Sarah Lévy – The sociologist of accessories

TLmag: You got here to accessories quite past due. Tell us about your adventure? Sarah Levy: I changed into, at first, an architect. It turned into a secure choice; however, it didn’t absolutely resonate with me even back then. The style faculties, mainly La Cambre, made an impact on me. I didn’t sense at home. At the quit of my research, I labored for a decade as an architect. I additionally started a thesis on urban planning. As a part of this, I turned into invited to observe at the Parsons School of Design in New York. There, where I became in contact with jewelers, I observed add-ons, in addition to working with artisans. Back in Belgium, I enrolled at Arts et Métiers. I studied there for 2 years whilst finishing my thesis. But after 12 months as an urban planner, I felt stuck with the institutional aspect of the activity. The accessories segment of La Cambre had just opened. For me, it turned into a manner to begin a change without transitioning from one job to another other. I jumped in.

TLmag: And this time, you belonged.

S.L.: We were the best four students, including a photographer and a fashion designer, overseen by outstanding professors. That’s where I discovered the universe of leatherwork. The first 12 months, I gave myself overall freedom. At La Cambre, I become driven to move beyond my barriers, to follow my instinct. The second year, when I
turned into running on my graduation collection, I began an actual reflection on the human body. My idea turned into translating, through add-ons, our present-day habits. I meditated on those everyday gadgets which have become our new fetishes: the telephone, the electronic cigarette…Objects which have created new gestures. However, my goal isn’t always to criticize these manias; alternatively, to imagine the add-ons in tune with our life ‘rituals.’

On the only hand, we ease our day-by-day gestures and spotlight the obsessive facet of these addictions. I labored with a prosthetist and orthopaedist. In particular, my research led me to transpose the prosthetics strategies into the domain of leatherwork: greater especially, glove making. For example, I imagined a long leather-based glove stitched to a mobile telephone case. My whole collection plays in this ambiguity among self-assurance and constraints. I could collaborate with French glovemakers Lavabre Cadet, who helped me create a number of the seven pieces inside the series. Working on gloves, an item frequently is considered to be out of date; however, which calls for real expertise also involved me plenty.

TLmag: This collection inspired the jury on the Hyères competition, which, as we recognize, is a great springboard for designers. Was it this that made you need to apply? S.L.: Hyères is an outstanding region of expression for any young clothier. The people I met for the duration of the festival reflect consideration on style in a wise way. When you take a technique that isn’t always in any respect enterprise-orientated, being a finalist within the competition represents an enormous possibility.