Crochet designer Shawn Layne heading to Atlanta catwalk in 2023

Hardly ever in his wildest desires did designer Shawn Layne believe that his act of solace would get him on to a international stage. 

Shawn is a crochet designer and founder of BNHO Crochet. He is a skilled musician, a new music teacher and an remarkable inventive intellect. 

He started out crocheting at 15 several years with the goal to swoon a lady at university, but he was afterwards fascinated with the intricacies and specifics of the handcraft. 

“I did not go in actually wanting to crochet, it was just a ploy. Her mom also crochet so then I experienced to learn for true because her mom would occur in to verify,” he shared with Loop Lifestyle. 

“I learnt she was building the tablecloths and doilies and it was not notably fascinating. . . . I observed this lady making a beanie, a rasta hat, and I thought that amazing simply because she was employing yarn and a more substantial hook. I imagined that was more manly than the dollies and the table cloths. 

I believe that is in which it truly started,” Shawn continued. 

Shawn’s really like for crocheting fell by the wayside for many many years until finally 2017 when he was identified with big depressive disorder. 

He later found peace or fairly a sanctuary in crocheting and he began undertaking habitually like ingesting drinking water. Every single day, whether or not in a coffee store, or when having a quick crack, Shawn picks up his hook and yarn and will get weaving. 

“I uncovered myself acquiring a ton of free time on my hands that I truly wanted to utilise for my psychological security and overall health and so I picked back up crocheting. At any time because then it has been with me. I crochet each individual working day. It has been that delighted position, that spot wherever you can have your feelings and not be debilitated. Crochet for me is that filler, that matter that keeps the demons and the dark ideas at bay.”

“The far more I built, the extra I needed an viewers to see the items, form of as a validation. A stunning piece of art devoid of an viewers is incomplete so it desires to be out there.” 

As Shawn designed extra and much more pieces, he begun to give them away to close friends, fellow artistes in the leisure fraternity and colleagues. A excitement ignited as men and women posted the creations on social media. This led to the formation of BNHO Crochet. 

“I recognised that crocheting is a enterprise for other individuals and I desired to keep that marketplace integrity. So I can not just give away items as substantially as I crochet each individual working day and it is exciting and dandy, I nonetheless require to respect the other people that are performing it as a implies of daily life and revenue for them and their households. I maintain market price ranges when I cost.”

Under his manufacturer, Shawn not only produces completely ready-created crochet clothing but he presents prepared crochet designs, sample editing and screening. 

“Some of my designs, I would truly write down working with classic crochet technological know-how and I would provide those people patterns in PDF variety on the web, so this is the place other crocheters out there can make a person of my styles or other people can dress in my styles and me not make the real actual physical item,” he described. 

Shawn’s really hard function and dedication for the earlier 5 several years has certainly paid off. He has been selected as the sole Caribbean and Barbadian consultant at the inaugural Crochet Style Week (CFW) in Atlanta, George. CFW: Evolution of Sew, which is slated for February 11 to 12, 2023, will attribute 20 crochet designers from across the planet. 

As he prepares for his line of vacation resort have on and streetwear to hit the catwalks, the information nonetheless has him awestruck. 

“I do not feel it has really sunk in yet even though I have started out developing and generating the items for it….I am happy to be recognised. It is a massive self-confidence boost to a person recognising your perform and you remaining picked out,” Shawn told Loop. 

He indicated that he will be proudly waving the Barbadian flag in the ATL next calendar year. 

We’re all rooting for Shawn on this new journey!