Textiles Inspiration: Sandra Backlund born 1979

: Control C collection by Sandra Backlund. Photography by Peter Gehrke

So you may have noticed that the Textiles Inspiration has been a tad ‘Printed Textiles‘ heavy. I guess that is what inspires me the most, but every now and again you come across a designer who uses a different medium and blows your mind. Sandra Backlund is one of those!

: Control C collection by Sandra Backlund. Photography by Peter Gehrke

Sandra Backlund is from Sweden and works as a fashion designer who’s main interest has been with the ingenious development of knitwear, Sandra says that all her shapes come from thinking of the process as a collage and knits her shapes as she goes without using a pattern or a plan. All of Backlund‘s designs have a really mind bending 3D and sculptural quality and are probably so fluid and free due to her technique and imagination. She has even experimented with garments made out of hair (it is probably synthetic?).

: Control C collection by Sandra Backlund. Photography by Peter Gehrke

Sandra studied at the Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm and started her business the same year she graduated in 2004. Since then she has become a world renowned designer and has been supported and featured by the most influential editors and photographers of our time. The most wonderful thing I read about Sandra Backlund was that she loves her collections to be handmade and she respects and enjoys the handicraft process.

: Form collection by Sandra Backlund. Photography by Peter Farago

“I always start with an idea. Then I begin to experiment with different handicraft techniques and materials. I improvise a lot and allow myself to lose control to see what happens.”