Winnipeg Free Press Newspaper Archives Jul 18 2015, Page 88

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 18, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE D13 intersection D13 threads SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2015 LISTEN UP! FASH ION BY CONNIE TAMOTO W INNIPEG’S summer festivals are some of the best places to discover new local designers — both those who make garments and folks who craft jewelry. Vendor alley at the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival and even Folklorama have been my go- tos for as far back as I can remember. One place I have never really considered checking out for fashion inspiration is the Winnipeg Folk Festival — it should come as no surprise that this style maven can be a bit of a snob sometimes, and the idea of vendor upon vendor selling shapeless hemp wear didn’t really excite me. But even fashion- lovers like me need to step out of the comfort zone every now and then. When a friend suggested I tag along to folk fest this year, I thought, why not? What did I have to lose? I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised — and even more pleased when said friend asked me to check out a vendor that was selling hats featuring some very cool detailing. The brand is Cut Threads and the hand- weaving they incorporate into the snapbacks and fedoras they sell is pretty fabulous — particularly the cassettetape weave. “ It’s the coolest thing we’ve done so far with Cut Threads,” says owner and weaver Branda Christoffersen. “ A friend of mine used cassette tape in a multimedia project she worked on and I thought it would be a fun thing for us to do. So far, the reaction from customers is that they love it.” All the textiles used to adorn the hats are handwoven by Christoffersen in her Nelson, B. C., home studio. It’s a new art form the illustrator is excited to explore. “ I got into weaving because I love the patterns you can create through the woven lines and coloured threads,” Christoffersen says. “ Working with the tape is a bit challenging but in the end, the product is pretty cool.” Cool is an understatement. The cassette- tape weave gives the textile a bit of sheen without making it overly sparkly — and who doesn’t like the idea of a snapback upcycled with retro media medium? For more information on Cut Threads or to check out their hats, visit cutthreads. com or shop them online at etsy. com/ shop/ CutThreadsDesign. Got a suggestion for a future column or trend worth following? Email Connie Tamoto at connietamotofashion@ hotmail. com. Designer’s caps made of woven cassette tape are anything but old hat Cut Threads hats by Branda Christoffersen feature hand- woven detailing made out of cassette tape. D_ 13_ Jul- 18- 15_ FF_ 01. indd D13 7/ 16/ 15 6: 49: 29 PM