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#  I m p r i n t SUPERIOR MAGAZINE Lychener Strasse 76, 10437 Berlin www.superior-magazine.com FOUNDERS Tom Felber & Marc Huth EDITORIAL TEAM editors@superior-magazine.com Jana Wilms | jana@superior-magazine.com Nerys d'Esclercs | nerys@superior-magazine.com Sarah Weyers | sarah@superior-magazine.com Tom Felber (Chief Editor V.i.S.d.P.) | tom@superior-magazine.com CREATIVE TEAM creatives@superior-magazine.com Anthony Falconer | creatives@superior-magazine.com Arnaud Meneroud | creatives@superior-mag.com Itamar Inbar | creatives@superior-magazine.com Jana Sachse | creatives@superior-magazine.com Thain Nguyen Phuong | creatives@superior-magazine.com MAGAZINE Advertising | advertising@superior-magazine.com General Inquiries | connection@superior-magazine.com Press | press@superior-magazine.com
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COVER: Photo by Virgile Reboul
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# Editorial Dear readers, Next week Berlin will turn into a fashion metropolis again. At BERLIN FASHION WEEK designers from across the world will present their Spring/Summer 2017 collections at MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK BERLIN, at trade fairs like PREMIUM, SEEK, GREENSHOWROOM, ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN and many more as well as at plenty of other events. Read our show reports online and in our social media channels. In our SELECTION we present on about 100 pages some of our favorite SUSTAINABLE FASHION labels. Designers and representatives of fourteen brands answered our questions and give you a lot of insights into sustainable fashion. Additionally read the interview with Magdalena Schaffrin and Olaf Schmidt from the well established GREENSHOWROOM and ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN, as well as the interview Marcus Kurz from the very successful DER BERLINER MODE SALON. We are always happy to work with amazing photographers from around the world. Every issue is packed with creativity from different minds. This time we like to present you a diversity of summer looks.
Enjoy our July issue … best Tom, Marc and the whole SUPERIOR team
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SUBMIT
Y O U R EDITORIAL
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CONTENT
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Stephanie Pistel
» BLOODY MARY«
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SELECTION
SUSTAINABLE FASHION S/S 2017
132 Magdalena Schaffrin & Olaf Schmidt
»GREENSHOWROOM & ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN«
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Virgile Reboul
» PINK MOTEL«
142 Chris Ubych
» COLOR FLOW«
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Susann Jehnichen
» THIS IS NOT LONDON«
170 Roberto Martini
» GETTING DARK ON THE SUN«
Marcus Kurz
» DER BERLINER MODE SALON«
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Bloody Mary photography by STEPHANIE PISTEL @ THEBOARDROOM.FILM make-up by ESTHER VAN MAANEN @ ANGELIQUE HOORN
FOR ELLIS FAAS COSMETICS
hair by MARK VAN WESTEROP
FOR WELLA PROFESSIONALS & BALMAIN HAIRÂ
model CHELSEY WEIMAR @ FUTURE FACES retouch by EDWIN @ MAGIC GROUP MEDIA
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July 2016
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July 2016
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July 2016
make-up used: FOUNDATION ELLIS FAAS S103 + N3 C2 FACE & BODY MAC CONCEALER ELLIS FAAS S202 & S203 WHITE PEARL PIGMENT IN LASHES LUSTRE DROPS LIGHT MAC MINERALIZE POWDER MAC MEDIUM GLOW-UP POWDER S 501 ELLIS FAAS LASHES MAKE UP FOREVER, MAKE UP STUDIO NAIL POLISH MIX OF CHANEL AND ESSIE
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MAKE UP FOREVER PIGMENT RED MAC BRILLIANCE GLOSS MAC LIPMIX CRIMSON L101 ELLIS RED ELLIS FAAS LIP PENCIL MAC CHERRY
SELECTION
SUSTAINABLE FASHION S/S 2017
JULY 2016
AIKYOU BLEED CARPASUS COCCCON CUS DEDICATED FLAVIA ARANHA GOOD SOCIETY JAN ’N JUNE JOHANNA RIPLINGER RECOLUTION REET AUS SKUNKFUNK STUDIO ELSIEN GRINGHUIS STUDIO JUX TAUKO ZURITA
www.aikyou.de visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
AIKYOU
AIKYOU is a German lingerie brand that highlights the beauty of small busts while producing completely sustainable. The label emphasizes the importance of the quality – especially for products that are worn directly on the skin, which is why the bras and panties are 100% non-toxic, environmentally and skin friendly. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it?
