SIA partners 15 SG retail brands to create products made from upcycled aircraft parts

Fifteen Singapore-based retail brands will be among the first globally to sell a wide range of unique products made from upcycled aircraft parts and materials, which have been sourced from retired Singapore Airlines (SIA) passenger aircraft. Tocco Toscano and Supermama were the first ones to have launched these products this month. For Tocco Toscano, the products included pouches, wallets, and wristlet clutches made from life vests which are now available on its own online and physical outlets, as well as on KrisShop.com.

Beginning today, Supermama will begin workshops at its flagship store at the National Museum of Singapore for customers to customise their own tableware, using Singapore Airlines and aviation-inspired decals designed by Supermama. Sale of the upcycled retail collection of tableware will commence in January 2022. They will be joined by ANS.EIN, ipse ipsa ipsum and Photo Phactory in January 2022. Other brands including Beyond The Vines, Blithe & Merry, Bynd Artisan, Charles & Keith, Commune, [in]trigue, Protesta, Reckless Ericka, Roger&Sons, and Ying The Label will progressively launch their products lines in the months after.

The products made from upcycled aircraft materials include furniture made from Business Class seats, cabin windows, and overhead compartments, as well as fashion apparel and accessories made from life vests,
linen sourced from aircraft cushion covers, bedsheets, blankets, and tableware redesigned from decommissioned service ware. These products will be launched progressively and made available for sale on KrisShop.com. SIA will announce more details of the products through its social media platforms.

This collaboration between the retail brands and the airline is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, and aims to encourage innovative cross-sector partnerships and add vibrancy to the local retail scene. Discussions are ongoing with more Singapore-based and international brands, which are keen to work with SIA on The Upcycling Project.

In the first quarter of 2022, the airline will also launch a Designed by Singapore Airlines collection that features an exclusive SIA range of unique upcycled products. This includes a collection of aviation tags made from retired aircraft fuselage, and bags made from life vests. These products will be available for sale under the Singapore Showcase category on KrisShop.com. SIA is also working with SG Enable, a Singapore-based agency dedicated to supporting persons with disabilities, in its initiative, SPD and Singapore Fashion Runway have created lifestyle products made from life vests and seat fabric. These products will be made available for sale on KrisShop.com from January 2022, with all net proceeds going directly to support the makers.

These initiatives are part of which aims to upcycle and repurpose aircraft parts and materials to create unique retail products and art pieces. These parts will also be used to support educational institutions, artists, and persons with disabilities. As part of The Upcycling Project, SIA and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have launched a competition to promote awareness of design and upcycling among tertiary and pre-tertiary students in Singapore. More information on the competition can be found here.

SIA is also working with educational institutions such as Institute of Technical Education, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and Singapore Management University by donating aircraft parts and materials to be upcycled for their art or design courses. This introduces the students to the concept of upcycling, whilst also providing an opportunity for the students to better understand the aviation industry.

The airline is also collaborating with four prominent Singapore-based artists and sculptors, namely Baet Yeok Kuan, Kumari Nahappan, Sun Yu-Li, and Yeo Chee Kiong, to create unique retail art pieces from aircraft parts and materials such as aircraft slats, brackets, and fuselage.

Yeoh Phee Teik, SVP, customer experience, Singapore Airlines said this collaboration with Singapore-based retail brands has resulted in the creation of a wide range of innovative and imaginative products, almost entirely by using upcycled aircraft parts and materials. "Fans, as well as aviation enthusiasts from around the world with a rare opportunity to take home these unique products in the coming months," Yeoh said.

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