Danielle van Lunteren

CumLaude

Prizes: Melkweg Award Nominee, Keep an Eye Grant Nominee

Department: Man and Identity

Infected

After backpacking through Latin America for eight months, Danielle van Lunteren was struck by the contrast with the clean and tidy Netherlands. “It seems as if we are afraid of filth here,” Danielle says. It became the starting point for Infected. “I wanted to create a collection of chic handbags that would become ‘ infected’.” She set out from a simple clear-cut shape, but subjected the leather to outside influences to taint it. The impact of the acid, heat, perforations and tears has deformed the hides, creating new shapes and designs. In some, the infection hides inside the seam, in others it has taken over the entire bag. Because the handle is integrated, the user’s arm will also fuse with the bag. Infected is a demonstration of the beauty of imperfection.