The New Artisans: Arielle de Pinto Keeps Us In the Loop With Her Crocheted Metal Pieces

“Crochet is so laborious; I never thought I’d pursue it,” admits Arielle de Pinto, who uses the age-old stitching technique throughout her self-titled line. “But when I started using chain instead of yarn, I became fixated. And it’s meditative—so it helps me sleep!” Three years on, that explains her commitment to the time-consuming craft because, aside from jewelry, the ambitious designer has turned her nimble fingers to latticed gloves and gossamer bodysuits—also created using her trademark silver-and-stainless-steel fine-gauge links—that take countless days to complete.

“I travel all the time,” says the office-averse Toronto native, “so landscapes are a constant inspiration.” But despite her wanderlust, for spring it’s the graphic psychedelic scenes found in Kiyoshi Awazu’s paintings that inspired these distressed filigree accessories and clothing designs in azure blue, charcoal, and vermilion. With a diverse fan base stretching from young, conceptual sartorialists to “women in their fifties,” de Pinto puts her metalworks’ far-reaching appeal down to simplicity: “It feels like an extension of your skin,” says the 25-year-old, enthusiastically. “The weight of the metal causes the pieces to adapt to the wearer.” arielledepinto.com