About
Denim has no limits in the eyes of Faustine Steinmetz – she elevates the most humble wardrobe staple, blue jeans, into one-off works of art, deconstructed and developed using intricate, hand-worked techniques. Her forte is slow fashion – everyday clothes made with the same painstaking attention as a couture gown. Having worked for the likes of Jeremy Scott and Henrik Vibskov, the Paris-born designer set up her own label in early 2013 after acquiring her first handloom. Already, she has garnered acclaim and attention for its focus on craftsmanship and her intriguing, unexpected use of traditional dyeing and weaving techniques. In 2015, she was one of eight young designers to make it through to the final of the LVMH prize.
Continuing SHOWstudio’s tradition of inviting designers to partake in a ‘LiveStudio’ by taking up residence in our London studio, and following in the footsteps of the likes of Mary Katrantzou, Stephen Jones, Gareth Pugh, Iris van Herpen and Claire Barrow, Steinmetz set herself up at SHOWstudio for three days to craft a special, one-off garment live on camera. From 3 to 5 June 2015, she opened up her creative process to global viewers, allowing fashion fans and aspiring designers to observe her craft and question her on her approach and ideals.
The piece in question draws on her A/W 14 collection and is constructed by hand-weaving a piece of denim in silk and copper. Watch as Steinmetz warps a loom, makes her bobbins, weaves and sews under the watchful eye of her dog Buzz, who likes to sit next to her loom as she works.
Nodding to the way in which her work blurs the line between fashion and art, and object and garment, Steinmetz’s LiveStudio focuses on the idea of ‘sculptable’ fashion, creating a piece that can be moulded and shaped on the body. This approach is informed by Steinmetz’s core concept of creating garments as considered pieces, rather than designing with a trend, feel or top-to-toe look in mind.
Shop Faustine Steinmetz at SHOWstudio / MACHINE-A.
