kühnertová accessoires . manufaktur  +  showroom

Schubartstraße 2 b/1 . 70190 Stuttgart

Telefon 0711 94 56 27 56

contact@kuehnertova.com . www.kuehnertova.com

ind iv idually  des igned  and handmade. 

shawls  and scarves   in   l im ited  ed it ion.

kühnertová  manufactory

the product ion:   from  idea  to  presentat ion“Inspiration comes from poems and sayings“, is how Lenka Kühnertová describes her concept

of manufacturing textile collections in limited editions, that are inscribed with literary refe-

rences. From the first draft to the search for fabrics, patterns and colours, to the labeling and

the sale, the production takes place at the KÜHNERTOVÁ Manufactory in Stuttgart. In a digi-

tal age, the designer who was formerly based in Prague, relies consequently on an analogue

manufacturing process. Whether they are worn by women or men: “as unique pieces, my

fabrics carry poetic messages: visible, palpable, wordless.” With their selected fabrics, willful

lineament and patterns, her shawls and scarves echo the texts that inspired the concepts,

which can be experienced with one’s senses.

the  scarf“Ever since I was a student at the Stuttgart Art Academy, my mind has been preoccupied with

the idea that clothing can make statements beyond what is fashionable”, says Lenka Kühner-

tová. The graphic designer completed her higher education there, majoring in communication

design. During a trip to New York, she developed a communication concept and produced a

travelogue in the form of outdated t-shirts: “From then on, I couldn’t stop thinking about

the palpable sensuousness of materials.” Lenka Kühnertová also started working with scarves

during her student years. “In my final year project I worked with the rules and secret codes

in the attire of British dandies. This taught me that even just a scarf, depending on how one

wears it, can carry socially potent signals.” Since then she has been making designs loaded

with poetry and other accessories, that make a sartorial impact on by way of their material

and design.

the   insp irat ionLenka Kühnertová develops her printed patters from literature. “I want to retell the words

visually.” Moreover it is about catching a linguistic mood. “I would like to create a kind of

silent dialogue between the text and the fabric”, is how she describes her mission. In the

first collection from 2012, Lenka Kühnertová was inspired by Haruki Murakami’s novel “The

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle”. Aside from the Japanese shibori-technique, in which the colour dis-

tribution is influenced by the binding of the wrung fabric, feather shapes flash up as motifs.

The carriers of her scarves are expected to find out the literary references themselves. “A first

lead is given by the text excerpts written on the paper label, that accompanies each fabric.”

the  choice  of  mot ifThe first sketches and experiments for potential printed motifs are created in notebooks

using pencil, ink and fabric collages. These visually composed thoughts on literature are later

transferred onto larger formats. “By transferring the patterns and lines from my preparatory

drawings in ever-shifting ways, I find new arrangements”, Lenka Kühnertová explains.” The

transfer also determines the size of the scarf, whether I choose a square-shaped one or a slim

rectangle.”

Then the search for fabrics, processing techniques and colour families begins: “That is my

most experimental phase: I test printing techniques, fabrics and choose colour combinations

based on several possibilities.” In order to control the result, even in the smallest nuances,

Lenka Kühnertová blends her print colours herself.” The liquid pigments allow me to work

with the finest tonal values.” Cut by hand and accompanied by written comments, the colour

cards, fabric tests and test prints make their way through black books and document the

evolutionary history of each collection.

the  s ieve  framesOnce the motif, shape and colour have been determined, Lenka Kühnertová produces the films

and the sieve frames for the screen printing. The sometimes abstract, sometimes ornamental,

but still naturalistic motifs are drawn onto film with black ink. This creates lightproof sec-

tions. With the help of these foils, the previously coated sieve frames are exposed to light.

“During the screen printing a meshed texture is used, which possesses porous and impene-

trable areas” - this is how the graphic artist describes the principles of her screen printing.

the  block  pr int ingOnce the sieve frames have withstood the test printing, the production begins. “For a coll-

ection I will need three or four weeks”, is how Lenka Kühnertová outlines the time frame. In

the carbon printing, the colour paste presses itself through the fine-meshed texture with the

help of a rubber squeegee: “using more colours requires an equal amount of sieve frames.”

These must be fitted accurately onto the fabric, one after another. “This requires force and

concentration. A mistake could ruin the hour-long work”, says Lenka Kühnertová. In discharge

printing, certain pigments are removed from the fabric. “In those places, where the discharge

paste touches the dyed fabric through the meshed texture, the colour pigment is destroyed.

White discharge paste creates light patterns and clear drawings on a darker background.”

the  complet ionAfter the printing the colour is fixed thermically onto the fabric by way of ironing. The scarf

maker lets professionals conduct the handling of the edges. “The silk squares are sent to Swit-

zerland, where they are rolled manually.” All other sewing operations are conducted in a small

firm in South Bohemia. Once the collection pieces are back in the manufactory in Stuttgart,

each piece is given a paper etiquette. The number and the name of the collection is printed

on it, and also the edition, the literary source and the text excerpt, as well as care labels.

the  collect ionA collection mainly consists of ten pieces. Each one is printed in an edition of ten to twenty.

The collection thus comprises 100 to 200 designed textiles. Due to the analogue production

and the screen printing, each piece from the KÜHNERTOVÁ Manufactory is a unique piece.

“Small irregularities in the colour and in the motif reveal the uniqueness of each product.”

The scarves, shawl and garments are often supplemented by Lenka Kühnertová with heads-

trong accessories, which add a playful tone to the concept: through feather-like turn down

collars or draped chains made from Christmas baubles.

the  presentat ionEach collections is introduced to the public in an overall presentation. For these occasions,

the manufactory is transformed into a gallery. “The staging is always adapted to the theme

of the collection, so my showroom looks different for each opening”, explains Lenka Kühner-

tová. In order to introduce the male and female customers to the entire spectrum of possible

ways of wearing the items, the scarf designer also organizes workshops in her showroom and

presents various tying methods.