JANUARY 2015
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? Values can mostly be guaranteed by committed people whose every action corresponds to ethical beliefs and standards. Since I have been in the business for so long I have been lucky to meet and get to know the people I work with and to be assured about the implementation of their values in their work and daily lives; Certifications are very good for a large company which cannot regularly and personally control the production sites, but even better are the personal relationships built up over years of close contact, which together insure the creation of a product that is not only ecological and ethical but also enjoyable and fun. # Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? There are mainly two barriers in my work, that continue to persist unsolved: one is the difficulty of getting sustainable raw materials and fabrics in sufficient variety to bring out a new collection every 6 months; the other is most people’s lack of knowledge and awareness about what’s behind most modern fashion, for example the dyes and chemicals used in the industry and the skepticism of clients and shop owners about the stability of natural fabrics. This means stepping out of your comfort zone to question what’s behind it and to learn more about sustainable values. To do so takes time and courage and few people, even professionals in the fashion industry and distribution have the guts to stand up for and to act upon their convictions or are willing to pay the price.
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# What is the typical “JOHANNA RIPLINGER” style? Who is your target group? I address my collection to the modern, liberated and conscious woman who wants to manifest her convictions and enhance her feminine, sensual side. Developing our senses is a very feminine quality which we tend to bury under the emancipationist need to appear tough and strong. I believe that a woman’s greatest strength is to give space for both power and softness and to create a harmony between them. My style is very fluid and light, unveiling feminine charm. The touch of the fabric and the sensation evoked by the garment on the skin reconnects the women with her sensitivity and empowers her gentleness. The often very dressy styles can be dressed up and down accordingly to the occasion and are meant and made to accompany the women for a long time all around the globe. # Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming autumn/winter 2015 collection? The new winter collection AW15/16 is an ode to “Dark and Light Contrast and its Transition in between” … to be continued…
www.johannariplinger.com