UNIQUE LA: MOLLY M DESIGNS

Molly McGrath is a designer based in the Mission district of San Francisco. She is professionally trained as an architect, and after using a laser cutter to make architectural models, she recognized the machine’s unique potential to make jewelry and other designed objects. Her collection includes jewelry and homewares.

Molly designs and produces all of the work in San Francisco and is focused on ethical material sourcing, accessible pricing, and conceptual integrity. Her work is made with sustainable materials, including bamboo, birch from responsibly farmed forests, wool salvaged from surplus army clothing, suede reclaimed from second hand jackets and warehouse surplus, and a multitude of scrap wood veneers from local cabinetmakers. She is always on the lookout for salvaged and scrap materials that can be transformed by a lasercut design.  Molly starts the design process with a sketch, which she then drafts in autocad, and prints on her laser cutter. She approaches the designs as she would approach an architectural model: experimenting with the concept, materials, and composition. Her work is inspired by pattern and form - a skyline, a bird in flight, a composition of branches, a snowflake, textile design, botanical morphology, perspective, building geometries, and optical illusions.