Makers: Iris Nijenhuis
Everything about Iris Nijenhuis
Iris Nijenhuis is an Amsterdam based designer with a passion for laser cutting and a wide interest in experimental shapes and structures. By experimenting with laser cutting she developed a technique in which the fabric is cut into small puzzle pieces that form the basis of the design process. By connecting the puzzle pieces together manually, Iris creates inspiring shapes and structures for jewellery and other products. Iris would love to wrap the whole world in her puzzle pieces! But in addition to creating puzzles, she also engages in commissioned work in graphic design and laser cutting for both business and private.
It’s not leather…
At exhibitions visitors often say Hey, leather jewellery… Close call, but in fact… it’s not leather:). So if it’s not animal skin, what is it? Iris uses all kinds of textiles like scuba, neoprene and the finest qualities of artificial leather – also second hand. And since the tiny puzzle pieces can be digitally placed on the laser very efficiently, there is hardly any waste.
How did it all happen?
Iris graduated from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute with a collection of fabrics and unique pieces that emerged from broad research into the use of innovative techniques. MOTI (Museum of the Image) approached Iris and 9 other designers to create an innovative piece that captured the future of fashion. Iris Nijenhuis cut up the leather of an old Chesterfield armchair (very smelly to laser-cut!) into hundreds of small and a few larger pieces using a laser cutter. She manually put together all the 1400 pieces into a large Masterpiece. A great technique for the reuse of textile and leather: if you’re bored with your coat or chair, cut it into puzzle pieces and recreate new garments and accessories. Trying to make this technique more suitable for wearable designs Iris Nijenhuis developed the jewellery collection. Artificial leather, scuba and neoprene is cut by laser, washed and dried and then she puzzles it together piece by piece into necklaces and bracelets.
Some exclusivity!
The supply of Iris Nijenhuis jewellery is limited since Iris makes all jewellery by herself in her studio in Amsterdam. Furthermore, distribution is limited to around 20 stores around the world – 6 in Amsterdam - and just a few webshops. So if you want something special …
