DNJ Paper is a collaborative research project and label situated in Melbourne, Australia, and is led by designers Daphne Mohajer va Pesaran and Jake Nakashima-Edwards. We employ a range of techniques, both traditional and nontraditional, to create paper clothing, accessories, and objects. We aim to address pressing social, aesthetic, and conceptual questions related to fashion and textiles design.
We use handmade recycled rag paper, produced in our studio, as well as handmade Japanese paper, also known as washi. The washi is sourced from small studios located throughout Japan, and each sheet comes with comprehensive information on the conditions of its production.
Our pieces are considered a work in progress, never fully "finished," and are designed to evolve over time. The intention is to allow for wear, repair, and decay.
Wherever possible, we reduce, reuse, regenerate, and recycle.
Confronting waste in the textiles industry, DNJ Paper present a speculative wallpaper made from offcuts from their 2023 MPavilion uniform commission. The studio uses handmade recycled rag paper and Japanese washi paper to create textiles, clothing and accessories. To be exhibited at Craft in Future Ambition, DNJ Paper revisit the uniform design, transforming the material offcuts into a large speculative wallpaper which will scale an entire gallery wall.
Our pieces are designed to change over time. As a speculative proposal, this is a handmade, artisanal process. However, it can be scaled in terms of both input and output – more garments and textile waste can be broken down (from individuals and businesses) and turned into aesthetically beautiful artisanal products such as wallpaper and so much more