Kim crafted this wicker handbag as part of her training in France. The base is made of steam-bent willow, while the body is in high quality leather, sewn with cane.
Height 34 cm
Diameter 18 cm
A former shop worker in the fashion industry, Kim Ahn Le Thi was always attracted to the popular wicker sun mirrors regularly seen in the pages of interior decoration magazines. This interest in wicker led her to teach herself basketweaving; later she decided to attend the only basketry school in France, the Ecole Nationale d'Osiériculture et de Vannerie de Fayl Billot, in Haute Marne. She opened her own workshop in June 2018. Kim is very interested in how wicker can be combined to other materials such as leather and ceramics to make functional – or non-functional – items. "Basketry has an undeniable power of nostalgia. We have all kept a basket of our grandmother's, and often customers tell me about a father or a grandfather who wove by the fire,” she says.
Read the full interviewPhoto: © F. Joncour
Kim crafted this wicker handbag as part of her training in France. The base is made of steam-bent willow, while the body is in high quality leather, sewn with cane.
Height 34 cm
Diameter 18 cm
Photo: © F. Joncour
This handbag was designed and hand woven from rattan marrow and pink glazed leather. It features two bamboo handles and is intended to be carried by hand.
Height 40 cm
Length 35 cm
Photo: © F. Joncour
This decorative sculpture was handcrafted using four different types of weaving. Kim enjoys the contrast between the heaviness of the base, which is tightly woven with lots of strands, and the light and airy top. The piece was named after a traditional corset from which Kim drew inspiration.
Height 100 cm
Diameter 40 cm
Photo: © F. Joncour
This chair is a modern interpretation of the traditional wicker chair. Fully hand woven in willow, it reflects Kim’s desire to merge traditional methods of production with contemporary design.
Height 70 cm
Diameter 48 cm
Length 73 cm