About
Laurie
Laurie Bessems graduated with a first class honours degree in BA Fashion Knitwear and Knitted Textile at Nottingham Trent University. Part of her graduate collection was exhibited at London Graduate Fashion Week 2016. After working freelance Laurie decided to launch her brand in 2018.
'I’m passionate about making things myself with care and patience.
Crochet and knit techniques therefore appeal to me and I am also very
aware that customers are looking for alternatives when it comes to luxury
pieces. My yarns are sustainably produced or locally sourced and the
main material is Alpaca mixed with silk. I love experimenting with different
types of yarn like seaweed, yak, camel, Qiviut and recycled denim.'
Label
Two lines: Laurie Bessems is our artistic line and LB Accessories is our diffusion line. Both lines are available in our showroom and online.
The design proces always starts with finding the right materials. Our Collections are focused on accessories; Hatbands, Headbands, hair pins, scarfs and wraps. Always starting with a knit or crochet technique.
Our Story
Hand knitted and hand made
Traditional craftsmanship is the source of inspiration for our collections.
Our designs follow the materials and the unique qualities of the textiles.
The collections are a mix between hand knitted or crocheted and
machine knitted pieces, the machine knitted pieces are still made
and finished by hand. The pieces are individual works of art.
Slow Fashion - Fair - Local - Ethical - Sustainable - Social - Timeless - Honest
Locally sourced and locally produced
It is our goal to produce close to the source: the animals.
To minimize the carbon footprint in the production process, every step
happens as close to the next one as possible. For our hand knit yarn label we
sourced Alpaca fleece from Limburg (NL). The yarn is treated and spun
in Belgium, just across the border. We visit the farms regularly to make sure the alpacas are happy and healthy. Our hand knit yarn will be available
for purchase on this website.
Lotte Cremers
Accessories and Atelier
Our collections have two parts; accessories & Atelier. The accessories will be sold in our webshop and in selected stores. The Atelier pieces will be made to order, only selected styles will be available for direct purchase in our webshop.
Luxury Knit Kits
Our yarn will be available in Luxury Knit Kits. The kits come in a box, complete with sustainable and handmade needles or recycled ocean plastic hooks, a Laurie Bessems Design including the pattern. Our Knit Kits are available for purchase in the Shop
PACABAMBA
Materials
Alpaca
Alpaca is known to have one of the most luxurious natural fibre fleece on earth. The hollow structure of the fibre is one of the unique qualities, which protect the alpaca from the harsh Peruvian Andes weather.
There are two types of alpaca: the suri and the huacaya. Suri alpaca produces a rare beautiful fibre unlike that from any other animal, it is long and silky, bright and curly. Suri and huacaya are shorn once a year, between April and June. Huacaya alpaca has a short fluffy, woolly and dense fleece, which is water-resistant. Alpaca naturally repels bacteria and odours and is both hypo-allergenic and lanolin-free. There is therefore no need to use high temperatures or harsh chemicals while washing during the production process.
Alpaca has been considered a treasure of the Andes Mountains
Mixing with silk
For extra strength and durability of the yarn, mulberry silk is combined with alpaca during the spinning process. Silk gives a luxurious feel and a glossy shine to our yarns. The color of the silk is slightly lighter, which creates a luminous glow. It adds more depth to the knit structure and makes our pieces last longer.
Lotte Cremers
Camel
There are two types of camel wool; the outer protective layer is called guard hair, and the fine and fluffy shorter fiber of the undercoat. Camel fibre has got a beautiful natural golden tan.
We collect our camel hair from two-humped Bactrian camels in Central Asia, who shed their hair over a couple of weeks in the spring. During this time, camel hair fibre is collected naturally by combing, shearing and simply collecting the hair that has fallen off their bodies. The hair is very s oft and cozy and similar to cashmere.
The hair is famous for its thermostatic properties which can protect the animal from the extreme cold conditions as well as keeping it cool in the hot desert.
Camel Hug
Cashmere
This special yarn comes from rare fibers found in the undercoat of cashmere goats. Cashmere has got unique properties and is known to be one of the finest, softest and warmest types of fibre. Cashmere goats live in Mongolia, China, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Kashmir. Cashmere goats originated from Himalaya, known for its harsh climate. Extreme weather with pouring rain, heavy storms ,snows and forceful wind, as well as big temperature changes. The goats are protected by their special fur.
Cashmere is known to be very durable so garments can be worn for many years. It's insulation capacity is three times higher than wool.
Jelle Visser