VU DU SOL
means seen from the surface of the earth. Elated by beautiful cloud photos, I read this term in an atlas and chose it as a fitting name for the beginning of the journey to our independence.
Fabrics appeal to my senses: by touching, by hearing, by smelling. I am very happy to be able to save textiles with VU DU SOL so that they do not become waste.
VUDUSOL comes from my love for belts and fabrics. As a textile engineer, I developed fabrics in the clothing industry for a long time and saw too many beautiful and unused textiles thrown away. Waste that is clearly not waste.
With VU DU SOL we transform old trousers and salvaged fabrics into durable, hand-made belts - unique pieces, numbered by hand.
The limit is set at 40,007. We imagine a belt embrace of the earth (the circumference of which is 40,007 km). I love to hike through such belted landscapes, to cross countries and borders in my mind. Hugging the earth with well-made belts is just fun.
Ruth Knipping
Ruth is the founder of VU DU SOL. As a textile engineer, she has a great passion for materials and fabrics, recycling and handicrafts.
Fanny Rodriguez
As an artisan embroiderer Fanny decorated some of the belts of the first VU DU SOL series. For her own embroidery work, she used various materials, including those that usually end up in the trash.
Elo Wacker
Elo is a craftsman, a bag-maker. He has been producing belts, bags and all kinds of accessories with his family business for several decades. Elo can be contacted at elo-wacker.de.
Katja Irmer
As a designer for visual communication, Katja creates corporate designs for brands and companies. She designed the VU DU SOL logo. I loved working with her. You can learn more about Katja at irmer-design.de.
Udo Sollberger
As a photographer, he has taken the vast majority of the pictures for VU DU SOL. His shots capture and hold the moment – alive. You can reach Udo under fotofabrik.ch.
Beate Brauner
As a designer (HDK Berlin) Beate communicates by designing, writing and photographing. She supported me with the texts for VU DU SOL. Brainstorming with her is really fun. You can contact Beate at beatebrauner.com.
Judith Papenkort
Judith is a writer (MA) with an interdisciplinary background in the humanities. She has studied and worked in Germany, England, and the USA and assisted my VUDUSOL translations.