THE SHAPE OF THINGS

URBAN LANDSCAPES INSPIRE LINNÉA DUCKWORTH’S SARTORIAL FANTASIES.

  • PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDWIN HO
    ASSISTED BY LEON LINK
    MODEL: LINNEA DUCKWORTH
    DIGITAL IMAGING: REBORN RETOUCHING
    SPECIAL THANKS TO DENITSA AVRAMOVA-BASTABLE
    SHOT AT ANRÁN STUDIO
Textiles by Linnea Duckworth.
Hand cut copper sheet, drilled and attached together with jump loops and handpainted with ammonium hydrosulphide, worn over leotard with embedded bondaweb in silk.
Textiles by Linnea Duckworth.
Dip-dyed cotton organdy in indigo, with metal wire and beading.

Copper and stainless steel are not typically thought of as textiles. And this is precisely the reason Linnéa Duckworth chose to use them to produce the garments shown here.
Tectonic Illusions is the name of the collection, and it is inspired by her fascination with urban architecture, particularly those of cities that she has visited, such as Tokyo, Beijing, Xi’an, Hong Kong and Taipei. Created as her final year project at Loughborough University, the garments are constructed by hand, with architectural shapes created by random folding, and volume created by pleating.
“I was drawn to metals as they are used as the building blocks for urban spaces instead, I used them to build a textile garment,” explains Linnéa. “I wanted to take something that does not usually fit in the ‘textile’ category in order to produce an experimental body of work, which explores the ideas of what textiles is. The metals I used have exciting properties that allow patterns and colours to be added, as well as hand manipulations.”
The aspiring multi-media textile designer combines the metals with fabrics such as silk, cotton organdy and neoprene, to create these fantastical pieces. She says, “The metals were one of the more challenging materials I have worked with as they are obviously very different to fabrics. However, it is these properties that made working with them exciting and pushed me to be innovative with the designs.”

Linnéa draws much of her design inspiration from Japan. The forms and shapes in the Tectonic Illusions collection were derived from the visual imagery of Japan, with its clean lines and use of space and colour. “I was, and still am, inspired by designers Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo of Comme de Garcons, due to their creative ideas, cuts and daring in spearheading innovative materials through the exploration of traditional crafts.”
She spent a year in Tokyo studying for her BA in Fashion Design at the Joshibi Art & Design University, and it deepened her interest in the country. “Japan is at the forefront of innovative materials and processes, yet it is also steeped in a rich cultural tradition. These two worlds were fascinating to experience first hand.”
It is this philosophy that informs her aesthetic. “I am constantly trying to work with new materials and processes as well as explore old techniques in a new way. Most recently, I have been working with metals such as copper and stainless steel mesh. In previous projects, I have explored potentials with handmade papers, cyanotype and stitching.”
Having recently graduated in July 2017, Linnéa is still figuring out her path as a designer and an artist. High fashion, costume design, architecture and interior design are all possibilities, as she is keeping her options open as long as they give her an opportunity to flex her creative muscle. “I hope to collaborate with a few designers as well as other artists, including the performing arts as I am passionate about dance and costume.”

Textiles by Linnea Duckworth.
Hand gathered neoprene with silver foiling.
Textiles by Linnea Duckworth.
Stainless steel mesh with pattern created with blow torch. Hand pleated and stitched.

For more of Linnéa’s work, visit www.linneaduckworth.com