Wiwien on Handmade Hats, Privacy, and the Romance of Slow Craft

Berlin-based milliner Wiwien, founder of the brand Between Beauty, discusses her practice in an interview with Amelie Bachert for Sleek Magazine. Preferring anonymity, she creates handmade hats and trinkets from natural materials like silk, wool, cotton, and pearls, evoking a dream-like, decadent aesthetic. Wiwien shares her views on escapism, nostalgia, and the role of handmade objects in a digital age. She references milliner Stephen Jones, describing a hat as an emotional translator and shield. Wiwien critiques sterile minimalism and corporate co-optation of romance, positioning her work as a romantic act of creating for presence rather than utility. She argues that handmade objects age gracefully and store human energy, contrasting them with mass-produced items designed for obsolescence. On luxury, she states that slow handcraft cannot exist outside of luxury without fair compensation, citing disappearing trades in Poland. She sees AI and social media as antithetical to true luxury, which she defines by human effort and visible dedication. Wiwien protects her privacy fiercely, viewing it as essential for creative freedom. The interview was published on Sleek Magazine.