Interview // Duo Wonder

Duo Wonder is the Belgian label of textile designer Sofie Hermans and graphic- and jewellery designer Katja Noelmans.

Sofie is the Duo Wonder idea-generator. With her encyclopaedic knowledge of textile techniques, she’s passionate about graphic prints with a hint of imperfection. Sofie graduated in Textile Design from LUCA School of Arts, Ghent.

Katja is the imagination of Duo Wonder. Using 2D and 3D graphics software, she conjures up intriguing motifs and spins you around in disorienting patterns. Katja graduated in
Jewellery Design from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp.

Duo Wonder creates new patterns, surfaces and shapes through a design process that combines low and high tech and that uses the mechanical (re)production techniques 3D printing and embroidering.




How did the name Duo Wonder come about?

We both like the emotional state of amazement or ‘wonder’.


What is the latest book you bought?

Sofie: a stack of books, actually ... MANUS x MACHINA fashion in the Age of Technology / Christophe Coppens No
References / Anni Albers / DAMAST 150 jaar fijn tafellinnen in
Nederland / Sheila Hicks & the Dutch / Vitamin T, Threads & Textiles in Contemporary Art.

Katja: Stop-motion animation frame by frame, MANUS x MACHINA fashion in the Age of Technology, Grasshopper visual scripting, books about hand lettering




Can you tell us about your latest jewellery range ‘Cyclographics’?

Inspired by the erratic lines of the Limburg cycle network and our fascination with the cyclograph and the spirograph, we create brooches and necklaces with embroidered patterns and rotations. The embroideries are put in a 3D-printed brooch or pendant. Depending on your mood you can put different textile designs in the same hanger or pendant. We use recycled material as an embroidery surface, by @pourproduct our urban mining source. Pōur is a design and product development brand that RE-harvests raw materials to create new circular products and applications.


Likes/dislikes?

Sofie:
Likes: my son (someone has to come first), my husband, my creativity, my house, patterns & prints, nature, walking, flowers, collecting nice things, raw foods.
Dislikes; traffic, fake faces, rain, chaos, sparkling water, bad perfume.

Katja:
Likes: Peter, my family and twin sister and of course my tomcat Antoine, patterns, designing on my mac, typography and ornaments, delicious food, yoga, nature patterns, prosecco.
Dislikes: ugly typography, ooww, indeed like Sofie says bad smells, beer, superglue and probably a lot more.





"OUR WORKING PARTNERSHIP STARTED SPONTANEOUSLY AND NOW WE’RE QUITE ATTUNED TO EACH OTHER, AS IF IT’S NEVER BEEN DIFFERENT.”

How come you’re such a dynamic and ‘wonderful’ duo? Why do you like working with each other?

Katja: I can have a laugh and act silly when I’m with Sofie, but above all, she has great ideas that give me energy, inspiration, goosebumps ...

Sofie: Katja pushes my boundaries and makes me look at things from a different perspective. Our working partnership started spontaneously and now we’re quite attuned to each other, as if it’s never been different.




What is your inspiration?

Katja: I love patterns in nature, in design, in maths, hightech, etc...

Sofie: old and new techniques, history, coincidences, imperfections.


Favourite drinks?

Sofie: Matcha latte, chai latte, coffee, fresh sage or lemon balm tea, waterkefir, prosecco, red wine.

Katja: Ginger and tumeric tea, prosecco, matcha with nettle tea, coffee, water with lime.


Favourite films?

Katja: Three billboards

 

SHOP THE EXHIBITION COLLECTION