the big question

Designer Christien Meindertsma works with flax. She photographed a parcel of a flax field from above and incorporated the images of the process into the fabric itself. It is quite beautiful...esp the full screen view.

If you don't have time to watch, consider some of the things she says:

The Netherlands has quite a rich flax history.

The big question is if it's possible to make a product that is produced locally and transparently...at the price normal people can afford.

I understand that it makes sense to make something where it's cheapest...but that is only from an economic perspective.

From another perspective, it makes sense to produce things locally, for why carry things across the globe?

Some, actually quite a few, are the last businesses of their kind.

There's only ONE hackling mill left, there are only a few spinning mills left. That also makes it special to meet all those people and to record what they do, as they may well be gone in ten years....because the entire industry has moved to China.

I wonder if the region will continue to grow the flax, and just have shipped to be processed in China? Seems sad to think of all the bees missing out on all those fields of flax flowers. What about biodiversity?

To see the collection visit Thomas Eyck.com