MusicCloth® is an innovative up-cycle material made from discarded cassette tapes and video tapes.
The tapes consist of polyester film with metallic coatings, which would otherwise be considered waste and sustainable material. New sustainable material.
The material is woven in a basket weave pattern, which allows stability and durability. The cloth edge finished in a smooth finishing. Each MusicCloth® owns its own unique color combination and patterns. New sustainable material.
MusicCloth® is lightweight, sound-absorbing, and highly water-resistant.
/recognition
MusicCloth® was developed over nine months of R&D by JJ Chuan and her team.
MusicCloth® swatches have been stored and are available in Material ConneXion worldwide libraries (Product Number: MC 7654-01) & University of Pennsylvania material lab. This sustainable material has been exhibited at TEDx as one of the ideas worth spreading. American Design Club's jury selected MusicCloth® tote bag as one of the modern methods of what it means to build an object. Kevin McCloud hand-picked Rehyphen as one of his Top 7 Green Heroes. Red Dot Design Museum Xiamen in China has included MusicCloth® in their museum collection in 2020.
Recognised by
What is rehyphen® ?
rehyphen® : “re” is a prefix, used with the meaning again and again to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “backward”. “Hyphen” is a sign ( - ) used to join words to indicate that they have a combined meaning or that they are linked. rehyphen® is created with the aim of solving real-life problems.
100% of proceeds support rehyphen programme for saving the plastic waste.
/Identified Singapore Challenges
/Our Founder
J. J. Chuan was appointed by Kevin McCloud as his Top 7 Green heroes in 2018 & 2019 . She is one of the speakers in World Cities Summit 2021 & 2022 and was selected by City Developments Limited as one of the “Inspiring Women Leaders 2020”.
Besides, she is a lyricists. Her recent released songs include Donnie Yen's daughter Jasmine Yen first single <idk> and first album <tbh>, and Diana Wang <Bedroom> which released by Sony Music Entertainment's RCA Greater China Record.
/Operation Manager
Chiu is our operation manager and our senior weaver who owns a background in advertising design for more than 20 years before she retired. She specialises in innovating MusicCloth patterns and passionate in hosting up-cycling workshops.
Furthermore, she is active in social media who also in charge of our Tik Tok video post in engaging with the younger generation.
Q & A
with our Founder
Q: What makes you realize the urgency of saving our planet? Have you always been interested in sustainability design?
A: I guess it was my education and working experiences made me realised the urgency. I was fortunate to have a chance to work in Yellowstone National Park when I was just 18 years old. It was my first time seeing animals free to roam in the park, and as a human from the city, I was entering into another world that is dominated by animals, it made me learnt how to respect animals and appreciated what mother nature had given to us. When I studied in Parsons, I was selected as a recipient of the Yeohlee fellowship program which allows me to learn and practice zero waste design from Yeohlee directly. In 2014, I participated The People's climate march in New York, which determine me to sell the world "a better world."
Q: Why you describe yourself as a memory keeper?
A: The future of luxury is not about new products, markets, or ideas, it is about something deeper -- our memory. By weaving MusicCloth, we are able to keep a moment alive far beyond the moment itself and give the product a luxury integrity, an inner depth.
Q: Recently, you have a new role as a lyricist, tell us your experience.
A: Yes, I have learnt lyric writing from Mandopop lyricist Xiao Han and Vincent Fang during Covid period. I want to use music as an important tool to pass climate change messages to the general public in a non-formal manner. I am currently a signed lyricist with a record label. Click below to listen my recent co-write songs.
Q: What are some of your earliest memories of cassette tapes? Can you describe the kind of nostalgia that cassette tapes evoke for you?
A: Sentimentally, cassette tapes were part of the medium of communication with my best friends in school ( who moved to Australia ) when smartphones and social media had not been invented yet. The international call was very expensive for a teenage student at that time. Therefore, we came out with a solution to record what we want to say, the music I composed, and our favorite song from the radio in cassette tapes, and sent it to each other.
Q: Why you decide to tackle waste? especially cassette?
A: I believe that music is a universal language that can tie everyone together, it has the power to change the world. According to a press from MIT, there are 56 million kilograms of PLASTIC used to make physical cassette tapes since it first introduced to the world in 1963. That is just part of the environmental cost in the music industry, not including vinyl and CD. I want to reimagine a new way of exchanging music by addressing our global waste issue and transform it into another new medium that inspires the global community.
Q: Can you explain how's this new feature "Scan & Listen" works?
