Textile
Andrea Bos
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm Andrea, a clothing and textile designer based in Belgium. After I finished my studies in the Netherlands, where I’m originally from, I moved to Antwerp about four years ago. Since then I have been building up my current practice, in which I make custom made clothing from preloved textiles. I have a big love and preference for working with denim, because it has a very interesting way of ageing, by showing different shades and colours over usage.
What was your early motivation to express your creativity through textiles?
My grandmother taught me how to sew on her old-fashioned sewing machine, which you had to operate by hand. I started out very experimental and without any knowledge of sewing. One of the first pieces I made was a top, which I constructed by stitching together two rectangles with two straps. After some trial and error I started to follow some courses to learn more about the technical part of making clothes.
Later on I went to ArtEZ University of the Arts, where I studied Product Design. I was still making clothes at that time, but I decided not to study Fashion, because I was curious to explore a variety of crafts. During my studies I worked with a lot of different materials and techniques, which was very useful to develop a wide range of skills, but my love for working with textiles remained the most present. Since I finished my studies, my work has been focused around textiles.
Can you take us through your process?
Most of my projects start from the materials. The final outcome of the design depends on what kind of materials I find or what I have in my stock. On a regular basis I visit second hand stores and traders to look for materials. Over time I have developed specific guidelines for myself, to know what kind of materials work for me and which don’t. I’m mostly paying attention to the quality and the composition of the materials. I´ll look for 100% cotton denim and other natural fibres. Sometimes I get a fabric for a specific project, sometimes just because I imagine myself being able to use it at some point.
I prefer to work on request, which means a piece of clothing is being made after a customer requests it. I have a few designs that people can choose from, like jackets or vests, pants or tops. It is also possible to bring in your own fabrics to use into the designs. We always have conversations about the colour scheme and the details of the fit, to personalise it to the needs of the wearer. Based on that information, I dive into my stock to see what materials are available and suitable.
I mostly work with the fabrics from preloved clothes, which means there is a limited amount of fabric and that multiple fabrics and colours have to be combined to create enough material for the new design. The variety of materials are combined by a sort of patchwork technique, and it’s always very interesting to go through this process of putting different pieces and colours together as a puzzle. Customers who live close by often stop by for a fitting in between the process. I think it is important to involve them while making the piece and to give them an insight into the process.
You beautifully wrote on your website that “clothes worth wearing are worth repairing”. Can tell us more about your repairing services and mending practice, and the motivation to start offering this services?
My repairing and mending practice evolved from my own wardrobe. Some of my favourite pieces that I've been wearing for a long time started to fall apart, but I wasn’t ready to let go of them. I started to mend them to extend their lifetime, and I really like the way these pieces slowly got covered with beautiful scars which contain the memories to specific events or experiences.
As much as I like to create new pieces from preloved clothing and textiles, I think it is also very important to educate people about the possibilities of repairing something before you replace it. By repairing something in a beautiful and visible way you show that you care about that piece and that you're proud of it.
What´s your production philosophy?
I don’t believe in waste. I think it is a nice way of challenging yourself to always keep looking for valuable solutions for your waste. In the beginning it was a bit challenging but after I decided to embrace this philosophy, it helped me to shape my values and to keep improving them. Every piece of fabric that I cut off and didn't use in the original project, is sorted into my sorting system. This way I can easily reach for those leftovers when I have a project in mind. I even stuffed some pillows with the tiniest pieces of scrap that couldn’t be sewn anymore.
Besides that I produce mostly on request or in very very small volumes. I always have just a few pieces in stock that I'm using for the fitting and sizing. Production of a piece takes up to a few weeks because of the time that goes into the whole process. By inviting the buyer over or by updating them from time to time I hope to create some insight and awareness about this process.
We think that celebrating crafts is celebrating humanity. Can you speak more about the experience of creating clothing and the impact that it has on your happiness and well-being?
Working with my hands brings me a lot of fulfilment, it's a way of communicating which I feel very comfortable with. It keeps on fascinating me to be able to transform a 2-dimensional piece of fabric into something 3-dimensional that can be wrapped around the body. It also brings me joy to create something from materials which have been preloved or are considered waste in some others eyes.
The process and the time that I put into my work are very dear to me. Through the time that I spend, I'm building a relationship with every piece that I'm making. I believe the time and the love that goes into the making of a piece can be passed along, and felt by, the wearer.
What and who inspires you?
I'm very inspired by traditional clothing and workwear clothing. You can find a lot of beautiful and clever ways of designing when you look into the history of clothing, for example when you look at the construction of a Japanese kimono. A kimono is constructed from rectangular pieces of fabric with a specific width. This width is dependent on the width of the loom on which the fabric has been woven. By only using rectangular pieces of fabric, you won’t have to waste any fabric. It’s such a smart way of working and at the same time you’re showing respect for the materials and the resources. I have a book that has these drawings from all over the world about traditional clothing by Max Tilke which I very often browse through for inspiration.
Where do you think lies the biggest potential to preserve important local crafts and traditions?
The way my grandmother taught me how to sew is something not many people from my generation have experienced, but this passing on of crafts and knowledge has been very common for generations before us. I think sharing knowledge is a very important way to connect to people and through generations. Being involved in craft activities can be so beneficial to our happiness and well-being. The history of humanity is embedded in all forms of crafts, and there is a significant reason why they have existed for such a long time already.
What upcoming projects make you excited right now?
Lately I have been curious to experiment with textiles on a bigger scale than just clothing. I’ve been creating a few curtains, to research the play between the colours of fabrics and the sunlight. I'm interested in the different roles that textiles can play in a space, and what kind of functions they can have. I hope to always keep on discovering and learning about new techniques, which I can apply on a variety of projects.
Where and how can people engage more with your work?
You can find out more about my work on my website and on social media. For those who are in Antwerp, you're more than welcome to come and visit my atelier. All pictures belong to Andrea
