Two powerful forces meet up again, 20 years on: German Military Forces and Hamansutra. 20 years ago, when I was a student at Central St Martins College in London, I did an internship at the Munich-based Clothing Department of the German Military Forces as a tailor’s assistant, where I learnt to appreciate the value of timeless design.

Fast forward 20 years, and let’s take a peek at my 2022 project with the German Military Forces. It’s in line with the times we‘re living through. And that’s exactly why it came about. Back then, during production and preparation of the German army uniforms, the atmosphere in my bunker workshop was tense. Working in a strict code of silence, only breaking it to request assistance from an inspector. Under time pressure to get the uniforms finished, which is absolutely not the way I prefer to work. But I never forgot what all the military vintage clothing from my archive looked like; really rough and raw, put together at incredible speed on high-precision machines for the “mass market” of war. There’s no place there for the kind of painstaking, focused work I do in my own studio.

The uniforms fall into three categories. The first is bespoke, tailor-made. The second is made on a modular “kit” basis, and the third is the “kit” uniform, but recycled and reused. I was assigned to the bespoke category, way back in 2003.

Uniforms are full of secrets. When squaddie Hans Meier (or Joe Bloggs, or John Doe) collected his sergeant’s uniform, he was already thinking about his next promotion. 18 months later… Preparing for production of a Military Police Corps uniform. Collar tabs preserved in baking parchment. Beautifully produced accessories and notions, great to work with. That moment when soldiers attach their nametapes. When I first started in military tailoring, I began to use nametapes like them as branding on my clothes. Made to German military specifications.

I noticed that for many of the civil servants there – because let’s face it, that’s what they were – art and craftsmanship in any form were supremely boring. It was all about mass manufacturing. Their spark had been stifled, and the only thing they looked forward to was getting their pension. Working alongside that lacklustre retiree mentality is usually hellish for designers. Those people can look back on a life of stability, but that life is a black hole that has sucked in any creativity, joy and inspiration they once had.

These days my work is project-based, so I can always step back and regain some pleasure from working in that atmosphere. But it’s rare that my energy can carry across the divide and infect others. As a freelancer, I’m like an A&E surgeon. No time to fuck about. Heart stopped beating? Grab that scalpel, slash open the torso and go right in with bare hands to massage it back to life. I learn, I document what I learn, and I meticulously apply it in my projects. That means many things end up having more in common with a scientific study than a piece of fashion. The process is more important than the result. And when I reach a result, it’s all my own work and I don’t need to start pulling it to pieces.

I constantly weave updates into my designs, but the pen pushers don’t want to know. Promotion is always beyond their reach, but the question is which is their biggest enemy – their head or their body? Is the body just a machine for transporting the head to the office? Or is it the other way round, and the head’s true enemy is actually the lethargic apathy of the body? If companies don’t come up with their own strategy for employing creative minds, I’ll use those companies for my own purposes and make sure they spit out the occasional interesting project. With my help, and with force if need be. People of the world unite, and set up workshops in your garages! They’ll serve as incubators, as laboratories for all the developments that will be so important later on.

© 100% hamansutra

RTW Menswear and Womenswear 2021 / 2022

hamansutra’s latest clothing atmosphere takes its inspiration from a former military barracks. In the days when ground infantry was stationed in German cities, headshaking amounts of special planning permissions were issued for the premises they needed. Timeless and seasonal products by hamansutra include denim uniforms, basketball suits, caps, crew shirts and boots. hamansutra has also been inspired by the corrugated iron huts that were used to house men and machinery. This corrugated iron and container architecture can still be found today, and is reflected in the interior of hamansutra’s studio. The clothing is presented in original style on simple wooden shelves, carefully crafted replicas of the originals. The atmosphere is one of scrupulous tidiness – before the sirens sounded.

Because Beats, Breaks and Boots brings people together…

Available on QUICKSHOP.NYC

Photography
Detlef Schneider

Hair by
Dirk Walther

CMYK SHOES BY HAMANSUTRA “10th Anniversary“

The CMYK Shoe by hamansutra is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2022, but the artfully designed shoes are kicking off once again as a remastered limited edition of just 60 pairs. The concept behind the unisex CMYK Shoe is that each detail represents one of hamansutra’s most treasured art forms: the style, in soft cowskin with a thin, comfortable sole, is inspired by traditional dance shoes, while the stereo mini-jacks for laces are an ode to his work as an internationally acclaimed D.J. CMYK debuted in New York City in 2011 and was hailed by the press, with the New York Times trumpeting them as “Stepping to the Beat”. Now the CMYK Shoe by hamansutra is heading back to its roots. The trendy, innovative yet timeless “communication-based fusion of fashion and sound”, in hamansutra’s own words, will release today on the designer’s online shop QUICKSHOP.NYC at a retail price of EUR 279.00. Recrafted takes on CMYK’s colorways will also follow in the future. If you don’t see the shoe size in the colour you want, check out other colours. No sizes shown means that shoe colour is sold out. No time to lose! Click to buy and your shoes will be on their way – worldwide.

–> Don’t think twice – it’s all right!

