MANUEL MANUFACTURES (Mariel Manuel) SWITZERLAND/USA

“When I work on the material it’s like I’m painting, composing little by little, dropping a few sequins and pinning the fabric, as the embroiderers follow me with their hooks. I work with two artisans, Sarjan and Sekar, who come from a small village outside of Chennai, India. They mainly use the very traditional Indian embroidery technique of aari, making long rectangles and bands which I then drape on dolls to compose my pieces.”

“In my Paris atelier I have an extensive material library of fabrics and scraps. Fabric hunting is one of my favourite things in the world. I use silks from Chennai, jerseys, lace and wools from deadstock in the Sentier area of Paris, factory outlet laces from St. Gallen, Switzerland, and any treasures found during my travels.”

“EVERY PIECE IS MADE AS ONE OF A KIND. I DON’T USE PATTERNS OR FOLLOW THE LINES. INSTEAD, I FREE-DRAPE EVERYTHING, AND ALL THE ITEMS COME ALIVE IN THE WAY I FEEL THEY SHOULD AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT.”