In the Studio with Walid Damirji
Join Liberty on a tour of this designer’s vibrant workspace, where he turns antique textiles into modern collectables
Read more
In the Studio with Walid Damirji
Join Liberty on a tour of this designer’s vibrant workspace, where he turns antique textiles into modern collectables
By: Team Liberty
Many designers make their name chasing the new. But not Walid Damirji. Founder of By Walid, his approach is much more nuanced than that. Like an aesthetic anthropologist, or a steward of sartorial artefacts, he travels the globe, gathering materials of eras gone by. It could be a swatch of 20th Century crochet, or a panel of 19th Century embroidery, or any assortment of antique twills, linens, lace and beyond – items others may cast aside, denouncing them as long past their practical use-by date.
But Damirji sees things differently. He sees it as his mission to honour the craft and history of artisans that have come before him. Through his label, By Walid, he reimagines these textiles for a new life, reworking and repurposing them into modern collectables to be worn and enjoyed around the home for decades – if not centuries – to come.
To discover the journey that led Damirji to the creation of By Walid, Liberty was lucky enough to take a step inside his studio…
Take us back to the start. How did By Walid begin?
It began literally with one jacket. It was made of 16th Century hemp linen with a recycled mink lining that all the editors and buyers started clamouring for. I was encouraged by a friend to show in Paris, just that one jacket. A friend loaned me their apartment and we came back with 900 orders for that said jacket. Now, we have a full collection all based around antique textiles and recycling. It could be 19th Century crochet, 19th Century Chinese embroidery. And we do men’s, women’s, homeware, childrenswear – the lot.
What inspired you to give antique textiles a new life?
I always collected textiles and they were just sitting there doing nothing. One day I thought, I can’t just hold onto these things, I’ve got to make something of them. My approach to repurposing and recycling has always been there. I’ve been in the industry 30-odd years and I’ve worked with some of the best. But I always approached projects by remaking and reusing. It’s always been part of my DNA; it’s not something that’s new to me.
Do you know the stories behind some of the textiles you’ve given a second life to?
There's always an interesting story, but I do tend to dig deep and study. It could be a fragment that catches my eye, and from that fragment we build up a collection of textiles and embroideries from the same period and it just grows from there. I’m passionate about history.
Where do you find your inspiration?
It always starts with the textiles. They can take months of preparation, months and months of backing, cleaning, re-dyeing and some in some cases, refixing. And if I’m not happy with it, then it’s back to the table. It’s not easy to come by these pieces, and they deserve to be preserved and reinterpreted.
Have you ever made something you’ve struggled to let go of?
I find that each piece is a labour of love, and each piece tells its own story. So I do find it difficult to let go of them every season, but I really enjoy seeing people wearing the items, and handing pieces over to the next generation. There is a sense of romance in each piece that people want in their lives.
Can you describe those who love By Walid?
It's a sophisticated eye. It's somebody that knows what they're talking about and what they're looking for. It’s authentic. It’s something that appreciates something like 16th century fragment that's been treated and cleaned and rebacked. They know it’s something to cherish, that all these things have been made with care by hand. And they want to know the history behind it.
Shop By Walid's homeware in-store now
?fmt=auto&qlt=default&metadata=true$poieg$&w=1000&h=1300&sm=c&poi={$this.metadata.pointOfInterest.x},{$this.metadata.pointOfInterest.y},{$this.metadata.pointOfInterest.w},{$this.metadata.pointOfInterest.h}&scaleFit=poi)