Photography Jan Frommel

Back in the day, hip hop culture had a gold chain for everything – but no gold shoelaces. Gold chains might be pretty impractical as laces, but they’re really great as inspiration. I took the idea of the medallion and used it as the tip for a set of quality cotton laces. This trademarked creation is now available in an ultra-limited edition of just 10 sets. The golden tips feature engraved lettering on polished brass, showcasing a technique that combines skill with intuition and takes years of experience and expertise to perfect. The result was even showered with praise by a master goldsmith. The Gold Laces will be sold in our online shop.

Hurry while stocks last – buy now, or cry later! 

Available on QUICKSHOP.NYC

We know that when people who really appreciate their work and are dedicated to their craft, they literally make the finest products. That’s the pride in what hamansutra does. If everybody did the same in their own line of work, this world would be a better one for sure. Deserve respect. Craftmanship over luxury. Hamansutra clothing proudly bears Union Special Machines labels to showcase its exclusive manufacture on Union Special Machines.

Made here – Since 1996
100% hamansutra

Service

Lifelong guarantee means:
free repairs are my personal service to loyal customers.

Note:
not new products, but repairs. If they buy jeans in a store I will happily hem them to the right length. They can send them from wherever they are in the world. However, the customer has to pay the shipping.

All garments can be brought into our workshop. We are accepting post mail-ins with a description letter and contact details. We will only repair clean garments.

All repairs takes between 1 – 3 weeks.

Available on QUICKSHOP.NYC

“Created Exclusively on Union Special Machines”

Union Special – Since 1881 officially appoints hamansutra – Since 1996 as the new cooperation partner of this legendary industrial sewing machine brand. Hamansutra clothing now proudly bears Union Special Machines labels to showcase its exclusive manufacture on Union Special Machines. Made in Germany, USA and Japan. The sewing machine company and designer share the philosophy: 

“Standard of Excellence + Quality = Never on Sale”

Length fittings are in Munich by appointment, all jeans shortened to your length. These jeans I’m working on now are available in Japanese Denim 16oz denim. All my jeans follow the shrink-to-fit philosophy, meaning the fabric can shrink up to 10%. I’ve drawn up a great user manual to guide you – follow these instructions and treat your pants right, and you’ll get up to 20 years of pleasure out of them. You can also email me your pants size and I’ll send the jeans anywhere in the world. I want to say something about the Japanese denims I use. The fabric is fantastic and will make you feel as strong and invincible as 16th-century Samurai knights in armour. Did you know they wore undershirts and underwear that had been indigo-dyed, because indigo protects the skin from bacteria? All my Japanese denim is selvedge denim, still made in the original way on small looms so that nothing is wasted in cutting. So, that’s the latest news about my jeans. Labels made out of calf leather, denim from Japan and Cooper Buttons from Paris. Our products are made by the best specialist manufacturers.

Made in Germany
100% hamansutra

Photography Still Life
frommel.de

“When I gave Alexander McQueen my pants”

After 9/11 2001, hamansutra met Alexander McQueen for an interview in London. The two women there as showroom managers were pretty unfriendly, and one of them even mocked haman’s British English street slang. Lee McQueen had been on the lookout for classic tailors able to perform tasks like hand-stitching eyelet buttonholes. But there was nothing free for the 22-year-old haman and they never worked together. And yet McQueen told haman, “We’re the same. Creative. I can see it in your sketchbooks.” Lee Alexander McQueen accepted haman’s German military pants and original sketch as a gift, with a hand-written dedication. Haman had the pants for a long time, good quality industrial manufacture, cheap, not trendy, a German-made product. The quality used to be better, but production moved abroad after the Second World War. A picture showing Lee Alexander McQueen actually wearing the military pants in his studio, has now been used for the cover of “Alexander McQueen – The Life and the Legacy” by Judith Watt, a globally published examination of the designer. The location of the picture was Amwell Street, London, near Angel in Islington, where McQueen lived within walking distance of his studio. Central St Martins College from the late 90s to 2010 was Alexander McQueen’s best time. If he were alive today he would still be the Number One. He went his own way and had his associates, who brought him up but also dragged him down – like the corporation that owned 51% of his company. The deaths of Isabella Blow and his mother were bitter blows; he was also under pressure from Gucci Group to deliver more commercial designs. A hoodie with the McQueen logo? Never! And yet he was an irreplaceable role model to us as St. Martins graduates. He shaped and formed us; we grew up surrounded by his superhuman energy and took on the responsibility and the pressure to match his quality, imposed by the same college and tutors. After his death in 2010 hamansutra decided to delete all his social media accounts. The news was like a physical blow, it caused complete numbness. Sometimes you wonder how people like that got to be so good – but take Alexander McQueen: I know that after CSM closed every day, he would hide under the tables in the pattern room to carry on working on his collection at night. It’s pretty sad that nobody can respect Alexander McQueen’s wishes and close the house. People and Gucci Group should have respected his wishes. They are too money hungry to care! Sad that creativity and industry can’t walk together for long. However, Lee McQueen made you dream, made you hopeful, made you love life…made you love fashion…he made us love art. His death was the culmination of his art. Rest in Paradise, brother.

