VINCENTIUS

There's more to fashion than anorexic men, cocaine and women wearing dead animals. Vincentius is a hand weavers in the Dutch city of Tilburg for mentally disabled ladies who love textile work and making accessories. In their small studio surrounded by the sounds of radio Hollandio, home of the best levenslied music, the ladies work on stuff you can buy your grandma; tea-towels, boas, lavender pouches, shawls, bags, festoons and dishcloths.

Vice: You don't normally work here do you?
Suzan: Yeah, normally I work in the launderette, in the folding department. I fold napkins and tablecloths. When finished I put them into a press, that consists of two plates and when you put them together the package becomes very thin, you will never reach that effect yourself at home, you know. After that I prepare the package for sending and put a blue ribbon on it.

And today what are you doing?
Yes, now I'm folding small cloths. There are small fibers on it, they need to be removed. After that they will be sent off by post. I can only work at the launderette when Tonnie en Sjef is there.

Vice: Hi Tedje, what are you doing?
Tedje: A shawl.

That seems difficult. Can you tell me how?
It's not difficult… well just a little bit. You have to do it like this. I've already made a few shawls. Come with me, I'll show you!

Wow! That's pretty. Are black and white your favorite colors?
Pink is my favorite colour, but I've already made a pink shawl. Now I'll use black and white, just till it's finished….it's a half past two, that's coffee break. But Sandra isn't here. We'll need a replacement. We are group one and we have our break now and she (points her finger to the girl next to her) is in group two.

Nelleke: I've made this on Tuesday, you see?
Vice: Oh, well hello, what's your name?
And I've made these Lavender bags, you see? I've made them on the sewing machine. I just need to finish these small edges, you see?

Those are some nice lavender bags, but what is that on the weaving loom you are working on?
It's a decoration for a birthday party. It will be one foot long. And this is a small string for the lavender bags.

I've heard you work on something called Kumihimo as well? Nelleke brings in a strange object called Kumihimo, which appears to be a Chinese construction to braid.
I'll do this only on Friday in the afternoon. You see, you have to put the strings first to the front and then you pull them back an then you put them to the left. There is a song we sing to learn how to do this. It goes like: 'van voor naar achteren van links naar rechts' (to the front, to the back, from left to right).

Vice: Hi Sanne, what are you doing?
Sanne: (long silence)

Are you very busy Sanne?
(long silence)… I'm working on a bag but I made a mistake, now I have to fix it. I used number four but I need to use number five. (Long silence again) It's ok now, I've fixed it. Now I'll start on number five. That's a different color.

Vice: That looks beautiful, what are you weaving?
Noortje: It's a dishcloth.

Have you been working on that all day?
I work on the sewing machine and I do some broidery, I'll show you. I've made this shawl and this one, and these lavender bags with pink and purple. But red is my favorite colour.

Is there something you like to do the most of all?
Uhm, everything!

TEXT: ALICE SOUGUIR
PHOTOS: JORGEN KOOLWIJK