Knitwear becomes sculpture

She had been looking for it for 6 years and she finally found it. We were expecting a new quality of voluminous wool for her SS 2011 collection, but instead Sandra Backlund surprises us with a minimal 100% copper yarn.



A young stylist who graduated in 2004 from the Beckmans School of Design in Stockholm, Sandra Backlund set up her label as soon as she finished her studies. A brand that quickly made an impact through its unique hand-woven pieces.



Since then, her knitwear garments with harmonious and complex structures have attracted the attention of Louis Vuitton in 2007 and Emilio Pucci for their collections. And also of Franca Sozzani, editor of Vogue Italia, who in 2008 and 2009 picked her for the Protége Project and the Cittadellarte Fashion B.E.S.T. ("City of Art Fashion Bio Ethical Sustainable Trend") project together with the artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.

What is a detail or decoration in a normal knitwear garment becomes a structural element in Sandra Backlund's collections. Sleeves, collars and braids dominate the composition of the garment, moulding the body with plastic naturalness.

Always attracted by materials and manual skills, Sandra starts off with these two metaphorical knitting needles to sculpt shapes and silhouettes that more closely resemble surprising statues than works of couture.

The technique of the Swedish stylist resembles collage, but proceeds according to micro modules that multiplies, overlaps and diffuses according to models that resemble fractal geometry, yet where the unforeseen hides among the folds of her fabrics. 








Photos via sandrabacklund.com

2 March 2011