A: Starting from 2021, each MusicCloth city map and products will come along with a code which allow customer to scan and listen to our secret curated city playlist. Each playlist is carefully curated based on the city character and mood which supported by Spotify app and refresh it monthly. Some of our customer feedback to us that they missed the music in the cassette tapes, we hope this Scan & Listen feature allow people to connect more on sustainability topic in a brand new level. Besides, we also use this new feature to promote young and emerging musicians in our playlist to help them widen their audience range.
/Exhibition
2024
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Amazon office wall art awardee, Singapore, Dec
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Boutique Fair, Singapore, April & November
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Dachun Soap, Taipei, June
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Fresh Music Award, Singapore, June
2023
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Pinkoi Design Festival, Taipei, Nov.
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Maison & Object, Paris, Sept
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Song《tbh》Jasmine Yen, Sept
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Song《idk》 Jasmine Yen, July
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Song《Bedroom》, Diana Wang, July
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Fresh Music Award, Singapore, June
2022
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Boutique Fair Gifting Edition, Singapore, Nov.
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Art Jamel Shop, Dubai, UAE, Nov.
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World Cities Summit 2022, Singapore, Aug
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Fresh Music Award x rehyphen, online, July
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Not Just Library, Taiwan Taipei, June - Aug
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New Balance x JDsports x rehyphen, online tutorial, April
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Nautilus: Jassy Husk x rehyphen, Singapore, March
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Merry-go-round NFT at opensea, Jan
2021
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MTV Originals x rehyphen, Singapore, Dec
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Swatch x rehyphen, Singapore, Oct
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Kizuna Cafe x rehyphen, Singapore, Aug
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World Cities Summit, Singapore, July
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National Vending Gallery- Handmade, Singapore Design Center, June
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The Zall Bookstore x rehyphen, Singapore, March
2020
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Maison & Object Paris Virtual, Sept
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2020 Social Design Exhibition Asia: 100 Proposal for the future, Xiamen China, May- Aug
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Innovative Material, Premiere Vision Paris S/S21, Feb
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Designing for the senses, Architect at work, London, United Kingdom, Jan
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From waste to New Materials, Pitti Uomo 97 - Land Flag Exhibition, Florence Italy, Jan
2019
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Boutique Fair Gifting Edition, Singapore. Nov.
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One Good Thing, Dubai, UAE, Nov.
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5th STEP- Asian Undergraduate summit, NUS, July.
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Affordable Art Fair, Singapore, Dec.
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Circularity 2030, Responsible Business Forum, Singapore, Nov
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Singapore Women Entrepreneur Summit 2019, Singapore, July
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Singapore Airline, Krisshop with love x rehyphen, online store opening, June
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DBS marina regatta, workshops, Singapore, June
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Kind of Blue Record, Taiwan, April - July
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Sound & Vision, NYC Time Square, May
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Kevin McCloud's Top Green Heroes, Grand Design, London, United Kingdom, May
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Hitcheed, Singapore, Feb
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Grids & Circle, Singapore, Feb.
2018
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Airbnb HQ, Singapore, Dec.
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Auxana Christmas Celebration & Appreciation Dinner, Corum Watch, Singapore, Dec.
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Boutique Fair Gifting Edition, Singapore, Nov.
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Kevin McCloud's Top Green Heroes, Grand Design Live, London, United Kingdom, Oct.
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Phuture DJ Battle, Zouk Singapore x rehyphen, Sept.
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My Think City JB, Workshop, Malaysia, Sept.
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Shang Yue, Scene Shang Singapore, Sept.
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Art after Dark, Supermama Singapore, Sept.
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Corum watch x rehyphen, Singapore, Aug.
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Mulan Gallery, Singapore, Aug.
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Night Crawl workshop, Aliwal Art Centre, Singapore, Jul
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Soy source Factory opening day, Bangkok, Thailand, June.
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Built, NYC x Design, New York, USA, June.
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Climate Action Carnival by MEWR Singapore, Sustainable Singapore Gallery, June
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Plain Vanila Bakery Tiong Bahru, Singapore, June.
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Koncent Japan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April.
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Boutique Fair Spring Summer, Singapore, March.
2017
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Kapok, PMQ Hong Kong, Dec.
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Ppaper Taipei, Taiwan, Dec.
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Books Actually Tiong Bahru, Singapore, Dec.
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National Design Center, Singapore, Dec.
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Berlin Fashion week, Boum Berlin, Germany, Nov.
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SPH Creative workshop, Singapore Chinese Culture Centre, Singapore, Oct.
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LX factory market, Lisbon, Portugal, Oct.
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TEDx Sungai Sengget, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Oct.
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The Mix Place, Shanghai, China, March - Aug
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Supermama Flagship store, Singapore, Jul
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Supermama Design Mart, Gilman Barrack SG, June.
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Original Object, Nanjing, May
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MAAD night Red Dot Design Museum, Singapore, Feb