Ariadne's Thread
/ The Art of RAW
Project made in collaboration with G-star RAW, as part of their Art of RAW campaign
> Exhibited in Dutch Design Week 2022
Photographs by Loes de Boer
Special thanks to Beau Eckhardt
"Ariadne's Thread" visualizes the complexities and paradox of denim as a material. When G-star RAW commissioned me to design a textile piece made of denim, the first thing I did was to research the history of the material. I discovered that denim is "the water of textiles", as it changes shapes and identities depending on the context.
From high-fashion to workers' garment and prison uniform, denim really encapsulates it all. Durable and tough, yet soft and fluffy, depending on the treatment.
I took the myth of Ariadne and her infamous thread as a metaphor. By showcasing all the different types of textures and shapes that denim can take and by allowing them to juxtapose each other, I invite the viewer to take a closer look at the different qualities and get curious about the material. Everyone has at least one denim piece, yet do we know the material as the material knows us? After all, a pair of jeans never forgets the body that "breaks them in"...