Lamps, wallets, hats, skirts and more: La Factrie transmutes discarded material and gives it a second life, a soul. Welcome to the realm of the collective and the imagination.
In Dunham, the old bricks of the Relais de la Diligence have preserved the manufacturing spirit of the place. Maple syrup equipment was once manufactured here. La Factrie, by virtue of its homo faber character, retains much of this original mission. But with a much freer and unbridled tangent.
La Factrie is a non-profit solidarity cooperative whose most tangible part is the exploration of ecodesign, but whose mission, as we shall see, is much broader. Some projects are more mature, others are in gestation and benefit from a space, material resources and advice.
Myriam Bernier is one of the founders of La Factrie, from which she operates her own company, Mimi Laine d’Acier. Myriam creates clothing and accessories from recycled materials. Thus this astonishing lamp conceived from a bicycle wheel and whose lampshade is made of a patchwork of fabrics. She also makes jackets, skirts, aprons for children. Like Myriam, Maryse Messier is a stage designer by training. With La Main dans le Sac, she creates mittens, capes, costumes for children and jewelry. Jolaine Beauregard is also part of this creative and environmental movement.
The recovery of the material, explains Myriam Bernier, is done by conviction but also because it allows to lower considerably the production costs. The word has spread in the community that we are doing recovery,” adds the young woman, happy with this recognition by the community. People bring us lots of stuff! In exchange, we create funky, decorated, everyday objects that are super affordable.”
The creation is done according to the supplies gleaned. The young ecodesigner notes that this constraint generates interesting challenges and that artisans are trying to create complementary products.
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