AIKYOU was founded in 2011 by Bianca Renninger and Gabriele Meinl – because there was nothing on the market satisfying our demands, both in terms of fashionable lingerie for small busts and for sustainability.
Sustainability for us means acting in a sustainable way wherever feasible, extending to all aspects of our business. Inspired by a Japanese female name, we called our label AIKYOU, meaning ‘love, charm and respect’. This attitude informs all of our activities.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus?
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment?
Lingerie is something you wear directly on your skin. We wanted to make sure that we offer worry-free, non-toxic underwear - and beyond: we want to contribute to a more conscious and responsible economy, from our manufacturing processes to the way we are functioning as a company. -35-
In our endeavour to be a sustainable company we take care of even small details in our daily business. We use green electricity, and our shipping is taken care of by DHL GoGreen using second hand cardboard boxing and recyclable packaging. All our office and logistics processes are designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? We do always start from a design point of view – but equally, our design decisions are informed by the choice of fabrics and accessories available, and by using them resourcefully in order to waste as little material as possible.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind AIKYOU? We think small busts are gorgeous. But the bras usually on offer have stopped satisfying us a long time ago. Small breasts were treated as if lacking something, as if they were only right when being pushed-up and underwired. But small boobs are great just like they are – you need no enlarging! You only need the right bra fit to show them at their best. That is why we founded AIKYOU – the lingerie brand for small busts.
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? We use carefully selected materials and accessories, which are fabricated in Germany and Europe to standards of high quality workmanship, and – as far as possible – according to both
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ecologically and socially sound production methods. Our main fabric is Fairtrade organic cotton, the yarn for which is spun regionally in Germany, where it is also knitted into super-soft jersey. Afterwards it is dyed according to GOTS standards – which means it is especially skin- and environmentally friendly. Cutting is also still done here. The last manufacturing step, equally Fairtrade-certified, is completed in Croatia. Each stage in the production process and all materials qualify as ‘Oeko-Tex® Standard 100’. Fabrics and accessories are non-allergenic and, in the case of our small closures and slides, nickel-free.
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? The range of sustainably produced materials and accessories in the lingerie sector is still limited. In case we can’t find anything suitable, we always choose the best possible option, which will be at least ‘Oeko-tex 100’-certified and sourced in Europe.
# What is your inspiration for your designs? It all comes from the desire to present small busts as beautiful, feminine and sexy as possible, and we also draw great insights from meeting our customers. Our core belief is “There is no ‘wrong’ breast, just the ‘wrong’ bra for it”.
