Surplus fabric from German sewing workshops becomes jackets; old china cups become rings: at the Pia Heise showroom in Düsseldorf-Pempelfort, the designer presents her womenswear and her porcelain jewellery. The showroom at Liebigstraße 6 opens by appointment, so you have time and space for every piece. Her designs feature clean cuts and pieces that pair easily with one another. Her clothes are made for everyday life, not for next season. Everything is designed exclusively for women.
Instead of large collections, Pia works in small drops. She sews many pieces herself in her atelier, while a family-run workshop in Poland makes some styles. Her fabrics are deadstock: leftovers and overproduction from German sewing workshops, mainly cotton, viscose and wool. Some fabrics contain a little elastane or up to 20 per cent polyester. She also buys buttons and zips in Germany. Her current focus is on fashion, with the jewellery complementing the range. Because deadstock is only available in limited quantities, styles are made in small numbers, and some exist only a handful of times.
In the showroom you’ll find trousers, skirts, tops, dresses and jackets, plus new pieces from the latest drops. The jewellery really catches the eye: Pia makes rings, necklaces, brooches, and stud earrings from broken porcelain from old collectable cups. A cracked cup turns into a piece of jewellery, often with a pattern you might remember from your grandmother’s coffee table. Whether delicate studs for everyday wear or a brooch for your coat collar, the motif a piece carries depends on which cup happened to break. That makes every item one of a kind. Jewellery starts at under 25 euros, while fashion pieces cost up to around 400 euros. If something doesn’t fit perfectly, alterations are no problem, and Pia also does repairs. With jackets and skirts in particular, it’s worth trying them on in the showroom and having the length or width adjusted on the spot.
Looking for womenswear with clean cuts or a piece of jewellery with a story in Düsseldorf? Then request an appointment at the Pempelfort showroom; the link is on this page. Simply pick a suitable slot in the online calendar. That gives you enough time to try things on at your own pace and talk to Pia about cuts, fabrics or alterations. The porcelain jewellery also makes a good gift, because no two pieces look the same. If you can’t make it to Düsseldorf, you can also find her designs in her Etsy shop. Pia ships orders in reused cardboard boxes.
