Future Heritage: Crafting Tomorrow

Future Heritage: Crafting Tomorrow is an exhibition bridging traditional crafts[wo]manship with contemporary consciousness. Through four connected spaces, Simone Agius, founder of simétrie, shares her mindful making process and its power to create lasting positive change.

The journey begins at the Material Journey space, where visitors can touch Australian-sourced leathers and learn about the local tannery Simone works with. Here, she reveals leather’s honest story – how different grades find their perfect purpose and why choosing locally-crafted materials matters.

The Craft in Practice section transforms a corner into a working atelier where visitors experience the rhythms of leather crafting. Simone will be working at her sewing machine, demonstrating the careful attention each piece receives. A display of tools invites hands-on exploration, allowing visitors to connect with the instruments that shape each simétrie creation. This workspace reveals the human element behind handcrafted leather goods.

The Designing for Sustainability space showcases Simone’s journey from concept to lasting product. Through sketches and prototypes, visitors discover how her design choices impact sustainability, including her waste reduction approach and creative uses for offcuts.

The experience culminates in a Future Vision installation displaying one of Simone’s new bags next to one worn for over a year, asking, “What if you could see the future life of your purchase today?” This demonstrates the benefits of quality crafts[wo]manship while educating visitors about aftercare and repair, sparking conversation about conscious consumption.