Sven Steinmetz
Sven’s work is questioning the division between textile and garment.
Instead of cutting the pattern out of the textile, he is setting it into the weave. Thereby garment and fabric are created at the same moment. Instagram: @svensven__
This simultaneous creation demands a new way of coding the pattern; darts and seams transform into other geometric shapes or dissolve completely.
Further an adaption of the loom is necessary. Therefore he is redesigning the parts of the machine that hold the yarn under tension, to allow more motion during the weaving process to happen.
This cross-disciplinary way of proceeding gives him the chance to set his work in a new context, which is now moving between garment, textile and machine.
As a final conclusion of his practice Sven aims to create seamless garments.
Where would you like your work to take you?
I hope that my work can help me understand myself better. To make me realise what I do and do not want. The constant decision-making, the handling of obstacles and the reflections that come up while working are helping me to define myself. I see the ultimate goal not in a geographical place or a job, but in accumulating different points of view.
How long did it take you to come up with this new innovative way of creating clothing?
Three years ago I discovered the historic technique of corset weaving. Since then I am working to transform this forgotten method into something more contemporary. For me it is a process which is still ongoing, in which I see myself less as the creator of this technique but more as an accompanist, to continue its story.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
A big part of my inspiration comes from examining garments and their technical solutions. Individuals have been creating clothes for centuries and found countless ways to cover and decorate a human body. I love discovering these ideas and see how I can apply or evolve them. Often this leads me to the major aesthetic decisions in my work, for the rest I am inspired by anything that happens around me; music, paintings, writings, everyday life, etc..
What piece of music would you say compliments your work the most?
String Quartet, M. 35: II. Assez vif - Très rythmé / Performed by: Quatuor Ébène / Written by: Maurice Ravel
https://open.spotify.com/track/5erj8jK6bq8MWFnDVv2HtI?si=6IVfovjYT8GAHzAJKnjm2g
Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?
In terms of garments I am inspired by the technical understandings of Issey Miyake and Azzedine Alaïa. Further I love Michael Wolf, Robert Rauschenberg, Candida Höfer, GEGO, John Cage, Ellsworth Kelly, Pierre Soulages, Rainer Maria Rilke, Marguerite Duras, Max Frisch, Nils Frahm, Marilyn Monroe, my family and countless others.
