Nina F. D’Elia is an Italo-Mexican interior architect, designer, and the founder of Trashmanship, a start-up that champions a circular approach to design by using Swiss waste as a primary source for furniture and spatial design.
Beginning her career in Monterrey, México, Nina established her own design practice focused on retail and hospitality. In 2019, she joined the MAIA program at HEAD – Genève, where her 2021 diploma project on upcycling trash materials quickly became the foundation of her new design methodology. Upon graduation, Nina continued her journey at PULSE Incubator in Geneva, establishing Trashmanship as a research-based practice redefining the concept of trash and waste through design. She garnered media attention, being featured in publications like La Tribune de Genève and Bilanz Magazine. Internationally, the start-up has gained visibility through collaborations, including one with Nespresso, showcasing her upcycled furniture. Recent projects by Trashmanship include a historical gallery for the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and a workshop on reuse for Galleries Lafayette.
Diploma Project
Trashmanship
Trashmanship investigates the use of waste as an alternative raw material to replace the exploitation of finite natural resources, employing both analog techniques and digital technologies. The exploration revolves around the question: Can we satisfy our material needs without compromising the resources of future generations? In this possible scenario, moments of reflection unfold on new models of furniture and spatial design. From outdated design paradigms to the creation of new business models, Trashmanship sparks a conversation about the future of interior architecture.
