Brighton studio Gomi is making repairable speakers partly from old Barbie dolls

Gomi^1,2,3,4, a design studio based in Brighton’s North Laine, is making Bluetooth speakers, power banks and tracker tags partly from unwanted Barbie and Ken dolls, in a collaboration with Mattel’s Barbie brand. The range launched on 24 September and comes out in limited monthly drops.

The doll plastic is melted down and blended with plastic bag waste, which most UK household recycling won’t take, and other hard-to-recycle plastics. Each piece is handmade in Brighton, and the mix gives every casing its own marbled pattern.

The speakers and power banks run on repurposed e-bike batteries. Parts are held in with screws rather than glue, so a broken part can be replaced and the rest kept. Gomi fixes anything within its two-year warranty for free. After that, a standard repair for UK customers costs no more than £20 for a power bank or wireless charger and £50 for a speaker, and the price covers postage, parts and labour. The studio says it will also offer trade-in, repair and upgrades for the new range, so parts can be recovered and used again.

Tom Meades, the co-founder and chief designer, graduated from the University of Brighton in 2017 with a degree in 3D Design and Craft. “We’re ending boring grey consumer tech, and instead creating colourful interesting objects made from waste materials that tell a story,” he told Wallpaper⁶.

The Argus⁵, which reported the collaboration, quoted him on the idea behind it: “Instead of seeing waste as something that has reached the end of its story, we’re asking what it could become next.”

Gomi is collecting dolls by post, and only wants ones that are no longer played with. Box them up with your name inside, fill in the form on the studio’s website, and send them to gomi, 45 Gloucester Street, Brighton, BN1 4EW. Questions go to barbie@gomi.design.