to this list, however, is Clothing. Though not synonymous with the Burger King brand, they have announced the release of a new fall collection: ‘Sauce couture’. This announcement follows the launch of their new Gourmet Kings range this month.

The limited-edition merchandise has been created in collaboration with designer Katie Eary. The shirt pictured above has been inspired by the new food range as it shows off the new Steakhouse and Argentinian burgers on offer.

The shirts are playful, bright, and perfect for all the BK fans out there. If you look closely, you will spot patterns inspired by tomatoes, BBQ sauce, cheese, bacon and even crispy onions. Now here’s the snag. There are only 100 shirts available to buy, and to make it fair- Burger King have created a draw-like format. App users will have to enter a draw and will have to be chosen to be in with the chance of getting a shirt from their fall collection.

Designer, Katie Eary commented on the collab stating: “I’m honoured to be working with such a well-established restaurant and Burger King UK gave me the creative license to create something fresh and unique”.

Kenya’s vending machines for clean fuel

COP26 is just around the corner, and innovations geared towards mitigating environmental impacts are on the rise. To reduce the destruction of Kenya’s rainforests and improve human health- KOKO a Kenyan start-up, has created a clean cooking ecosystem.

In Kenya, 75% of households depend on charcoal, or even firewood to cook with and live by. The idea is that citizens of Kenya will be able to purchase a KOKO cooker that comes with a refillable cannister that holds bioethanol. The fuel is made from the waste derived from Kenya’s sugar processing industry.

Not only is the fuel these cookers require cheaper than charcoal, but it is also smoke-free. Users will be able to refill their cannisters from vending machines, making the process easy and accessible for all.

KOKO has won two Awards from the Financial Times Transformational Business category because of the concept, and the positive impact the product is already having in Kenya. Who knew a vending machine could be re-envisioned in such a purposeful way?

20 Squats for a free Bus Ticket

Yes, you read that correctly, in the city of Cluj-Napoca in Romania people are being given a free bus ticket in exchange for twenty squats…

This might sound odd, and a tad un-pragmatic for those citizens in a rush to get the bus on their daily commutes. However, the inspiration behind the idea comes from trying to encourage citizens to adopt a healthier lifestyle. It is hoped that performing twenty squats in front of this kiosk might lead to someone doing squats at home as part of their own daily practice.

There is a kiosk designated to the campaign ‘Biletul de sānātate’ or Health Ticket that will stay open during the Sports Festival in Cluj. Last year the campaign recorded over 1 million squats over the course of 99 days. Another benefit of the campaign is that it also requires people to use public transport, which helps reduce emissions released from people using cars daily.

Similar initiatives are used globally to persuade people to take up more active lifestyles or habits. For example- Indian Railways opened a ‘Squat kiosk’ in February 2020 that was part of a broader ‘Fit India’ campaign.

Campaigns of this sort are fast-gaining traction across the world, so do not be surprised if you come across a Squat kiosk at Kings Cross or London Bridge…