Re-issue of the German Military Pants / Updated by Hamansutra

Available in 2020 at quickshop.nyc

10TH REMEMBRANCE YEAR
IN MEMORY OF ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
(*‪ 1969 – 2010‬)


Lee Alexander Mcqueen
alexandermcqueen.com

Photography
derricksantini.com

BUY
QUICKSHOP.NYC

Clothing works + Hot War = Pure performance

Germany’s tailoring and textile industries used to be world class – especially their engineering. And the way people dressed. Yep, the personalities from way back then are what we’re missing today. In-depth anatomy studies and life drawings were paramount in producing patterns of mathematical accuracy. These clothing items are still copied today. And let’s not even start on military clothing. Today, Germany’s clothing industry has lost it. They don’t want to get their fingers dirty, I guess. What’s that you ask? What are all those sewing machines for? A man at a Singer sewing machine is like a woman on a Harley Davidson? Sneers like that only prove just who’s responsible for the decline of tailoring and for its dusty image. When people like that try to talk tailoring to me, I take the greatest pleasure in reducing them to matchwood. The finest German machines and the tailoring heritage were sold abroad for a pittance. Generation after generation abandoned the art of tailoring. The catastrophic result? Tailors that look like accountants. Not a spark of fashion awareness anywhere you look. But don’t you worry – all your agencies will be bankrupt soon enough.

Advertising agencies + hot air = earning your money.

Photography by Florian Deventer

MAKING OF
Like any project, research and development takes forever, and so does waiting for the artist’s OK. But that’s another story. Onwards and upwards! When I’m foraging books or original clothing designs, I might look like a hunter-gatherer – but actually I’m collecting evidence, documenting different eras. It takes a lot of care and management – but it’s important to me to create museum-ready presentations. The right atmosphere is crucial.

Don’t Promise What You Can’t Deliver. When prototypes are created nobody cares whether they’re pretty. Prototype is prototype. But stay cool, first of all everyone laughs and ignores it – until the first success comes along. Usually surrounded by the wrong people. Revenge swoops like a dragon. Some people talk a lot and some people write a lot, but when a prototype is finally on the table, a huge milestone has been reached. Nobody’s gonna help you, nobody’s waiting for what you got. But in the end, no product – no business. Now feel the joy.

Hamansutra

Available on QUICKSHOP.NYC

hamansutra has all the machines and materials necessary for crafting with fine-rib fabrics. Working on a “plain old-fashioned longsleeve” shirt since 2012.

DESIGNERS 
We designers spend so much time working out style solutions, so we’re really relieved and happy when we don’t have to go around like walking billboards festooned with logos – weirdly, many fashion brands seem to think this is desirable. With this in mind, I designed and updated a “plain, old-fashioned” shirt range inspired by this philosophy for designers, artists and personalities. 

Since 1996 – Made in Germany from Japanese fabric.

hamansutra crew shirts in black, olive and white made here. The tabloid format labels are something to read while you’re standing in line, have useful care details for hamansutra clothing, and are great ice-breakers for starting conversations (better than staring at old Illusions screenprints). Made according to German military specifications.

Our products are made by the best specialist manufacturers.

Created Exclusively on Union Special Machines

Unisex:
S, L, XL and XXL.

100% Cotton
100% hamansutra

BUY
QUICKSHOP.NYC

Hamansutra’s Clothing Line is in the pipeline. Shirt, Overalls, Pants and Jackets. I’ve always been fascinated by basic clothing, clothes for life. Interesting how all these wannabes are now piling on the sustainability bandwagon. No idea what they’re talking about. I’ve been propagating seasonless and timeless clothing since I started Hamansutra in 1996 but I never really felt at home in the fashion industry. How could you, with the cold steel of an investor’s pistol at your head? Anyway, holding a sale is nothing more or less than destroying a collection.

Our products are made by the best specialist manufacturers.

Created Exclusively on Union Special Machines

100% hamansutra

Less cuts – more what’s! A pair of fresh-cut Denim Pants by hamansutra. Numbered stamp patterns as always in hamansutra’s clothing. Just one of his corporate identity features. I always recommend buying 2 at once. Really durable, they make it so easy to pack a suitcase. White Shirts, Boots and Denim.

Labels made out of calf leather, denim from Italy and Cooper Buttons from Paris. Our products are made by the best specialist manufacturers.

Created Exclusively on Union Special Machines

100% Made in Germany
100% Cotton
100% hamansutra

BUY
QUICKSHOP.NYC

An idea I’d like to share which has finally been released after so many years. A German-produced simple accessory for hamansutra Boots – A Shoe Bag with a side pocket. I think some eyes will open wide when the most discerning customers around the world open the Shoe Box. Quality leathers, unique styling and custom design work – they’re what sets Hamansutra apart and bring his fans together.

Our products are made by the best specialist manufacturers.

Created Exclusively on Union Special Machines

BUY
QUICKSHOP.NYC

100% Made in Germany
100% Cotton
100% hamansutra

Original – Updated: Our Boxing Boots, now with wooden nails. Quiet persuaders for someone who didn’t pay your invoice.

