Dezeen Magazine

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

London designer Rohan Chhabra has adapted a range of hunter jackets so they transform into models of endangered animals (+ slideshow).

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

For his Embodying Ethics: Endangered project, Rohan Chhabra took hunting attire and formed it into the shapes of the animals threatened by the activity.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

"The project aims to use design to inform the issue of extinction of critically endangered species," said Chhabra.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

His range includes representations of a mountain gorilla, an Asian elephant, a tiger, a saiga antelope and a rhino.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

All five weatherproof jackets looks similar in their original forms but Chabbra has added extra zips and poppers in different places on each, so elements can be altered and reshaped into the individual animals.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

Toggles are positioned to look like eyes and fabric folds create ears.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

Gorilla, elephant and rhino shapes are formed over padded fabric bases, while antelope legs are simply crafted from sleeves.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

The rhino's horns and elephant's tusks can be removed, and the tiger is splayed out like it has been skinned, to highlight why numbers of these creatures are dwindling.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

Zips on the tiger jacket reveal a darker fabric underneath when opened up to look like stripes and the other coats are coloured to represent the animals' skin or fur.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

The project was presented during this year's London Design Festival - see our roundup of highlights from the event here.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

Other projects we've featured that involve turning objects into animal models include pins for making little characters from wine corks and paper accessories for turning balloons into animal heads.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

We've also published a trawler fishing net that filters out endangered fish from the catch and an enclosed cavity brick fitting that allows rare birds to nest in new buildings.

Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra

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Embodying Ethics: Endangered by Rohan Chhabra