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# What is the typical AIKYOU style? Who is your target group? AIKYOU is puristic, feminine and sexy. It is made for women of all ages. Women who like their breasts just as they are. Women who favour a fashion-forward style with clean lines. Women who are conscious of the quality they want to wear directly on their skin.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? As a rule, AIKYOU is a never-out-of stock collection, i.e. instead of launching seasonal collections twice a year, which often means wasting valuable resources, we rather expand our model range step by step. But there will be some exciting new styles as well as variations of our best-loved favourites, always offering unique fits to highlight the beauty of small busts.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.bleed-clothing.com visit at ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN
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JULY 2016
BLEED
To stop the nature bleeding for the fashion industry BLEED was founded. Design and sustainability go hand in hand for a functional but good look. For nature lovers and those to be BLEED offers eco friendly streetwear from an outdoor sports inspired background. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
nature loving athletes – have to protect our playground! Therefore we developed an eco-fashion brand, combined with the functionality of Bleed was founded in 2008 by CEO and head sportswear. of design Michael Spitzbarth, who worked as a Freelancer for a couple of years after he studied textile design. During this period of time he got a # What does sustainability mean close look behind the machinations of the textile to you, how do you define it? industry and knew, it was time to change something. The nature had already bled enough and it Especially for me, sustainability represents one had to stop. Therefore not only the name, but also important thing: to be open to new developments the whole brand was born. and to keep on learning! Because the most important thing, I’ve been learning during many years in the textile industry, was how to make use of # Why did you establish a brand new, interesting and sustainable materials. On this with a sustainable fashion basis we were able to developed our own techfocus? niques and even new combinations or range of use for different kind of materials, to fit our needs and Basically I come from the world of professional standards here at BLEED. There are mainly three sports, such as surfing, skateboarding, and snow- key facts about our eco fashion: it has to be fair, boarding and so it was just obvious, that we – as produced under sustainable conditions, and -41-
of course animal friendly (vegan). Because for our entire product-line no human, animal or aspect of mother nature has had to suffer.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? I try to buy only regional and organic products and furthermore also stopped supporting the ‘big players’, known for bad working conditions, animal testing or the pollution of the environment. And as often as I can I also try to use f.e. my longboard instead of my car to come from one place to another. I personally think what really matters are the little steps and changes, each of us can do.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? For me it goes hand in hand. Cause after 8 years in the fashion industry, I can say that by now there are only a few customers, making their buying decision only based on the sustainability of the product. That means it also has to be functional and good looking. The lifestyle and the certain image your brand embodies are still the most important factor, to sell clothes. But luckily, the attitude to rather consume products, that are sustainable and produced under fair working conditions, increases gradually.
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# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind BLEED? The name says it all – bleed, because for our entire product line, no human, animal, or aspect of Mother Nature has had to suffer. A claim, as simple as it could be. No harm, no poison, no murder; that’s the only, even if unwritten, law here at bleed, and therefore is part of everything we do, anchored within the production of our goods through the entire supply-chain. Ecological, vegan, and fairly produced, GOTS certified sports- and street wear straight from the heart of Upper Franconia, Germany. The brand sticks to its roots, located in the beautiful countryside of Helmbrechts where it all began 8 years ago. Meanwhile our team grew with 8 dedicated employees, who not only design and sell all these great products, but we are also our toughest judges, ensuring to test every new piece, in order to provide our customers with the best products. Besides the ecological lifestyle that bonds our whole team, we all share a great passion for sports. It doesn’t matter whether it’s skating, surfing, snowboarding, cycling, climbing or running, you can be sure we’ve done it and already have plans for more sports in the evening! From the beautiful skate spots around Helmbrechts, to the mountains in the Franconia Alps or the waves all over the world, nature serves as our favourite playground. And no matter where we are or what we do, the bleed products are our permanent companion facing all kinds of challenges and at times, the worst possible weather conditions. How does the saying go, “there is no such thing as bad weather, if you are wearing the right clothes”!
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? For the spring/summer collection 2017 we got influenced by the life at the shore. By looking at the open sea, everything else seems to be void and trivial and a feeling of freedom overcomes us. We tried to transfer those emotions to our collection and reduced it to the fundamentals – functionality and sustainability. Therefore we focused on timeless designs and, even more important, on materials. So you can find products made out of TENCEL®the vegetable alternative to silk, a special and functional mix out of organic cotton and linen, or the nylon fabric ECONYL®, which we are using as the base material for our brand new swim and surf wear. Made from old fishing nets and other waste material collected from the sea, this is not just relief for the environment, but also saves energy and raw materials. The result - soft sustainable products with great elasticity.
