co-design with pickle de winkel: sharing in abundance

Coinciding with the first Linnen Kavels being woven in 2022, The Linen Project invited Eva de Winkel and Betsie van Brummelen of Pickle de Winkel in Arnhem to participate in a co-design process, using the local linen textiles to craft personal workwear garments suited to their day-to-day activities in the kitchen and store. The duo founded and operate Pickle de Winkel with zero-waste at the core of their way of working. They follow a straightforward philosophy: value the abundance of natural and local resources and the potential of all parts, of the plant, of the animal, of processes and community, work with what is there. 

Generosity, curiosity, and the consideration of food and textiles as part of a greater common culture fed their co-design exchange with Melanie Bomans, André van Kessel and Rob Velker, who contributed their design and technical skills and experience with The Linen Project. Conversations and fitting sessions, with Eva and Betsie’s favourite wear-to-work garments as a startpoint, brought together personal perspectives, preferences, and material memories. The cut, proportions and details of the co-designed garments were developed for ease of wear and to meet their specific needs in action. Each aesthetic choice has a dual functional purpose, contributing to the longevity of the garments.

Eva’s co-designed wrap-around apron evolved from an original version custom-made for her by her sister, merged with elements inspired by her childhood judo kit. A minimal-waste approach to pattern cutting and construction, as was customary for traditional linen undershirts, became an important part of the design, fit, and realisation. Betsie’s co-designed overshirt is based on a minimalist poplin shirt preferred for its shape, but found at times to be too delicate for the job between kitchen and front of house. Keeping with the balance of fit, the further refined solutions and details also prioritise movement and practicality. The washed satin-weave linen and top-stitching recall a once-favoured moleskin jacket. 

In preparation for intensive use, metres of the chosen linens were washed and pre-shrunk at 90 degrees celsius before the pieces were cut. This ensures that the garments will maintain their character of shape and fit with regular machine washing, they will only become more supple over time. As with the previous co-designed garments, these are finished in a way that can be worn inside out; crafted for durability while respecting the material and highlighting its quality. The few remnant linen pieces were given to Eva and Betsie to use in eventual repairs.