ESPRIT made its latest stop on the Europe-wide FUNDOM tour, this time landing comfortably in stylish Copenhagen. This edition of the tour highlighted some bright new talent who call the city home, championing those whose innovative vision not only sustains these age-old techniques but also establishes new benchmarks for the future of craftsmanship. ESPRIT collaborated with two local creatives, Nadia Wire and Louise Cehofski, both of whom applied their own mediums to produce one-of-a-kind pieces for the Fundom.
Nadia is a clothing designer influenced by a countryside upbringing and taught to knit by their grandmother. Her knitwear brand draws inspiration from Tamotsu Yagi and Ettore Sottsass's archival styles at Esprit, whose unique shapes and color palettes form the basis for their design language. Waste reduction is a consistent theme in their work, utilizing excess materials and scraps from the archive. Employing various knitting techniques, including digital machines and hand embroidery, the designer transforms silhouettes by deconstructing seams, achieving a sculptural and oversized fit.
Louise is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on jewelry, the artist developed their personal style while studying at KEA - Copenhagen’s School of Design and Technology. Their collection features diverse jewelry pieces, including necklaces, bracelets, and rings. The initial piece draws inspiration from yarn, using the Mitsuro Hikime wax technique for a playful and organic texture. In the second creation, ESPRIT knit is adorned with vibrant pendants, symbolizing the spectrum of traditional to contemporary jewelry.
Nadia Wire
How do you integrate up-cycling and zero-waste principles into your creative process?
Zero waste is close to my heart and is integrated into everything we do—from the initial design to the final development of each knitted piece. This is our first time working directly with upcycling any knitted pieces—something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I’ve always achieved ALL our production scraps, so this opportunity with ESPRIT is perfect.
What aspects did you have the most fun playing in this collab?
I immediately dived into the research and was inspired by former ESPRIT Creative Director Tamotsu Yagi, whose visual language is all about collaging colors and patterns in a very graphic, fun way. I paid tribute to his aesthetic and applied it to the jumpers with digital knitting. I programmed and knitted 3 different sizes of patches in graphic patterns inspired by Yagi in colors that complimented the jumpers. I wanted the patches to look as integrated as possible. I added small pointelle holes along the edges of the patches, so we could cross-stitch the patches to the jumpers in a very clean and graphic way.
How does your production process work for the creation of one of your pieces?
We only produce made-to-order, as we want to avoid overproduction, and therefore production only starts once an order has been placed. Firstly, our knitting team threads up the machines and knits the fabrics, once the fabric is complete—it is then handed over to our seamstress who then preps the textile by securing all the yarn ends, steams the fabric and assembles it together. Once the final pieces have been quality-checked, it gets sent directly to the customer. Every step takes place on one roof, and we skip many chains working this way.
For the creation of the upcycled jumpers for ESPRIT, the production process has been very different from what we usually do, as we worked with knitwear/fabrics that already existed. I wanted to showcase how knitwear can both be manual labor and machine-made. Therefore, I ended up using different techniques such as jacquard knitting on the digital knitting machine, hand embroidery, and weaving into the fabric on domestic knitting machines. I wanted to be respectful to the jumpers: how it is made, the shape, and the materials.
Louise Cehofski
What’s your creative process when designing a new piece?
I usually start by moodboarding, which can include collage-style compositions, color palettes, or simple Pinterest mood boards. From there I make an effort to sketch rough representations of my visions and ideas in as many variations as possible. I test my ideas by shaping pieces in clay or tin foil and create 3D renderings using Rhino.
What inspires your designs? Are there particular themes or inspirations that influence your work?
I am inspired by everyday objects and situations, whether it's buildings, people at the beach, a branch in the park, or even a tampon—anything can spark an idea in my mind.
How did Julia Fox end up wearing your jewelry?
I texted Julia's stylist, Briana, and inquired if Julia might be interested in wearing some of my designs. Fortunately, my friend Emma Grankvist, who lives between Copenhagen and New York, was an angel and delivered my jewelry to Julia's stylist.
Are there specific aspects of Copenhagen's culture or atmosphere you find conducive to creativity?
I feel very safe in Copenhagen; it truly is my sanctuary. Specifically in Nørrebro where I live, there's a fantastic diverse atmosphere. I need to feel secure before I can be creative, and that's exactly how I feel in this part of the city.
Every morning, I walk through the cemetery (Assistens Kirkegården), which is this green little spot in the middle of Nørrebro. It may sound strange to take a mental health walk in a cemetery, but it's truly a little paradise.
Learn more about ESPRIT's FUNDOM tour here.
