By Laila Gohar The city of Cleveland, once an industrial heartland, lost two-thirds of its population in the latter part of the 21st century. Emigration due to loss of manufacturing jobs resulted in 15,000 vacant houses, which are being demolished over the course of the next 10 years. Each year,…
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Arranged horizontally or in a dizzying cubistic patchwork, Haroshi’s laminated skateboard sculptures have rightfully earned the self-taught artist plenty of hype across both the art and skate communities. His latest exhibition, “Virtual Reality,” magnifies his relentless penchant for cross-pollinating passions with a new crop of colorful works which fully…
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Intuitive couture embroidery
by Matilde Angelucci
Desirée Hammen is a Dutch artist specializing in haute couture embroidery. In all her work she pursues the beauty of imperfection, creating unusual mash-ups for a truly surreal effect. As a fashion designer, Hammen combines traditional techniques with a DIY spirit to overcome any codified style, her handmade embroidered cardigans translating more as wearable art—totally unique art pieces that seem to transcend the “rules” of trends. According to Hammen, her clothing offers a way to express one’s identity and, she says, “is about a person as human being and his or her story—it’s about distinguishing yourself, showing your unique poetry.” In her mind, fashion should reflect a personal and unique vision of life, which can come from any aspect of one’s outlook. “The garments that I make have been described as punk, meaning that they emit a do-it-yourself mentality,” she says, suggesting the idea that the highest degree of originality doesn’t reside in the unconventional by itself, but instead in one’s creative autonomy. We talked to the designer to learn more about her look and the genesis behind the line.
My inspiration comes from many sources. Where the inspiration comes from depends on the work. Living with an open mind makes it easy to find beauty and inspiration in different ways. Curiosity is something that can drive me to sew things, the curiosity of “how will this item or body of work look when I use this stitch over and over again?” Or, “how I can improve a stitch and make a new one out of it?” Curiosity and asking myself questions in a broad sense, or contrastingly, in a very focused way, develops my work.
It’s based on a conversation between people. It is about making a connection for a certain period of time, in which I look for little things that interest me within one’s personality. When I work on the garment, I concentrate on the person I make it for so that the garment will be a piece that contains influences of the person. It’s a really nice way to work and it takes a lot of focus. The process is intuitive but grounded within reality. Of course, I discuss colors or materials and I make a small sample to show what ideas or direction I’m considering. Besides that, I keep in mind for what use the garment will be. The ultimate goal in this is to push the style a little bit in a daring way and give beauty to the person. My intuition leads me to ideas when I think about that person or something that they wish for.
Imperfection is an interesting issue. It creates a tension in the work. And of course it is a very human thing. No one is perfect. It’s about the way I watch and how I can experience beauty in something imperfect. Imperfection for me is very inspiring because it triggers me everytime to develop my work into new directions. We should not abolish imperfection but embrace it as a unique aspect of each person and each body of work. This way, I create a new beauty which I find more interesting than the beauty of perfection. To put “imperfection” next to “perfection” is a new way of working that I explore since I specialize in haute couture embroidery.
When making my cardigans, I don’t work with a pattern but start to knit by hand on a intuitive level. This makes every piece unique. I have an idea in mind about the silhouette and the colors and I keep the body and the person in mind, and that guides me to a certain way of working. Parts of the garment are grown in an organic way, and so parts will have differences in lengths and outcome. For me, this makes the work interesting, giving myself freedom but keeping it all together at the end. How the different parts level together at the end for me is like reading a book with different personalities, structures and layers. Another example is when I make jewelry it often contains found objects from the streets. Those objects are lost, used and often crushed. They have already had a life and thus a certain history. To combine this with new objects and treasures gives them a certain “electricity” that I love and that makes my heart jump. A few years ago I began to take walks through my living environment. I took the same route and started to see more and more interesting details. I found great inspiration from homeless shelters, from which I make my own story of a world that stands on its own but is typically not seen as a positive part of society, or as a perfect part of life.
It might be, but I wouldn’t say that. If you think about deconstruction, it’s about breaking down existing structures. And when we look around and see our surroundings—or things we use like clothing—we have a certain way of judging them, whether it be positively or negatively. To see structures in a different perspective is certainly an aim of my work. Since the way we think about structures is universal, it’s nice to recognize that a different, alternative way of conceptualizing them also exists. But changing that thought pattern is both challenging and difficult, even for me.
Select items are available for purchase through Hammen’s website.
Travel-size shampoos, lotions, and soaps found in many hotel rooms are easy to accumulate when traveling and even easier to become clutter in your house when you return home. Since these items are consumable, can’t be passed on to a future guest once opened, and don’t have a price tag, it really is okay to take them. But, over time, an overflowing stash of these freebies can outgrow your space or take up room that other important “must-haves” should occupy.
Rather than throwing them in a bag in your closet (where you’ll probably never see them again) or putting them in the trash, you can repurpose them:
Of course, if you can avoid the temptation, you can avoid having to decide what to do with them by leaving them behind during your next hotel stay.
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Bright bracelets from Maine
A non-traditional take on a classic, utilitarian material, Shana Aldrich Ready’s jewelry line, The Ropes is a colorful ode to her Maine roots. “I always had a farfetched dream of trying to bring my design skills back to Maine,” says Ready. “I like the idea of visiting different metropolitan cities but then coming home to Maine to interpret and digest everything.”
Inspired by the nautical materials and the rich marine culture of her home state, Ready launched The Ropes in March 2011. “The Ropes actually started completely accidentally,” she says. “About two years ago now I was just messing around with rope I had around the house and ended up making two bracelets for myself.”
Those two original bracelets are now the Kennebunkport and the Portland styles, which, along with the rest of the line come in a vibrant assortment of colors from neon brights to classic white—inspired by the buoys Ready’s husband uses in his lobstering business. Each piece is handmade in Maine using authentic nautical hardware and cords, most of which are made in Maine as well.
The Ropes can be found online at Spaces Kennebunkport and at the Bliss boutique in Portland, Maine. Prices range between $30 for the Scarborough bangle to $70 for the multi-strand Portland bracelet.
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