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werGstücke
Final Collection
2009/10

The original German title is a pun on the terms “Werg” (tow) and “Werkstücke” (work pieces) referring to flax processing and semi-manufactured goods. The title relates to linen, the material used for the main parts of the collection, and to a raw and seemingly unfinished aesthetic. "werGstücke" is an assembly of unique pieces rather than a collection in the sense of a coherent overall picture.

The main inspiration for this project is a white work technique called hemstitching. Hemstitching is a crafting technique of rural and bourgeois tradition. It was mostly exercised as an ornamental finish to hems of handkerchiefs, bed linen, table covers, and lingerie. Linen is prepared for hemstitching by drawing threads in warp and/ or weft direction. White on white stitching is used to gather the remaining threads according to a decorative pattern. Pattern construction being restricted by certain rules through the employment of the hemstitching technique proved to be an interesting challenge.

The underlying theme of the collection is the beauty of dissolution, mistakes, and transition. The threads drawn by hand dangle loosely, they are neither invisibly stitched to be secured nor are they cut a certain length. They are left to themselves, reminders of the time invested to draw them and subject to disarray. Time may lead to more dissolution and thus to evolution of the designs.

A machine- embroidered design inspired by the "blue onion" porcelain ornament refers to bourgeois table setting and to the adoption and interpretation foreign culture. What is often perceived as a typical design of European heritage is in fact an Asian design inspired not by onions but by melons. Another decorative embroidery is a chance product developed from a wrongly adjusted thread tension. Shades of copper and verdigris as visual appearances of an element subject to change by oxidation represent the beauty of transition. Copper and golden sequins, fickle and never perfectly arranged, contrast yet complement the white linen fabric and its volatile immaculacy.

Handcraft means slow work, a conscious and intuitive process that requires time as much as practice, knowledge, and skill. The collaborators in this project should relate to their work and value it as much as they value themselves. The person wearing the garments should also feel this respect just as much as she esteems herself. This appreciation becomes lucid in two photo series. One is dedicated to the wearer who may feel more mellow, stronger or more beautiful, the other is dedicated to material and detail to demonstrate respect for the value of each garment.

I have always been interested in reviving of traditional cultural techniques and developing them further. A researcher's approach to merging handcraft and the use of modern machines helped me explore a traditional technique to find contemporary potential.

In collaboration with VIA Werkstätten Berlin, workshop for the handicapped.

Special Thanks for generous sponsoring to:

Michele Solbiati Sasil GmbH (linen) and AMANN & Söhne GmbH&CoKG (threads)

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picture credits:
garment pics: Photo: Anne Wanders
model pics: Photo: Joel Shearkoski Model: Rosalie (Izaio Models) Hair & Make-Up: Sabrina Kamke