Towards greener footprints
- Younès and Matilda specialise in traditional hand sewing techniques
- Their shoemaking is centred around an environmentally conscious practice
- They highlight leather's natural features and flaws
Matilda Sandström and Younès Othman are partners in life and craft, and co-founders of the shoemaking studio HOL. Matilda’s path began with a BA in fine arts from Beckmans College of Design, followed by years as an assistant to costume designer Kersti Vitali Rudolfsson, where she managed shoe departments for major productions. Younès, previously an industrial welder, pivoted to metalwork and theatrical shoemaking before the duo joined forces. "Our partnership is a creative laboratory for leather," the couple says. Inspired by a research journey to the tanneries of Fez, Morocco, Matilda and Younès built a traceable supply chain using local hides sourced just an hour from their studio. Having both grown up with sheep farming, Matilda in the Swedish countryside and Younès outside Sousse in Tunisia, they share a deep reverence for animals. Today, they merge their two heritages to create artisanal footwear that celebrates the dignified aging of materials and the art of repair.
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We are schooled in traditional sandal sewing, but we also use a historical technique called pegging. Instead of sewing the sole, you use dried pine pegs to nail it to the shoe. As the pine gets wet, the pegs swell and stick even harder. We also studied welt stitching using traditional Swedish hand tools. It takes one to two weeks to finish a single pair.
Our inspiration is a combination of our roots. We now see things in each other's cultures that we had not noticed before. We use an apotropaic symbol language in our patterns, such as the siyala, inspired by Younès' grandmother's face tattoos, to keep spirits away. We also include fright symbols used to protect the food storage from hidden creatures in the old days.
We highlight scars, insect bites and wrinkles to change the perception of what a flaw is. We work with custom-made bull neck leather from local beef cattle to preserve the 'life' in the material. We even spent six months working with handcrafted leather from a retired milk cow sacrificed to the meat industry. The strengths and weaknesses of the leather shape our final design.
We prioritise the longing for life and repair. Modern shoes are oil-based and turn to dust after 10 years, but we use as little of that as possible. We operate with no stock and use handmade tools with animal based glues instead of solvents. Our made-to-order approach ensures we have a minimal impact on the planet.