Our products are made by the best specialist manufacturers.

100% Made in Austria
100% hamansutra

BUY
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My Military Jungle Boot is made with Candiani Denim that packs some serious horsepower. There are just a handful of factories around the world that still have these machines and know how to use them. “They go through bones like butter.”

I’m expanding my product line and producing it in-house – jackets, pants and shirts, as authentic as 150 years ago. hamansutra Fashion House doesn’t compromise on quality; our motto is “No Savings – Only Quality”. We still get our boots produced in Austria in small production runs; the soles have wooden nails that are made on a machine from 1880.

Keep your boots well polished and your denim well dirty – Let’s have a fight.

Our products are made by the best specialist manufacturers.

BUY
QUICKSHOP.NYC

100% Made in Austria
100% hamansutra

BUY
QUICKSHOP.NYC

Haman Alimardani comes from the third generation of a Persian family of chefs, restaurateurs and gourmets. He launched his hamansutra fashion label in 1996. On a visit to Berlin he was intrigued to discover a chocolate factory and store that echoed his own first name – Erich Hamann Schokolade – Since 1912. Haman meets Hamann! He soon found that the company was an authentic, down-to-earth operation with a philosophy that prized quality and craftsmanship above all else. Old-fashioned by today’s fast-paced, bigger-is-better standards? Perhaps. But also redolent with history and tradition. And, incidentally, it tasted fantastic! Haman immediately identified parallels with his own fashion label, hamansutra. His workshop, which he calls “Bekleidungswerke” or “clothing works“, is a manufacturing centre equipped with a formidable array of vintage sewing machines that are battered, yet still going strong. At its heart is Haman as the mechanic, the master tailor in technical clothing construction, and the Design Director. Quality outlasts even the biggest global trends, and quality is never on sale. Conventional fashion labels are always confronted with the need to appeal to “taste” – but hamansutra’s chocolate appeals to the tastes of dedicated non-followers of fashion everywhere.

“Because taste is about knowledge.”

Enjoy the Planet Soul.
Yours truly,

Erich Hamann & hamansutra

A building from the early 1920s in Texas, USA, was being torn down. We saw the colors peeking out and asked if they were going to save anything. They said it was all going in the trash so we asked if we could get it. At first they said no but we promised to be careful and act at our own risk. This Levi’s banner from 1950 had been badly attacked by insects and suffered major damage in the demolition. In restoration, I though Japanese sashiko stitching would be best for this, as it is designed to give handcrafted work warmth and stability. The banner was restored to the Original Selvedge Denim quality, has now been carefully washed, and is magnificent – but it was an enormous amount of work. There are only a few of these special Levi’s banners still in existence. They were originally designed as advertising to be attached to horses, who would gallop through towns and spread the message. This historic print shop in San Francisco also printed for Levi Strauss & Co. However, Levi Strauss never personally saw one of the banners; graphic screen printing was not developed in California in 1913, 11 years after his death. The banner will now be framed and displayed in my Bekleidungswerke Clothing Workshop.

501 ORIGINAL UPDATED BY HAMANSUTRA

The Homage to Levi Strauss involves a 501 jeans design updated and customized by fashion designer hamansutra

available at QUICKSHOP.NYC

Levi’s turned 145 years old on 20th of May 2018.

I hereby present my own Homage to Levi Strauss with my private collection of LEVI’S with Rare Big E. For me, denim is nothing less than clothes for life, and I’ve been wearing Levi’s jackets and pants since I can remember.

Also as double denim, like a suit – a tradition in Texas. I and likeminded aficionados were already prowling flea markets in the 80s and 90s, seeking out the selvedge denim pants with the BIG E label, very aware of the value of what we found. After my research showed that no true homage was ever paid to Levi Strauss, I decided to launch my own project.

And because Levi Strauss came from Bavaria, Germany, I thought it was fitting to incorporate the baby-blue diamonds of the Bavarian flag, in the screenprinted pocket linings and the packaging. Here it is.

The „501 – Original/Updated“ by Hamansutra is limited to 100 pieces, which will be available only on QUICKSHOP.NYC or in our Showroom in Munich and at a price of Euro 349 with packaging.

HOMAGE TO LEVI STRAUSS BY HAMANSUTRA . 2018

After my research showed that no true homage was ever paid to Levi Strauss, I decided to launch my own project. And because Levi Strauss came from Bavaria, Germany, I thought it was fitting to incorporate the baby-blue diamonds of the Bavarian flag, in the screenprinted pocket linings and the packaging. I hereby present my own Homage to Levi Strauss with my private collection of LEVI’S with Rare Big E. We were already prowling flea markets in the 80s and 90s, seeking out the selvedge denim pants with the BIG E label, very aware of the value of what we found. For me, denim is nothing less than clothes for life, and I’ve been wearing Levi’s jackets and jeans since I can remember. Also as double denim, like a suit – a tradition in Texas.

Bekleidungswerke
master tailor in the technical construction of clothing.