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www.carpasus.com visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
CARPASUS
CARPASUS embodies modernity for male customers who desire to not only appear elegant but also value the environment and the producers of their dress shirts. Omitting toxic chemicals and replacing them with organic cotton, CARPASUS’ dress shirts are timeless in design, long-lasting, and allow fair pay to the manufacturer. # Who started the brand and when was it founded? CARPASUS was launched by Michael Zäch and René Grünenfelder in 2015. We started off with a small collection of dress shirts. We are currently widening the offer of shirts for our customers. Additionally, we will soon launch some new products such as socks and ties.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? We both became very sensitive about sustainable business making in general and the environmental and social challenges of the textile industry more specifically during our studies. We were shocked to learn in which conditions some of our clothes were actually produced. Of course, -45-
we wanted to dress more consciously and started to choose our clothing based on sustainability criteria. However, we realized that the choice for sustainably made men's clothes is still limited. In fact, we could not find any dress shirt that combined the elegance, quality and the holistic sustainability approach we were looking for. So we decided to go about it and create CARPASUS, a brand for elegant, high quality dress shirts made from organic cotton under fair and humane conditions for cotton farmers and textile workers. Sustainability is our guiding principle. With our dress shirts we want to create value not only for our customers but also for the environment and the people who make the shirts. # What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it? Using our environmental and social resources to meet our current needs without compromising
the opportunity of future generations to meet their own needs - this is our understanding of sustainability. Our sustainability approach encompasses the concept of timeless designs and long-lasting manufacturing quality, the use fabrics and yarns that were dyed and woven without using toxic chemicals, the use of organic cotton, the collaboration with partners who pay fair salaries to textile workers and cotton farmers and a fully traceable production chain that allows the customer to trace back the origins of his shirts.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? We both live and work in Zurich, a city that is pretty advanced when it comes to environmental protection. It offers citizens a broad range of opportunities to live more sustainable lifestyles. We try to reduce our consumption. We ask ourselves, if we really need something or whether we could repair it or lend it from somebody else, rather than buying it new. We ride bicycles and use public transports as much as we can. Food consumption is another major driver of climate change and contributor to soil erosion, water and air pollution. At the same time the access to food is still unequally distributed in the world. Millions still suffer from hunger while tons of food are thrown away daily. We try to reduce our food waste to a minimal. We both have reduced our meat consumption significantly in the last year and eat meat less frequently.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer - design or sustainability? It is not a question whether one is more important than the other. We want to show that style, quality and sustainability can be combined. In fact, great design and quality, in our view, are the -46-
basis of every sustainable dress shirt we offer. Great design is timeless, classic and hence sustainable. We want our shirts to be pieces that never go out of fashion and which can be worn for a long time thanks to their high quality manufacturing.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind CARPASUS? CARPASUS combines style, quality and sustainability in an elegant way. We offer classic, high-quality men’s dress shirts that are made from organic cotton under fair and humane working conditions for cotton farmers and textile workers. The CARPASUS shirts make our customers look great and also benefit the environment and the people who make them. We bring the wearer and makers of the shirts closer together again through our traceability tool. Every shirt carries a sewn-in code that allows our customers to learn more about the people behind their shirts. Our target group are men who want to dress elegantly but not on the cost of the environment, textile workers and cotton farmers. Our vision is that CARPASUS is recognized globally as a successful combination of style, quality and sustainability within the industry.
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? We maintain close relations with our partners and visit them regularly. We know the conditions on the cotton fields and the factories where our yarn, fabric and shirts are made. All of our partners are also certified according to established environmental and social standards and controlled by third party institutions. We use cotton, for example, that is grown and certified according to the GOTS standard.
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# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? It was not easy to find the right partners who actually share our vision of sustainable textile production. We wanted to rethink the kind of materials used to produce dress shirts. We looked for alternative materials for the fabric, button, labels, collar stays etc. This research process took time. Additionally, unconventional materials often come with a higher price. However, we feel that this effort is needed in order to offer sustainably produced clothing.
# What is your inspiration for your designs? CARPASUS mingles a modern elegant style with a classic tailoring tradition and the pureness of nature. We have grown up in Switzerland’s Rhine Valley, a rural area with a long tradition for textile production. Growing up there has learned us to value nature, its pureness and craftsmanship. This has triggered our wish to launch a brand that respects classic tailoring and nature. At the same time, we travel a lot to different places. Exploring other towns and countries gives us inspiration and helps us to add the modern touch to our designs.
# What is the typical CARPASUS style? Who is your target group? The typical CARPASUS customer doesn’t have a certain age. Classic style has no age. It is a man who values quality and elegance and is aware of the environmental and social impact of textile production. He buys CARPASUS because he wants to contribute to a more sustainable textile industry.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2016 collection? Our spring/summer collection 2017 will include more classic shirt designs, discreet checked shirts and prints. We will also widen our range of products introducing ties, socks and more men’s accessories.
