Through Raw Projects, Emma Dahlqvist and Sanna Bodén investigate the possibilities of working with plant pigments for dyeing fabrics in a circular system by refining waste from local restaurants and industries. Everyday, food and waste is thrown away from restaurants, grocery stores and industries. Waste that could in fact serve as resources if, with the help of the design process, they were refined into something new – in this case natural textile dyeing pigments. This pop-up shop, open only during two weekends, showcases unique garments designed  by Emma and Sanna, that have been dyed using discarded roses, red onion skins, among other things.

Emma Dahlqvist is educated at HDK in Gothenburg and the Textile School in Borås and works freelance with design and craft. Since her master’s degree in 2015, she has worked a lot with traditional craftsmanship in combination with new technology. Sanna Bodén is a product and pattern designer who has worked for many years at Houdini Sportswear. Since 2015 she runs Studio Lavin, where she works freelance with textile product development. Together they share a studio in Östersund.

OCCUPATION?
ED: Textile designer and artist
SB: Sportswear designer and pattern maker                                                             

WHAT DOES FIBER MEAN TO YOU?                                                                                                         
ED: A mixture between sense, mathematics, aesthetics and function. 
SB: The link between sense and feeling and how to make that into reality.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TECHNIQUE?
ED: Printing and dyeing. I have always been fascinated by colours and how they react with each other, both chemically and physically. 
SB: Sew and turn. I see a challenge in covering the construction with different techniques. The inside is as important as the outside.                                                                                                                                           

WHAT IS YOUR MOST VIVID TEXTILE MEMORY? 
ED: As a child I inherited boxes of clothes from my grandfathers sister, a fashionista and collector. The boxes contained flared legged trousers in the softest velvet, hats with crazy decorations, shirts in colourful flower power prints, a pink dress in fluffy tulle and the most dramatic gowns in shiny, heavy black satin I had ever seen. I used to play around in the clothes and dressing up into different characters. I think that’s where my love for prints, textures and fiber began.
SB: It’s a childhood memory and the first time I saw and touched a loom. I was at my neighbours house and a yellow scissor was laying in a basket next to the loom. The sound of the blades was very fascinating and I could not resist to cut into the warp. I immediately felt I did something wrong and run straight home. 

FIND OUT MORE
www.emmadahlqvist.se
www.studiolavin.se