This shoot was made with love using analog photography Andrew Williams, SF, USA

© 100% hamansutra

ORDERING DENIM
Watch this space – you will shortly be able to order hamansutra’s exclusive Denim range.
Advance enquiries welcome! Place your order by sending us your size and desired garment style.

“Because perfection is protection“

created with love from New York City and handmade in Italy and Munich

About the Lookbook
A 32-page Denim by hamansutra fashion lookbook. The book has been published in a limited edition of only 500.
To date the book is available in selected art and design bookstores. If you require any further information
or assistance, please contact us.

All reproduction in any form and to any extent requires express prior written permission.

© 100% hamansutra
New York 2013

TWO POWERS: HAMANSUTRA AND POLTRONA FRAU
hamansutra’s male / female RAW DENIM Line, incorporating the manufacturing techniques of Poltrona Frau, offers a range of reversible basic pants and jackets. Inspired by authentic vintage work clothing. Crafted from materials influenced by traditional Japanese denim quality and produced in Italy, the home of superb fabrics. Featuring exclusive Poltrona Frau buttons from the high-end Italian furniture manufacturer. Known as “Cuff Links” and originally designed for furnishings, these buttons hold the key to the hamansutra RAW DENIM Line’s reversible function – just remove, reverse, replace. hamansutra RAW DENIM is simple, rugged and handmade. A protective “armor” for the wearer’s skin that lets the wearer feel the finishing. Because perfection is protection.

created with love from New York City and handmade in Italy and Munich

All reproduction in any form and to any extent requires express prior written permission.

© 100% hamansutra
New York 2013

LINK
poltronafrau.com

LEE & WRANGLER – A COMMON ENERGY UNIT FOR ITS PREMIUM LINES

As a tribute to Henry David Lee and Hudson Overall Company, we were invited to design and present a new design focus for target groups like department stores, denim specialists and apparel generalists, and including opportunities, key cities etc. Otherwise all is strictly confidential, top secret and a complete mystery. Our aim is to launch a global Lee and Wrangler Premium Line. We’ll see, and hopefully understand. When C.C Hudson (founder of Wrangler) was 20 and sewing overalls to make a living, he was in the same position as me; a factory went bust, and he snapped up the old sewing machines, rented a room over a grocery store and started to make overalls himself. Believe it or not, I have the exact same machines. Today they produce vintage and authentic clothing as they always have. Heavy duty clothing and old school truth.

LINK
kontoorbrands.com

available at QUICKSHOP.NYC

Only a few craftsman studios in the world still create leather-soled shoes with wooden nails. The machines for these shoes are over 150 years old, and sound like a machine-gun when they’re in full flight. On request we can produce shoes from premium-class Horween horsehide. Horween Leather Company was founded in 1905. For more than 100 years and five generations, its goal has been to make the world’s best leather.

available at QUICKSHOP.NYC

hamansutra‘s showroom is open in Munich’s Schwabing district in 2017.

Based on the concept of “No savings – only quality”, the small-scale showroom with minimalist interior will carry only brands from the US, Japan and Germany – plus accessories, freshly made cosmetics and chocolate.

Only a few craftsman studios in the world still create leather-soled shoes with wooden nails. The machines for these shoes are over 150 years old, and sound like a machine-gun when they’re in full flight. On request we can produce shoes from premium-class Horween horsehide. Horween Leather Company was founded in 1905. For more than 100 years and five generations, its goal has been to make the world’s best leather.

The new classic shoe line is hand-made in Austria.

HISTORY
A shoe that was long in in the making. Based on old boxer boot styles, it became a shoe designed for situations where you need to be on your guard. The problem with boxer boots was always all those laces. So much time spent just on lacing up your boots. I wanted to keep the laces, but added a zipper as a core update. The classic laced style is retained, but the zipper allows you to be out of the dressing room and into the ring in an instant. This combination of laces and zipper is known as a “double safety unit” and originally came from the field of jet aviation. If an emergency occurs in aviation, nobody has time to fumble with laces. This is a really functional design that makes it easy to take your place promptly if there’s an alert. The laces adjust the fit of the shoe to the contours of your foot; once the shoe fits, you need only zip up or down to don and remove it. Couldn’t be faster. The zipper tab is detachable and replaceable for an added style detail. As with all Hamansutra shoes, we recommend using a boot jack to remove the boot. From 0-100 in 0.2 seconds. Available in 100% Black, suitable as a leisure shoe and for going out. Manufactured in Austria

Pre-Order Only

POLICE GERMANY . 1940s SHOES BY HAMANSUTRA

available at QUICKSHOP.NYC

Way back in 2002 I had an important phone call from the German arms industry about designing new uniforms for the German police. It didn’t work out for various reasons, because I’d lived in London and had a mission there – but now in 2017, the new hand-crafted shoes for the police force are an ongoing thing. Just to show you how long some projects take to develop to maturity. 15 years later, this one is continuing smooth as you like. Back in the Second World War, uniforms were produced as bespoke tailoring for the mass market. I’m reviving this idea and this aim today as a passion of mine, and look forward to receiving orders. Today there are almost 400,000 police in Germany, civil servants of the state. No problem. Companies like Harley Davidson, Hugo Ferdinand Boss, Ferdinand Porsche, Thyssen, Krupp, Burberry, Robert Bosch only got started by producing for the arms industry. And the factories went up, converted into lofts today if they’re still standing.

