For Paris-born, London-based Fabien Cappello, “design is not always about solving problems, but creating new possibilities and looking at things in fresh ways”. Through his work he explores the themes of locality, finite material economy and cultural heritage. Cappello studied at the University of Art and Design (ECAL) in Switzerland before completing an MA in Design Products at London’s Royal College of Art. It was here, in 2009, that he exhibited the Christmas Tree Stool – an example of his honest creative approach – in which he upcycled found trees that had been unceremoniously discarded after the festive season into roughly hewn, elegantly-joined stools. Cappello’s ongoing Christmas Tree project regenerates January’s abandoned Christmas trees into handsome furniture – the base and trunk form the seat or top and legs, respectively. The Christmas Tree project underscores Cappello’s interest in employing regionally-sourced materials and manufacturing processes as a form of design cartography. In addition to his product and limited edition design pieces with Gallery Libby Sellers, Cappello has also initiated projects for institutions including Bloomberg + Arts Co., the Contemporary Art Society, the Crafts Council and the British Council. In 2012 he was a winner of ELLE Decoration’s New Designer Award.