Material and textile designer Anabel Poh has made an art form of deconstructing scarves and reconstructing them into new designs and patterns. Called Meaningful Deconstruction, Poh currently uses scarves that are left over from the production process by Petit H, a studio founded by Hermès. The scarves may have been discarded because of a small rip or a discoloration. Poh then applies a range of deconstructive techniques such as unraveling, weaving, reverse dyeing, batik dyeing and shibori knotting.
“We lose many objects during the production process; a complete scarf with one pulled thread or an unnoticeable misprint,” says Poh, who is from Singapore but is now based in the Netherlands. “As more objects are birthed into this world, we are confronted with the choice between obtaining new pieces or appreciating existing objects. Can we extend the life cycle of these objects by seeking within the material itself?”