Handmade Shoes with special historical wooden nails on the sole.

“Created with Love from New York City and Manufactured in Austria”

© 100% hamansutra

IN MEMORY OF JAM MASTER JAY . 15TH REMEMBRANCE YEAR

There are no words. This Adidas Ultrastar Sneaker was originally launched as the Adidas Superstar in 1969 – and here it is in my redesign, with headphone cables as the laces. I used this lace idea for my first shoe collection, CMYK by hamansutra, in 2010. I designed the laces to fit any shoe in the world. And now it’s official: an idea that I’ve had for a long, long time has now become reality. For our Homie and Brother Jam Master Jay. Now the RUN DMC DJ has his own shoe with headphone laces – at long last. In the 90s I had special authorization to meet him at a DJ gig in Munich, with photo and autograph. Rest in Paradise Homie. (*1965 – 2002)

*This shoot was made with love and is not sponsored, endorsed or otherwise approved by the Adidas company or his estate.

TINT STORE IN COOP WITH NIKE AND HAMANSUTRA

What started last year with an exhibition and lookbooks is now complete. May I present my Nike Marathon High Hell, Made with Love in Germany.

Hamansutra was booked as Coordinator & Sneaker Transformer for Tint Store Munich, with the involvement of 2 major companies – Nike and Red Bull. I was asked to curate the choice of artists. An incredible team and a great event.

CMYK Shoe by hamansutra
The hamansutra think tank now expands with the launch of hamansutra high top shoes

Form
The shoe, a unisex design, has an aesthetic form reminiscent of classical ballet and dance shoes. It is made from quality cowskin leather, with featherlight heel and toe caps that fit closely to the foot like rugged tailor-made socks. The broad lacing and thin sole provide the flexibility and freedom required for acting and dance, yet the special material of the sole ensures that the shoe is suitable for all terrains and provides sufficient protection to prevent foot deformation in everyday wear.

Name
The name indicates a nod to the roots of fashion designer Haman Alimardani, who began his promising career in the field of graphic design. CMYK stands for the four basic colors of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black), used in printing as the basis of all colors. The shoe will be produced in these four shades plus white – as the basic color of paper. „My shoes are to the world as paint is to a picture. I view myself not only as their designer, but also as the creator of a body which constantly rearranges itself from dancing atoms.“

Shoe
Ultra-supple, comfortable sock-like shoe, based on traditional dancers‘ shoes. Available in all colors, suitable as a leisure shoe and for going out.

Photography
Mierswa Kluska

LOVELETTER

the hamansutra think tank now expands with the launch of hamansutra high top shoes, designed to be independent of fashion seasons. They are timeless. creator haman alimardani is a fashion designer, graphic artist and dj. this unisex shoe in quality leather features a supple, ultra-comfortable design modeled on classical ballet and dance shoes and fitting as flexibly as a sock — yet the CMYK is also rugged enough for everyday wear. the CMYK is a go-anywhere shoe that takes you from dance studio or stage to club and city. hamansutra’s message is „My shoes are to the world as paint is to a picture.“

created with love from new york city, manufactured in brazil.
© 100% hamansutra

Photography
Andrew Williams

hamansutra’s first shoe range CMYK launches globally in spring/summer 2011/2012. creator haman alimardani is a new york-based avantgarde fashion designer, graphic artist and internationally acclaimed dj. CMYK stands for the four basic print and graphic colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), complemented by versatile white. this unisex shoe in quality leather features a supple, ultra-comfortable design modeled on classical ballet and dance shoes and fitting as flexibly as a sock — yet the CMYK is also rugged enough for everyday wear. unique laces tipped with stereo mini-jacks reference hamansutra’s hallmark: a communication-based fusion of fashion and music. the CMYK is a go- anywhere shoe that takes you from dance studio or stage to club and city.

hamansutra’s message is “my shoes are to the world as paint is to a picture.”

»created with love from new york city, manufactured in brazil.«

MADE WITH PANIK IN NEW YORK DIZZY

A shoot that turns the spotlight on a fashion designer and photographer on the streets of New York.

*This shoot was made with love using analog photography and is not sponsored, endorsed or otherwise approved by the Cazal eyewear company or his estate.

CREDITS
Photography
Andrew Williams

Fashion
CMYK Shoes by hamansutra . Denim by hamansutra . Cazal eyewear

Street Cast
Edwin Bethea . Erin Gross . Maddie James . James Gripper . Elijah Pryor . Mike Manolo

Ford Models
Austin Szalkowski

All reproduction in any form and to any extent requires express prior written permission.

© 100% hamansutra

New York 2014

MADE WITH PANIK IN NEW YORK DIZZY

“I was sitting on the corner just a wasting my time, When I realized I was the king of the style”

A shoot that turns the spotlight on a fashion designer and photographer on the streets of New York. hamansutra reports on what he’s seen on the streets of New York, going up to people and giving them an on-the-spot cutting edge style boost.

