Angelis was crafted entirely from byproducts of the whisky industry — waste cork powder and spent grain — to make the entire shoe, including the adhesive. Designed to align with existing manufacturing methods, the shoe avoids reinventing production processes, enabling seamless integration into current practices. The project repurposes discarded byproducts into valuable resources. Inspired by the craft of whisky-making, Angelis merges sustainability with high-end design, demonstrating how sustainable innovation can be synonymous with luxury.
+ Footwear Design and Development
+ Biomaterial Science
+ Prototyping
As part of my internship at Adidas as a Footwear Computational Designer and Engineer, I collaborated on the development of data-driven outsole patterns for the Adizero Adios Pro 4 and Adios 9 running shoes. Using collected pressure data, we translated movement insights into performance-led, geometric traction designs. Leveraging Grasshopper, we developed a parametric algorithm to generate and adapt grid-like traction structures tailored to each outsole. The result was a collection of visually engineered, high-performance designs.
+ Footwear Design and Development
+ Computational Design Engineering
+ Innovation
Morph is a minimal and intuitive modular headphone device that adapts to every individuals sense of style, music preferences and day-to-day needs. Through magnetic on-ear and over-ear cushions and magnetic casing pieces which reflect different music genres, Morph is designed to be more environmentally friendly than current devices, allowing fashion-lovers to express themselves, their love for music and keep up with current trends.
+ Industrial Design
+ CAD Modelling and Rendering
+ Computational Design
Sensate is a minimal and intuitive assistive tool designed to help blind and visually impaired individuals create and experience art through touch and sound. Challenging the misconception that sight loss limits creative expression, Sensate makes colour information accessible by allowing users to scan a canvas and receive feedback via braille, vibration, or audio. Developed through in-depth research, it empowers users to explore colour intuitively, regardless of their level of vision or artistic experience. While primarily created for blind artists, Sensate also invites sighted users to rethink how we perceive and engage with colour.
+ Industrial Design
+ Human-Centred Design
+ CAD Modelling and Rendering
Hello! My name is Michela Puglia, and I am a multidisciplinary Design Engineer based in London. I recently graduated from Imperial College London and have previous experience in Sustainable Material Development at Arda Biomaterials and Computational Design and Engineering at Adidas. Throughout my degree, I developed a diverse skill set, ranging from product design and development to programming and robotics.
Currently focused on material science, I am passionate about driving innovation in environmentally friendly projects, particularly within the fashion, textiles, apparel, and footwear industries. My background enables me to approach challenges from multiple perspectives, blending engineering principles with creative design to deliver practical, impactful solutions.
For more information,
If you're interested in collaborating with me or learning more about my work, feel free to reach out via email, Linked In or Instagram.
Publications
Puglia et al. 2024 | The circular policy canvas: Mapping the European Union's policies for a sustainable fashion textiles industry | Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Volume 204 |
Awards
Global Footwear Awards | Winner in Women’s Fashion | 2024 |
Global Footwear Awards | Winner in Natural Materials/Vegan Footwear | 2024 |
Press
Stir World | Isola Design Festival energises Milan with ‘Conscious Objects’ | 2025 |
Pearls Magazine | Designing a Shoe Out of Whisky Waste | 2025 |
Future Materials Bank | Whisky Waste | 2025 |
Exhibitions
Milan Design Week | Conscious Objects - A Collective Exhibition Curated by Isola Design | 2025 |