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‘I elevate handicraft techniques to a higher level'
Sandra Backlund constructs dresses as if they were sculptures. With the human body as her starting point, this Swedish designer pulls and pushes small pieces of textile, moulding them until she is happy with the form. ‘My designs are collages,' says this trend-shy designer about her timeless creations. Her experimental methodology usually results in clothing that is highly three-dimensional.
Backlund (b. 1972) is not afraid to incorporate unusual materials such as glass and hair. However, she primarily employs traditional handicraft techniques such as crochet and knitting in her sculptural designs. ‘It is important to keep such techniques alive and carry them forward to a new level.'
She graduated from the Beckmans College of Design in Sweden in 2004, and since then she has presented five mini collections, in which a number of garments are completely handmade. Backlund's unique, voluminous creations have been featured in magazines such as the British i-D, Vogue Italia and the American Nylon. Her work is often the subject of praise on ashadedviewonfashion.com, the influential blog of fashion guru Diane Pernet.