Fashion
Emmanuel Ekene Ndukwe-Obiukwu has a thing for handbags.
He doesn't mind the brand. He's fine with Coach, Fendi and Lacoste. He does, however, have a preference for material: yarn.
Ndukwe-Obiukwu is known as "Thatcrochetguy," his online persona and brand where he sells crochet bags and patterns.
He had already tackled other bags — why not the Birkin?
This interview has been edited for style.
How long did the project first take from start to finish?
It took almost two weeks, especially the cover flap section. I brainstormed different ways in which to achieve the iconic shape for that section, how I would make it curve, the number of rows and stitches needed, etc.
The rest of the bag was pretty straightforward.
How long do you estimate it would take someone to crochet the bag based on your pattern?
I believe that depends on different factors such as skill level, whether the person is already used to my patterns, etc.
I design my patterns to resemble a children's book with many pictures, and I use conversational language to make it feel like I'm sitting there with you guiding you through it. That's the general idea of what I try to do.
What was the most technically challenging part of translating a structured handbag into crochet?
It's always the shapes and curves of the bag. Unlike leather goods, where you can cut your material to the exact shape you want, for crochet you need to play around with the stitches and figure out where to start, where to turn and how many stitches you need to make in order to achieve a particular shape.
All of that comes into play, but I think because I've done it so much, I see it on a bag like looking at a blueprint even before I start crocheting.
What part of the bag are you most proud of?
The entire bag! I was skeptical at first and almost didn't post the video. Just like all my creations, I'm my own biggest critic. So when I finished creating it, I kept looking at it and saying to myself, "I can do better than this."
The Birkin is one of fashion's most recognizable status symbols. What do you find interesting about recreating it in a completely different medium like crochet?
I feel like I just gave it new life by adding my own personal touch to it.
Some people dislike the Birkin for various reasons, such as price or personal objections. By adding my personal touch and recreating it in a medium that I love, I aimed to give people a new perspective and offer it at a price point they can afford and be proud to wear.
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