SOL sat down to chat with Dutch Fashion Designer and Master Weaver Lieke Pansters who divides her time between Amsterdam and Milan. In the middle of 2019 LIEKEPANSTERS01 was launched. The collection is an ongoing project that sees a series of unique handmade garments created by following a sustainable weaving technique that does not include cuts and, consequently, warrants no fabric wastage. Each garment from the collection is handmade and therefore, in the words of Lieke “an anthem to imperfection: traces of the maker’s hands are deliberately visible on them, they all follow the same design but are, by nature, all different from one another.” You can view the full collection on the official website here and keep up to date with the world of Lieke Pansters on Instagram @liekepansters.

A special thanks to the fabulous team at Next Agency Milan.

Did you always know you would end up in the Fashion industry?

No, but I was always interested in the arts and ballet. From there, the way to fashion and textile was a pretty natural evolution.

One of your earliest memories that hugely impacted you and pushed you to your vocation?

I got my first handloom as a child and weaving was something I very much enjoyed. I always got inspired by those memories and when I started to research into some possible evolution from fashion design, that memory came back to me and I felt the urgency to reconnect that childhood heritage with my studies and passion into clothes and design.

Lieke Pansters uses the technique of weaving with a modern aesthetic outlook- what does Aesthetics mean to you and how does that play out in your garments?

It means a lot. Of course the aesthetic of my work is about the cut, color and texture. But my love for aesthetics is deeply connected with functionality: the most important thing with my pieces is that the wearer feels comfortable and protected.

The art of weaving has a rich linkage to the Bauhaus movement of the 1900s thanks to the Bauhausmädels, including greats such as Anni Albers. What pushed you to explore weaving as a technique?

In the beginning, the education I got from a Rudolph Steiner school got me to explore weaving. While working as a designer I missed the slow pace of creating, I felt the need of using my hands more, to be able to focus more on what I was doing and to take control of the whole creative process again.

Imperfection is a key element in your work, tells us a little bit about this and how it expresses itself in the brands ethos?

Usually industrial weaving is a methodical process. No mistakes are allowed. While warping my loom by hand, not only do I not fix any mistakes, but I apply specific techniques that exaggerate them, for example manipulating the warp and weft lets me implement mistakes on purpose. I find mistakes much more interesting than a perfectly made cloth.

My pieces are an anthem to imperfection: traces of the maker’s hands are deliberately visible on them, they all follow the same design but are, by nature, all different from one another.

How would you describe the ideal Lieke Pansters woman.

Any woman could be the ideal woman. I’m more interested in the relationship these women create with clothes, accessories and design in general. As I mentioned previously, the most important thing for me is that every woman should feel comfortable and protected in my pieces. Freedom, comfort, knowledge.

Tell us about any looming projects on the horizon for LP.

This is a nice pun! Anything that will come on the intersection between experimenting with my loom and work on a sustainable mix of luxury, aesthetics and functionality. My aim is to work with a selected number of clients, shops and brands that share my vision worldwide.

How would you like to see the brand in years to come?

I love the idea of not knowing what will happen to my work and brand in the future. I think creativity in fashion was almost killed by obsessive marketing agendas.

Where can one keep up to date with the world of LP?

Any woman could be the ideal woman. I’m more interested in the relationship these women create with clothes, accessories and design in general. As I mentioned previously, the most important thing for me is that every woman should feel comfortable and protected in my pieces. Freedom, comfort, knowledge.

Stay updated with the world of Lieke Pansters through these channels:

Website: liekepansters.com
Instagram: @liekepansters

Finally if you could be summed up in one of your pieces- which one would it be and why?

Definitely the tubular woven yellow dress. It’s feminine and it aims to precision without pretending to be perfect.

Additional Credits:

Photographer: @daneiellucasbouquet
Model: @dante_kedde