Interview: Tom Felber | Text: Catalina Campos Photo: © CARPASUS -49-
www.cocccon.de visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
COCCCON
COCCCON is the evidence, that creativity can care. Inspired by colourful India and the renaissance architecture the designs of COCCCON are timeless and a 100% sustainable. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
which every medium (social, economical or environmental) has a long term benefit from it without exploiting each other. The brand Cocccon was founded in early 2012 Most important it is to remember, that our next generation should never suffer because of our by the designer Prakash. current needs. # Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? I have been into the conventional fashion industry for a long time and somehow i was not proud of my job as a designer being part of an exploitation of mother-earth, nature and manpower on a big scale. # What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it? For me sustainability is a unique model, in -51-
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? Sustainability starts at home. I have natural energy at home and in my atelier. I only start electronic items, when I need them, no standby modus, just switching them on or off. I mainly buy organic food. I have my own small organic garden for vegetables and herbs. I minimize the wastage of paper during work. I only use public transport and do not own any car. I try to use a minimum of plastic and therefore do not drink coffee to go or use coffee in capsules. My water bottles are all either made of glass or stainless steel and so is my lunch box. To wash clothes I use
washing nuts, and there are many more eco friendly things that I practice in my day to day life.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? Actually both are important. I have developed kind of a bridge between design and sustainability. That also is my motto: creativity can care.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind COCCCON? The initial name of my project was: creativity can care (CCC), which also is my philosophy. But somehow it did not sound good as a name for a fashion label. Once I was in India sitting next to sacs full of silk cocoons, when i thought of putting my 3Cs together with Cocoon. Finally in May 2012 the brand Cocccon was created.
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? This was a big challenge for me, because the use of toxic chemicals was so common in sericulture. Spraying genetically manipulated chemicals on -52-
leaves, where silk worms feed and grow, using insecticides, fungicides, toxic salts for silk weighting, harmful bleaching during degumming, chemical waxing to make them shine etc. The silk industry of India was growing but there was a devastating bad impact on ecology. To invent ecological and ethical alternatives and to implement them in our day to day use was not easy. To safeguard leaves where silk worms and other insects grow on, I started putting big cotton nets, similar to a mosquito net, over each and every tree. For degumming and bleaching we found water based bleaching agents, which are 100% eco friendly. After trying and experimenting for months, we could make silk fabrics without using toxins. Now this is a regular practice in our work. The same it was with printing and dyeing stuff. Available vegetable colours and dyeings weren´t of good quality and aesthetic. Now we can make fabric by using long lasting and bright colours in nearly every shade. My aim is it, to make eco fashion walk shoulder to shoulder with mainstream high fashion. The last barrier was paying fair wages to my staff. Everyone in industry told me not to do that, otherwise my collection would be too expensive for retailers and distributors. I prepared a quarterly balance sheet and realised, that it was not so expensive to run a sustainable business. We do not buy any expensive chemical. Auxiliaries we buy directly from the manufacturers not from agents or middlemen. We saved a lot of money by not going down the conventional road of business and investing a lot in human capital. By the end of the day it was a win-win situation. -53-
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? Our biggest barrier was to teach the staff how to make things without using harmful chemicals. Using chemical was always a shortcut to achieve good yields. It took a long time to brainwash them and to adopt sustainable ways of production.
# What is your inspiration for your designs? Our colour schemes come from my Indian background and the inspiration for the patterns comes from european architecture and art. I am inspired by the timeless Renaissance a lot.
# What is the typical COCCCON style? Who is your target group? Apart from my dresses and blouses, I sell a lot of scarves. My scarves multipurpose items. They can be worn for a casual, semiformal or formal style. Most importantly they are timeless. I still receive orders for my first collection. I make sure, that my designs never get out of fashion. My target group is ecochic and 16+ years old.
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# What is the typical COCCCON style? Who is your target group? Our new collection is called rebirth. We have successfully woven very fine chiffon fabrics by using old scrapped machines. We used traditional Indian wooden block printings combined with modern geometrical and graphic designs to give this antique dyeing technique a new life. Overall we belief, that eco is sexy.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.cus.cat visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
CUS
An awareness of the impact from the potentially devastating long-term effects of mistreating the environment inspired the founder to produce a ready-to-wear collection consciously. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it?
