Passionate about art, Luxembourgish embroiderer and designer Yanis Miltgen advocates a respect for tradition in his creations. After training experimental embroidery he chose to add a touch of modernity through special work on textiles and volume through materials.
He considers his creations to be halfway between art, craft and fashion.
Even if words remain, books can be threatened by the wear and tear of time but today it’s also threatened by technological advances. My thoughts turn to: how to crystalize and heal these bits of phrases, in other words,
these pieces of history through time and give them a second life by transforming them into a fashion piece.
By writing memoirs, we are creating stories that will become our history. Does our writing leave traces of our time on earth and thus conveying a message of eternity?
As a youngster, Yanis had trouble fitting in, reading became his refuge, allowing him to create his own fantastic, dreamlike world. He has decided to heal the book with layers of embroidery – to preserve the words encapsulated within thread – so that it never disappears. He therefore introduces you to The Writer’s Trace…… this transformational autumn palette which conveys a message of hope and optimism for regrowth and renewal.
The leaves of the tree embody the cycle of the seasons, by becoming the leaves of the book. Bookbinding and embroidery both enjoy a similarity through the craft skills of needle and thread. Paper is made using torn cloth and rags – and the cycle continues to evolve. The alignment of these processes empowered Yanis to create this couture ensemble exploring ‘reparative processes’ through making and healing.
A way of perpetuating the imprint left by all writers and allowing him to subsequently leave his trace as an embroiderer. Employing an ecological and upcycled concept to the collection, he chose to combine his artisan skills of Lunéville Embroidery with a myriad of mixed media textile processes, to create an autumnal palette using more than 150 different threads, 50+ different textures to create the ensemble of dress, shoes and sculptural headpiece. The books used are damaged ones that he has salvaged with the aim of giving them a second life through embroidery. A process of layering takes place, representing healing messages and highlighting the books and their words.
A process of layering takes place, representing healing messages and highlighting the books and their words.
