Stories
Yungnickel
Glenn Yungnickel originally considered a career in graphic design, before instinct pushed him towards fashion. He studied fashion design at AUT for seven years, lecturing and working in the Crane Brothers workroom while completing his Masters.
He credits his achievements to the support of mentors Andreas Mikellis and Linda Jones, both AUT design staff.
Strong colour is a defining aspect of the Yungnickel aesthetic, with a focus on monochromatic garments featuring casual structuring. His 2009 AUT Rookie collection, for example, used shades of red, and more recent collections have included mustards and navy tones.
Image © Glenn Yungnickel.
Glenn’s design practice shows a strong emphasis on traditional craftsmanship and he personally constructs everything he sells, moving away from the mass-production associated with fast-paced consumer culture. This designer/maker model formed his Masters research, but there’s another reason he crafts: he simply loves to sew. Finding that standard retail models didn’t work for his hands-on creative process, Glenn has been involved with the Creative Common Occupation collective, selling and exhibiting through pop-up stores around Auckland. Behind this approach is Glenn’s belief that "whether it is [with] people, food, places, or life in general, we are all searching to re-establish some sort of connection in our lives".
Text by Arielle Walker. Banner photo by Frances Carter.
Last published September 2014.