The brand was founded in 2013 in Barcelona by myself, Adriana Zalacain.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? As an academic formation, I studied political science, but slowly went into fashion design. As a fashion designer, I enjoyed my job but felt a certain discomfort. I thought that it would personally make more sense for me, if my everyday tasks were committed to certain values. This is why I decided to design following what I thought it was the ‘right way’ of doing it, a win-win way.
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It means to make decisions while taking the real impact of them and their consequences into account. In other words, it is to think communally, including the planet as an actor of the process. It means to ask yourself questions of what is going to happen to others with the decisions that you are making, and to act responsibly to reach a balance that satisfies all the parts, and doesn’t leave actors aside, that have been part of the process.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? For example, recycle, consume organic and proximity products, use eco-materials at home, use
as little plastic as possible and grow a sustainable garden with drought-friendly plants and rocks instead of grass. I like to learn to respect the environment every day, and transmit this respect to my children. We do not have a planet B.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? I am really attracted to pure beauty and design is very important for me. But by itself it often is empty and becomes meaningless. On the other hand, sustainability by itself often is unattractive and beauty is careless. What is interesting is to reach a balance between both. Then, what you have achieved is beautiful from the outside and from the inside.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind CUS? We have slowly learned that we share values with our customers. The added value of sourcing fabrics sustainably, producing consciously and designing delicately is really appreciated by them. This is one of the aspects why I feel more satisfied with my job, because we speak the same language in this sense. We respect and appreciate the job that they are doing in their shops, as much as they
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# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? We work with trustful suppliers, most of which we have worked with for several campaigns. We like to build a chain of trust and confidence with them. It is important for us to know as much as possible about the whole process of production of the fabrics: spinning, weaving and finishing. All our organic cotton is certified, our tencel is Lenzing tencel and we work with hemp spun and weaved in Italy. In terms of production, all our garments are made in Barcelona in workshops that meet all social and legal working standards. They are well known by us because we visit them regularly to check the quality of production. We care about the people who make our clothes and also about the people who make the fabrics of our clothes.
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? There are two main issues. One is the difficulties in finding a wide variety of fabric-options to design with. The other has to do with higher prices. Producing garments respecting the rights of workers and doing this in Europe in not cheap. For us, as a brand there is no other way of producing, this is the path we have chosen, and we are happy because more and more people are taking this added value into account and are willing to pay this higher final price for a garment. Therefore, it is important to work on transparency and traceability, and to be able to transmit all this information rigorously.
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# What is your inspiration for your designs? I find beauty especially in nature, architecture, interior design and objects. I capture small doses of conventional and unconventional beauty that I carry in mind and they appear when choosing colors and designing shapes.
# What is the typical CUS style? Who is your target group? We make easy, comfortable clothes that create a sophisticated and cool look on women who wear them. Our customers are often 30 to 70 year old women that are interested not only in fashion but also in social issues, culture, etc.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? We will be presenting new colorful and artistic patterns and continuing with our new line Cus viva, with GOTS certified garments made from organic cotton from Portugal, by women on risk of social exclusion in the South of Spain.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.dedicatedbrand.com www.dedicatedbrand.com visit visit at at ETHICAL GREENSHOWROOM FASHION SHOW BERLIN
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JULY 2016
DEDICATED
DEDICATED is a brand with the motto ‘Good Vibes Only’ , meaning that their clothes can be bought and worn with a clear conscious, all while enjoying graphic design shirts and other fashionable items – because they are all made of GOTS and Fairtrade certified cotton or recycled materials like polyester. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
devastated from years of having toxic chemicals from cotton bleaching, washing and coloring. 10 years ago I decided that the next project had to We started with a retail concept called TSHIRT be organically produced and ‘best in class’ in terms STORE in 2006 and when the demand grew to offer of sustainability. our products to other retailers, me and my business partners Johan Mooe and Joakim Knapp created the brand DEDICATED in 2012. # What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it? # Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion In one way, sustainability is an utopia today. focus? The main point is that we need to do everything I’ve been an active fashion entrepreneur for 20 years this year. All the production trips to places like China, India, Bangladesh etc. made me extremely concerned about the destructive impact of clothing production. All these production areas have a ‘river of death’ running through them, completely
