Behind the scenes: the Assembly studio

What happens after a piece leaves the TextielLab? A rug or wall hanging that comes off the machine is not yet finished. It is only in the Assembly studio that it takes its final shape. Here, Liesbet van Gestel, Miranda Horsten and Gonny Vingerhoets put in the finishing touches, carefully steam the seams and devise finishing systems that ensure that a piece can be presented safely and beautifully. It is an invisible but crucial part of the creative process.

Van links naar rechts Gonny Vingerhoets, Liesbet van Gestel, Miranda Horsten. Foto door Roxanne van der Zanden

From machine to handcraft

At the TextielLab, designers see their ideas come to life on the weaving and knitting machines. But as soon as the work rolls of the machine, the next phase begins: the finishing touches.

The specialists at the Assemblage studio observe and determine which techniques are needed to do the work justice. Sometimes these are familiar methods, such as reproductions, but often they are customised solutions for new works.

"No two pieces are the same, and neither is the finishing. You also want to keep it sustainable so that the materials last a long time. Tomorrow's heritage may become 100 years old. And being able to contribute to that is something very beautiful.". - Liesbet van Gestel

Eye for detail

Every piece of work that passes through their hands requires customisation. From subtle seams to clever fastening systems: every detail matters. In the Assembly studio, they strive for the most beautiful and functional results. The choices made here determine how the public ultimately ecperiences the work.

A twenty-metre rug

A striking example is the current project: a twenty-metre-long rug that will soon adorn the ceiling of a restaurant in Paris. The suspension system was considered right from the start, but the real thinking began in the Assembly studio. The work turned out to be larger and more complex than expected. That is why the employees developed an ingenious system: every metre and a half, they sewed a construction with which the rug could be suspended. Stitch by stitch, by hand, this enormous work was secured.

"The current project is challenging because it is very large, but also fragile. It's a differend kind of challenge, but it's nive to work on." - Miranda Horsten

Foto door Roxanne van der Zanden

Working with solutions

What do the employees from the Assembly studio like most about their work? The constant search for solutions. Every project brings new challenges, and every challenge requires creativity and craftmanship. The pleasure lies in working together to devise, test and realise constructions that ensure that a project is not only technically sound, but also comes into its own.