This year, we collaborated with Danish textile artist, Astrid Skibsted to create a limited edition print for loved favourites from Esse’s past capsules. Astrid feels like a long-lost friend hailing from Aarhus, Denmark, a place which holds significant memories for our founder, Alicia, and with a shared passion for colours, textures and materiality, it was only natural that we were drawn to her art and practice. Ahead of the launch of Layers They Hold, we speak with Astrid on the inspiration behind the capsule’s kaleidoscopic plaid print that is both playful and experimental, and learn more about her art practice.

 

 

Hi Astrid, can you tell us more about yourself and what you do?

Astrid: I'm a textile artist and weaver with a background in textile design. My studio is located in central Aarhus, Denmark. Weaving is my primary artistic method, and my work often explores how colours behave in woven cloth and how new blends of colour emerge at the intersection of warp and weft. This process is always unpredictable and vibrant. For me, textiles offer the most interesting and complex capacity for colour.

  

What is yarn winding, and what is the intention behind this art form?

Astrid: Yarn winding expands on a traditional sketching tool for weaving, where you wind vertical stripes of yarn on cardboard to plan the design and density of the warp. When you wind the yarn in both directions, they intersect to create new patterns, becoming more than just a sketch. For me, it's a method to experiment with the artistic potential of textiles and to demonstrate it to others. The technique is easy to learn and anyone can do it.

 

How has your process evolved over time?

Astrid: Over time, I've certainly become a better weaver, though I still feel like a beginner. There's so much I don't know, and I'm constantly seeking new practical skills and knowledge. My colour palette develops continuously and gradually. I try to notice colour combinations wherever I go and translate them into yarns and watercolours. 

 

What inspired the colour palette for our collaboration?

Astrid: The process behind the prints was very collaborative. Alicia chose examples of my previous weavings and windings that she liked, which included orange, blue, pale brown, and green as dominant colours. We aimed for contrast, but in a soft way. We quickly realized that the designs needed some transformation to work as prints. I developed a palette of watercolours inspired by weaving and the way colors blend in a woven plaid pattern—soft colours, but filled with contrast.

 

 

Which is your favourite print from our collaboration and your favorite Esse piece?

Astrid: My favourite pieces are the Soleil Dress, Elongate Pants, and the cropped shirt. I'm really happy with how everything turned out.

 

We love how yarn winding is an art form that honors the age-old technique of weaving and invites people to slow down. How can one get involved with yarn winding?

Astrid: Simply find some yarn, paper tape, and a piece of cardboard. Tape the yarn on the backside of the cardboard, start winding, and be curious.

 

 

 

Tell us more about what you're working on now and what's in store for you.

Astrid: Right now, I'm working on the last piece of a large woven installation with a full palette of colours. Hopefully, it will be exhibited in the spring.

  

Special thanks to Astrid for the photos and being a part of this interview.

Be drawn into a vibrant, multi-dimensional universe of colours, textures, and layers that draw inspiration from Astrid Skibsted's practice of yarn winding, as we transform her watercolour paintings—often the foundation for her yarn designs—into stunning digitally printed fabric.

Our limited edition printed capsule, Layers They Hold, launches exclusively at Boutiques Singapore on 22 November and online on 28 November.