2008 Designers

mnartists.org/max_lorhbach

Raised on the bluffs over the Zumbro River, Max encountered nature, history and imagination daily. "Playing and design are very similar," he says. As a child he discovered his great-grandparent's closet of antique suits, dresses, shoes and hats with strange hooks, stays and shapes. "We put them on and never looked back." Max is now inspired by a mess of clothes, from his work as a "rag picker", to his range of garment and textile collections. It seems that most clothes are rather awful, but he enjoys studying them, as they may offer forgotten ideas and constructions. He lavishes time and handwork on unusual, often humorous novelties, finding the work and problem solving relaxing and meditative. Max studied all aspects of apparel design at MCTC in Minneapolis and fine arts, fibers and millinery at SAIC in Chicago.