From engineering to haute couture
- Among Thomasine's many creations is a collection of scented gloves
- She studied conceptual product design in Eindhoven
- She designed her first collection for a concept store in Tokyo
A photograph marked the turning point in Thomasine Barnekow’s life and career: it portrayed Michelle Lamy, wife and muse of designer Rick Owens, posing with some very impressive bracelets. “Those accessories struck me to the point that I started to imagine how I could convey that movement in a glove. That’s how my first prototype was born,” recounts the young artisan-designer in her brand new studio right next to the Louvre. Until then, Thomasine had only made gloves during a workshop at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, where she decided to enrol after having spent a few months studying engineering, which she “immediately understood was not my way”.
INTERVIEW
I grew up in the Swedish countryside in a small village inhabited by very active, strong women. Some sewed, some embroidered; all had close interaction with nature. I took in everything, but I was more focused on maths than arts. That’s why I studied engineering, but I soon understood I couldn’t unleash my creativity in that.
The pivotal moment came in 2007, thanks to the support of Spanish designer Elisa Palomino, who was a juror in the Talent Support competition in Trieste. I first worked with Georges Morand, a master glove maker in Saint-Junien, then Agnelle and Maison Fabre, two other important Parisian institutions.
And to nature, I would add. They are my main sources of inspiration. I observe the floral photos by Karl Blossfeldt or the works by Oscar Niemeyer and I start to draw. I always prefer to work with leather, although I like to mix it with more unconventional materials, such as vinyl, lace and innovative textiles.
Until ten years ago it was virtually impossible to find gloves in a fashion magazine. In the 1980s and 90s they were swept aside by bags and shoes. Today there is a revival of the craft of the glove maker, and the attention that the press devotes to my creations fills me with pride.
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