For nearly 25 years, since the very first day he began studying fashion, Hul le Kes creative director Sjaak Hullekes has been collecting paperclips. Not just any paperclips; only those he finds on the street. Some are bent, some rusted, some still surprisingly intact. Over time, this quiet habit has grown into a unique collection of paperclips from all over the world.
Now, the humble paperclip is making its way into Hul le Kes itself. Why? Because the paperclip perfectly embodies what we do: gathering and connecting materials. On their own, these pieces might seem insignificant, but when brought together, they tell a story.
This simple object also reflects Sjaak’s guiding philosophy for Hul le Kes: cherishing what already exists, whether found in the most unexpected corners of the world or hidden in plain sight. Seeing beauty in wear, in the marks of time, because those signs of use are what make an object truly unique.
A paperclip is mass-produced, hundreds of thousands at a time, identical in form. But over the years, through use, weather, and human hands, each one becomes a small, one-of-a-kind artifact.
At Hul le Kes, the paperclip is now our new emblem: a bent clip, wrapped with thread. The thread binds its ends together, transforming it into a continuous circular shape. It symbolises what we do: finding, collecting, uniting, and giving new form within a circular system.
Slowly but surely, you will start to see the paperclip appear in our work. Until then, here’s a tip from Sjaak: if you find a paperclip on the street, pick it up and make a wish. That’s how his fascination began; he once found a beautiful paperclip, picked it up, made a wish… and it came true. Superstition? Or simply the quiet joy of appreciating life’s small, overlooked treasures?
The paperclip will first appear in our Spring Summer 2026 collection, which will be available for wholesale during Paris Fashion Week, October 2025.
