NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Image: Photography by Dominique Nichole

Since launching his brand, Matthew Addonizio has explored the rich variety of natural materials in extraordinary shapes. Patching, pressing, sewing and stamping, his scraps-first approach and insatiable curiosity has been the driving force behind his new textile experiments, each approached in a refreshing, collaborative and striking way.

The foundation for Addonizio’s patchworked garments are scraps of fabrics, sustainably sourced from locally available deadstock. The results exist in a variety of monochromatic assemblages, and can be draped as bold wall hangings or geometrical garments. ‘I’m a selftaught pattern maker and I work in a flat, geometric mathematical way. My pieces start out looking kind of like an architectural blueprint.’

Addonizio’s practice is not limited to textiles. He studied Studio Media and Liberal Arts at Kalamazoo College in Michigan and was a prolific woodworker for almost twenty years. Throughout his career, he has dabbled in painting, ceramics, leatherwork, papermaking and bookbinding. ‘The transition out of the wood shop and into the sewing room began gradually, then was expedited during the pandemic when I no longer had access to the shop.’ The parallels between woodworking and quilting drew Addonizio to experiment with textiles. ‘Woodworking is an interesting subtractive method of creating–I start with a big board and cut it down, removing wood with a saw or sandpaper little by little until I get the shape I want.

Patchwork, on the other hand, is more about adding and arranging–I can put fabrics together, rearrange them, add batting and backing and hand stitching, then take my patchwork pieces and sew them together into a garment. It’s a fun way to work, and I think after working with wood for so long I was ready for a new approach to creating.’ His first collection was a line of quilted clothing in the shape of simple box shirts, long vests and oversized shorts and he has been experimenting with different silhouettes since.

Jogakbo, a Korean textile craft, has shaped much of Addonizio’s unique practice. ‘I was interested in single layer patchwork for lighter weight summer garments, and I love the strong seams and the puzzling together of fabric pieces to create patterns.’ Jogakbo is a style of patchwork, traditionally used to create domestic wrapping cloths known as bojagi from scraps of left-over fabrics. It was popularised during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) when women, typically excluded from formal education, would weave and embroider at home.

The ‘make do and mend’ mentality advocated at this time often meant that left-over fabrics were not discarded, but rather used to create a jogakbo. For this technique, the scraps are sewn together using triple-stitched seaming known as gekki, which produces a sealed, flat seam and gives the jogakbo its distinctive ‘windowpane’ appearance. The individual patches are then joined into squares and extended in an improvisatory manner to form the final cloth. Jogakbo continues to be popular across contemporary Korean textile art and fashion designs, such as Chunghie Lee’s take on a traditional hanbok and Lie Sang Bong’s deconstructed organza dresses. Addonizio’s recent creations have played with the jogakbo style to full effect...

Extract from the article New Kid on the Block: Matthew Addonizio's Creative Blueprint, in Issue 105 Checks & Stripes, written by Lydia Caston Matthew. Read the rest of the article here:

We were delighted that Matthew Addonizio took part in our Crafting Your Brand course in 2021. 

This one-week intensive e-course is specially designed for artisan brands who are finding ways to potentialise their brand, tell relevant stories, design, merchandise, and sell their products during and after COVID. The course will provide the tool necessary to create or enhance your brand, products, and digital storytelling.

Find out more about our upcoming Crafting Your Brand course which takes place on 7 - 11 March 2022.