Maike Weyrich is a web designer. If you think this means she makes websites, you are quite wrong. Although her handmade and unique pieces can be found showcased online, the Hamburg native employs a device that is over 100 years old to create them.
The handloom in the open workshop of the 'Webmanufaktur' jacket manufacturer in Hamburg is impressively large. If it could speak, it would certainly have a lot to say; about its past in the former GDR, where Maike Weyrich discovered and immediately purchased it; about its renaissance as the most important tool in the expert's studio; or about the secrets that are woven into the unique materials used to manufacture the fascinating and beautiful unique pieces. Uniqueness is part of the philosophy of Webmanufaktur. There are no off-the-peg items. No piece is like any other. Indeed, the only thing the pieces have in common is the high quality of the materials and the perfect craftsmanship. The owner, Maike Weyrich, fell in love with craftwork at an early age. So it makes sense that following her training as a handweaver, she became a master in the art. After completing a business degree focussed specifically on handcrafts and her training in interior decoration, she designed furniture fabrics, curtains, table linen and cushion covers. Seven years ago she made the jumpto self-employment – and the big handloom made its comeback. Since then her company, Webmanufaktur, has been an insider tip. The success of the company does not lie in short-lived fashion trends, although Maike Weyrich definitely draws inspiration from these. Rather, it is the high-quality handcraftsmanship and the unusual materials in her creations that make them timelessly stylish and enduring favourites. Although the range includes many extravagant ladies' models, the men's jackets form the core business which has led to the German word for jacket, Sakko, becoming the namesake of the factory.
Wool, linen, cashmere, silk, fur, leather, feathers and pearls: Maike Weyrich weaves the most diverse materialsinto elegant fabrics, often in unconventional combinations and special colour schemes. Not just the look but also the feel of the surfaces is an experience: coarse structures made of smooth leather, fine herringbone patterns made from fine yarns, woven embossed strips, fur-trimmed collars and leather studded lapels – there is nothing that cannot be done. The customer has a say from the beginning, and while he or she may be inspired by the clothes and accessories hanging in the workshop, it is the customer's personal wishes and ideas as well as suitability for business, evening or leisurewear that determine the outcome. Maike Weyrich attaches particular importance to personal design. Following an initial discussion, she weaves a pattern to givethe customer a real idea of the material and appearance. Once the fabric is finished, the seamstress at Webmanufaktur comes into play. After one or two fittings in the studio or at the customer's home, the high-class, unique piece is ready for the lining and the jacket can be completed. The creator's trademark must not be forgotten: the close stitch of the lining seam and the label which not only indicates the origin and craftsmanship but also bears the customer's name. The manufacturing process takes between three and four weeks from the first meeting through to the delivery of the handcrafted designer masterpiece. When asked about her latest idea for a 'web design', Maike Weyrich immediately answers: a casual jacket made of cashmere and silk with a hood made of leather. So then, gents: casual is fine, but make sure it is classy and unique.