Whatever they were wearing, styling tips like CMYK Shoes, hamansutra Denim pants and jackets and Cazal* eyewear gave them the feeling of being inside the heartbeat of the city. No more experiments, no more phases – time to be serious and get down to work.

*This shoot was made with love using analog photography and is not sponsored, endorsed or otherwise approved by the Cazal eyewear company or his estate.

CREDITS
Photography
Andrew Williams

Fashion
CMYK Shoes by hamansutra . Denim by hamansutra . Cazal eyewear

Street Cast
Maddie James . Elijah Pryor . Mike Manolo

Ford Models
Austin Szalkowski

All reproduction in any form and to any extent requires express prior written permission.
© 100% hamansutra
New York 2013

CAZAL 951 . IN MEMORY OF CARI ZALLONI . 5TH REMEMBRANCE YEAR

In 2013 a presentation with eyewear designers was planned in New York and because I was working with Cazal as creative partner and in Special Marketing and Sales at the time, I was asked to redesign the Cazal 951. I had always wanted to continue updating the design of the Cazal 951 – it’s so much more than eyewear, and I’m familiar in depth with all of the details and all the sources of inspiration that Cari Zalloni had drawn on. When I presented my designs and ideas to the then owner of Cazal in Passau, Germany, he had to laugh when he saw one of my ideas; he recalled Cari Zalloni coming up with exactly the same idea in the 80s and putting it on hold because it was too difficult to realize. He might also have been persuaded to leave it be, under the “no such thing as can’t” philosophy that rules among designers. And now it’s official: Cari, this one’s for you, 32 years on. This is your design, updated by me and implemented as a simulation. Rest in Paradise good old friend. (*1937-2012)

*This shoot was made with love and is not sponsored, endorsed or otherwise approved by the Cazal eyewear company or his estate.

New York November 21st, 2010
Pablo’s Birthday Gallery was pleased to present the New York debut of hamansutra’s CAZAL Sunglasses Project.

Foreword by Cari Zalloni
(Austria, Kleinstuebing, Tuesday October 26 2010)
The project “Homage to Cari Zalloni” arose from hamansutra’s passion for CAZAL products, which he collects. In the late eighties Cari Zalloni (head designer of CAZAL) created two sunglasses styles that changed the hiphop community. Denis Pernath and hamansutra present Cazal portraits and collages. London, 2003.

LINK
vimeo.com/17459381

MUSIC
Harlem Nights

NO SUPPORT

MEMORY OF CARI ZALLONI . BORN 1937 DIED 2012 . REST IN LOVE PEACE AND SOUL

CAZAL . eyewear . face . a design symbiosis
Friend, Partner, Mentor, Visionary and Idol. “The world was not ready for the mind of Cari Zalloni”. As a community of Cazal collectors and wearers, we spent years contacting the CAZAL company, trying to get them to issue your Vintage series – a pioneering idea in the late 1990s. We were laughed at, ignored, not taken seriously, while your eyewear landed with the wrong people – the wrong models, the wrong tasteless ad agencies…

Quote from Cari Zalloni’s Foreword
“hiding eyes behind dark glasses is a way of saying “look at me,” expressing the precise opposite of the action, and successful sun eyewear has a function which extends far beyond mere eye protection. for me, the eyewear market in the USA is and always has been my special market.”

As the saying goes, the prophet is without honor in his own country. Wake up, Germany! I’m happy that I could add some honor by staging a homage to you in New York City, with a foreword written by you that I waited years to get. Not an easy undertaking, but a very valuable one. We miss you, dear Cari. We had such plans. But we’ll continue to honor your work.

Cari Zalloni was an eyewear designer of outstanding reputation. His Cazal sunglasses – a name derived by combining the first syllables of his first and last names – are characterized by aggressive styling, unique detailing and unparalleled craftsmanship and express his uncompromising design attitude.

He says, “A designer eyewear line that pleases everyone is unlikely to inspire. Good design must be thought-provoking.”

Cazal eyewear
Today the eyewear and sun eyewear designed by Cari Zalloni is a success story spanning 40 years and acclaimed all over the world Cazal eyewear is associated with old school hiphop, graffiti, breakdance, DJs, record collectors and a host of other personalities like EGYPTIAN LOVER, MICHAEL JACKSON, RUN DMC, MELANIE GRIFFITH, RODNEY O & JOE COOLEY, ELVIS PRESLEY, BARRY NEWMAN, STEVIE WONDER, FAT BOYS, MIKE TYSON, GWEN STEFANI and JAY Z.

You buy jewelry with money – and I turn money into jewelry.

Interesting encounters in NYC when I took to the streets with my wad of notes on my cap. Some people laughed out loud, some people on Broadway asked if they could take my picture, some just took the picture without asking. The paparazzi effect! And the hard side of street life in the US – all the homeless and crashed-and-burned veterans out begging. I presented money as jewelry, an odd concept for these fragile existences. “Spare change, homie? God bless, but hold on!?! You have some money on your cap!” Look at all the people loaded with silver jewelry, antlers, headphones, all that stuff. Incredible how people run around with blinkers and my idea is suddenly regarded as unusual, weird or strange. NYC is conservative too.

