Cécile Feilchenfeldt

Knitter

Knitting 2.0

Cécile translates her passion for textile into creating innovative knitted fabrics
She uses experimental knitting techniques to develop materials, structures and surfaces
Her bespoke pieces can be seen on models from prestigious haute couture fashion houses

Cécile Feilchenfeldt is an award-winning Swiss textile design graduate from Zurich University of Arts. She specialised in knitting and opened her studio in Paris in the early 2000s. Using domestic and semi-automatic machines to craft her pieces, Cécile pushes the boundaries of knitted works through research and experimentation, creating glamourous fashion pieces for her discerning clients. “In a lot of my work, one cannot see that it is a knit.” Selected to participate in the Homo Faber Fellowship 2024-25, Cécile is pleased to transmit her skills to a young apprentice. “My aim is to change the perception of knitwear from traditional and old-fashioned to a craft enabling the creation of innovative pieces.” Thanks to her innovative approach, Cécile's knitted fabrics are shown in exhibitions such as Maison d’Exceptions, dedicated to rare and cutting-edge expertise.

Interview

When did you decide to pursue knitting professionally?: Intuitively when I was 10 years old, but more concretely when I was 20 during my textile design studies. I started making my own clothes and selling them at university. It was a test, as I wanted to make sure I could make a living from my creations.
How do you approach each project?: I am always questioning, not accepting the existing, challenging myself and my small team of 'fairies' to achieve the unexpected for my clients. It means some sleepless nights to finish a piece, but the reward is how much is learnt throughout the process.
What do you like the most about developing knitted fabrics?: I like to elevate the perception of knit as a more sophisticated craft. It becomes technical when developing materials, structure and surfaces. You have to be creative. The machine is a system and I love the mathematical side to knitting, at the service of beauty.
Aside from the fashion world, do you work with other industries?: Yes, I work a lot with Fashion Houses but I also develop jewellery and I have worked on projects for the automobile industry, for instance. I am really open to all sectors that can help me show the unexpected possibilities that knitting has to offer.

Cécile Feilchenfeldt is a master artisan: she began her career in 2000 and she started teaching in 2002