Hellen van Rees originally hails from the Netherlands, but is currently based in London, UK. A recent graduate from ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnhem, The Netherlands, she has worked on several freelance projects and an independent collection. This collection,( below) was inspired by the tweed fabrics used by Chanel, the straight silhouette of the 1920’s flappers and the 3D artworks by Anish Kapoor and Rachel Whitebread. “The textile is the binding factor of the collection. It’s completely handmade, from recycled yams woven one by one directly in the shape of the garment. Not wasting anything and making the garment, including the cubes totally seamless as it’s woven 3 dimensionally.”
Whether the pieces with the cubes on them are in reality wearable, or just a great visual addition on the runway and in editorial, is really incidental, the point is that Van Rees is experimenting with great passion and focus on new ways of thinking about textiles, about production and manufacturing methods, waste and new resources; deconstructing the old notion of throw away, discardable fashion and creating a brand new paradigm which is built on a bed of compassion for the planet and all it’s sentient beings. Selected pieces from this collection are available through MUUSE muuse.com.
More at www.hellenvanrees.com