No risk, nothing new. May I introduce: Cash Clip for caps.

© 2017 HAMANSUTRA, LLC
NEW YORK . MUNICH

Let me introduce my latest accessory.

Join the idea of wearing a cap with a penholder! I’m always travelling and noting ideas, so it’s great to have a pen handy at all times. Take note – as long as you keep hacking away at your smartphones, nothing will come of it. Keep romance alive and start writing your name in graffiti on the wall.

“A Tribute to Kraftwerk – Suits by hamansutra”
We are proud to present the 2012 launch of our menswear line “suits by hamansutra“ with visible silver magnet button. The suits by hamansutra are “A Tribute to Kraftwerk”

Created and manufactured with love in New York City.

Note
hamansutra cut his teeth in military tailoring – and has the chops to incorporate these elements into his suits.

Delivery
Pre-order 2-3 weeks
hamansutra creations are personally tailored. For this reason, please allow a minimum of two weeks for production and delivery.

The pioneering electronic music band KRAFTWERK
kraftwerk.com

Release Date
April 10th, 2012

Many memories. Another world. Another time.
Over the last quarter-century they’ve worked at the famous Kling Klang Studio in various ways – sometimes by daylight, sometimes by night. From composition and design to absolute silence, they’ve always kept the golden thread firmly in their hands. “The Man Machine” aka Ralf Huetter, Karl Bartos, Wolfgang Fluer and Florian Schneider.

Virgin – untouched clothing by hamansutra
Virgin. The first shirt waiting to be deflowered by its owner. It has been cunningly designed without a neck hole to put you in control of every cut. Don’t be shy. Get out your scissors and get to work.

Pattern
The shirt has only two seams and two darts. It is designed to feel like a second skin.

Men’s Shirt
Soft, supple short-sleeved shirt in 100% quality soft cotton. No neck hole.

Women’s Shirt
Soft, supple short-sleeved shirt in 100% quality soft cotton. No neck hole.

Colour
White

Fabric
100% cotton

Care instructions
Washable at 95 C . Can be bleached . Tumble dry at level 1 . Warm, not hot iron . Do not dry clean

LINK
virgin.hamansutra.com

COLOPHON
Fashion · hamansutra
Creative Director · Corinna Falusi
Art Director · Maite Albuquerque
Copywriter · Justin Via
Photographer · Charles Williamson
Make-Up · Joel Angel
Models · Marie LeClair · Alex Lugosi · Julia Johnson · Erin Gross · Lenka Dayrit · Samuel Sorrels
IT · Mr Y
English translation . Alison Moffat

BUY lookbook at Printed Matter New York
195 Tenth Avenue
New York, NY 10011

LINK
printedmatter.org/catalog/27048

hamansutra presents unique custom accessories with Vertu – pioneering luxury mobile phones. Full-body overalls made from stretch and stocking fabrics symbolize an artificial second skin. The mobile phones represent the chips of the future, transplanted the skin. The idea behind the designs: today’s ultimate transparency as everything we do is observed and documented CCTV, Internet sites, Google…

Giving birth in a matter of seconds thanks to a system of zippers; disco balls modeled as gigantic nipples, a Russian woman soldier serving for Germany, a shoe with integrated compass that shows you the way as you walk it …

I want my designs to be people – not just sketches. Movies that combine fantasy with practical guidelines for creating change.

Copyright hamansutra New York 2010
All rights reserved

About Vertu
Vertu is a British-based manufacturer and retailer of luxury mobile phones.
The company is an independently run, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia.

An overall is something inseparable, as the name implies – the upper and lower body are welded together. There’s nothing that feels more human.

Note
hamansutra cut his teeth in military tailoring – and has the chops to incorporate these elements into his costumes.

Created with love in New York City – manufactured in Germany.

Costume design for a video by singer Sonique, in cooperation with Design Liga Munich “Another World”, Cosmo Records Munich got awarded twice. The IF communication design award 2005 – GOLD and the animago award 2005 – SILVER.

May I present Blu, one of the most famous TV characters in Europe! 20th anniversary of the costume design for the “Geiz ist Geil” (cheap is cool) campaign by the German consumer electronics retailer “Saturn”, featured in 3 different TV commercials. Designed and created exactly 20 years ago when I relocated from London to Munich. By far the most successful advertising character and campaign in Germany, broadcast throughout Europe. Loud and proud advertising that forced the media to sit up and take notice, creating scandal on an almost daily basis. From the designer’s point of view, that means I still hold the copyright to the characters – and I had to exercise it to block the commercials when they decided not to pay. My earnings were peanuts compared to the effect on the customer’s bottom line. But it wasn’t about money – it was about the principle of treating artists right. Like the royalty they are. In my early 20s, I won the court case before it had even got off the ground. The director thought she could treat people like that, but she decided she would rather pay up before I destroyed her reputation any further. My advertising character helped Mediamarkt Saturn to reach record total annual revenues of EUR 10 billion in just one year. EUR 80 billion from 2002-2010.

Now that’s royal.