Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Fransje Gimbrere has used a combination of natural and synthetic yarns to construct a collection of freestanding sculptures.
Presented at this year's  Dutch Design Week, the aim of Gimbrere's Standing Textile project was to shift the perception of textiles as being "old-fashioned", by instead demonstrating its alternative uses as a building material.

"I wanted to shine a different light on textile and textile crafts by using it in the interior in a different way than solely as upholstery," she told Dezeen.
"By weaving these textile sculptures, I'm proposing the idea of textile as a beautiful new building material with endless possibilities in [its] application," she continued.
To achieve this, the designer chose a selection of natural fibres including bamboo, linen or cotton, and synthetic yarns from recycled plastic bottles, which she used to create three-dimensional volumes woven thread by thread on a custom-made weaving loom.
This process allowed for many different shapes, textures and applications ? for instance, a structure that is meant to be sturdy could be made using plastic fibres, whereas cotton or linen threads would be used to create a flexible piece.

"For different looks and identities, I use different materials.  The material can also be chosen depending on the purpose of the product. Does it have to be strong and sturdy, or more flexible and playful"" she explained.
Each...