From Waste to Wonder: The Stories Behind Paguro’s Upcycled Materials

At Paguro, we’ve never believed in waste as an ending. To us, materials aren’t just resources - they’re stories waiting to be retold. From decommissioned army tents to vibrant skateboard decks, every discarded fragment holds history, culture, and craft. Our mission has always been to honour those stories while reshaping fashion into something more circular, ethical, and enduring.

Here’s how five of our core materials inspire designs that are as meaningful as they are sustainable.

Inner Tubes: From Industrial Waste to Iconic Design

Millions of inner tubes are discarded every year, often burned or left to pollute. We saw more than waste - we saw resilience. The matte black finish, natural patterns, and subtle flexibility echo leather but with a sharper edge.

• Collection Highlight: Inner Tube Bags & Wallets – Sleek designs redefine urban style.
• Jewellery Spotlight: Inner Tube Jewellery – Intricate, hand-cut pieces that turn industrial grit into lightweight elegance.

Each accessory carries not just a story of waste avoided, but also of craft reborn - proof that toughness and beauty can coexist.

Army Tents: Stories of Resilience, Woven Into Every Stitch

Army tents are built to endure harsh conditions, but too often end their life discarded. We upcycle them into durable bags that carry both functionality and history. Their rugged textures, softened through reuse, speak of resilience and reinvention.

• Collection Highlight: Army Tent Bags – Each piece transforms military-grade canvas into a companion for modern life.

For us, these designs are not just accessories, but symbols - of turning conflict into creativity, and utility into style.

Skateboards: Culture on the Move

Skateboards carry more than colour; they carry rebellion, energy, and artistry. Every scratch tells a story of movement and freedom. Once broken, most are lost to landfill. We saw the chance to capture their raw creativity in wearable art.

• Collection Highlight: Skateboard Jewellery – Necklaces, earrings, and cuffs carved from reclaimed decks, each completely one-of-a-kind.

The result? Bold jewellery that celebrates subcultures while proving fashion can be both sustainable and streetwise.

Wood: Crafting New Futures From Forgotten Fragments

Furniture offcuts and wood scraps are often wasted, but every grain and knot carries natural beauty. Working with artisans, we reshape them into lightweight, timeless accessories.

• Collection Highlight: Reclaimed Wood Jewellery – From minimalist earrings to statement necklaces, each piece preserves the quiet strength of its material.

Wood designs at Paguro remind us that nothing natural is ever truly finished - only waiting for its next chapter.

 

Brass & Beyond: Reinvention With a Touch of Brilliance

Brass is infinitely recyclable, yet routinely discarded. In the hands of skilled artisans, it becomes jewellery that gleams with heritage and modernity. Recently, we’ve integrated reclaimed jewels, adding unexpected brilliance to sustainable design.

• Collection Highlight: Brass Jewellery – Striking, sculptural pieces that balance tradition with reinvention.

By working with cultural craft practices - from hand-carving to metal shaping - each brass design is both material innovation and cultural preservation.

Why Storytelling Through Materials Matters

Every Paguro piece is proof that sustainability is not just about reducing harm - it’s about amplifying meaning. Materials carry cultural, social, and environmental histories. By honouring those layers, we create accessories that aren’t just worn, but lived with.

When you choose Paguro, you’re not just buying a bag or bracelet. You’re carrying the resilience of an inner tube, the endurance of a tent, the creativity of a skateboard, the quiet beauty of wood, and the brilliance of brass.

✨ Explore our collections and find the story you want to carry.