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in our power to keep mankind’s environmental impact within the boundaries of what the planet can regenerate. For years, our billions of people have consumed 1,5 times the planets capacity. In the USA, people impact at a rate of 7 times the planets capacity. Basically, there’s enough for everybody’s needs, but not for everybody’s greed.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? I’ve come to realize that my best contribution is to influence other fashion brands to switch to GOTS (organic cotton) or recycled fabrics. Some of them are probably getting a bit irritated at this point, but it’s necessary to look at the greater good. Other than that I ride my bicycle, avoid eating meat and sort my trash. These things are common sense and entail no sacrifice at all.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? There are enough clothes in the world, so a designer should always focus on creating desirable products. It’s very seldom that a design has to be altered in order to be more sustainable, but the sourcing of materials becomes more challenging.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind DEDICATED brand? DEDICATED was founded by a group of friends with strong backgrounds in the fashion business and contemporary subcultures, who saw the need for a sustainable brand in the street fashion market. Although DEDICATED has come a long way and sold
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well over a million T-shirts, we still feel that we’re only just starting. We’re dedicated to creativity and sustainability and through our passion for graphic design and our vast network of designers and creatives around the world, we’re able to combine strong contemporary graphics with our relaxed styles. We put a lot of effort into the craftsmanship, fit and quality of our products. We are aware of the environmental challenges of the Fashion Industry. In order to ensure that DEDICATED leaves a minimal environmental footprint and that the factory workers and farmers are working under humane conditions we work exclusively with 100% Organic Cotton that is Fairtrade and GOTS certified, as well as 100% recycled polyester. We endorse the creative individual and are strong supporters of the DIY movement. We do this by putting the spotlight on inspiring people who take action and create things. Dedicate your energy to what you love and make good things happen!
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? Since we work with GOTS and Fairtrade certified cotton, we can rely on these organizations to audit the whole production chain from cotton seed to ready garment. They conduct unannounced factory visits and demand access to the accounting and everything.
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# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion?
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection?
There are not many barriers actually. We’re prepared to pay a little more for our production, since we know that the true cost of conventional clothing production is very high on our planet.
We’re steadily growing our collections from season to season and for S/S 2017 we’ve introduced swim shorts made of 100% recycled PET polyester. Recycled polyester keeps PET bottles out of the landfills and is less energy consuming to produce compared to virgin polyester. Being a Swedish brand, we celebrate the tennis superstars of the 70’s and 80’s with a fun retro theme. One of the design collaborations which I’m most happy about is with the legendary surf photographer Jeff Divine. Jeff has been documenting the Californian surf culture throughout the late 60’s until now. Our motto is ‘Good Vibes Only’, you can buy and wear our clothes with a clear conscious!
# What is your inspiration for your designs? DEDICATED is based on design collaborations with over 100 talented illustrators, artists and photographers from all over the world. In addition to this we have an in-house design team and also licenses such as Star Wars and Universal Studios. Our main themes are always Pop-culture, The Internet, Biking, Conscious themes such as gender equality, non-violence and the environment.
# What is the typical DEDICATED style? Relaxed fit with bold prints is our melody!
# Who is your target group? Men and women who love Pop-culture and graphic design.
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# Thank you for the interview.
www.flaviaaranha.com visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
FLAVIA ARANHA
Using all natural materials and taking care of the social and environmental footprint they leave, FLAVIA ARANHA designs womens clothes with an eye for the detail but a timeless look. The brazilian brand gets inspired by its search for new techniques and ingredients to dye and produce their fashion. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it?
Flavia Aranha founded the brand seven years ago and still is the brand’s director today.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? During the time when I worked at the traditional fashion industry I noticed many common practices that I was not on the same page with. I believe in producing clothes in a fair and humane manner. Therefore, at Flavia Aranha, we strive since our inception to align our brand values with the slow fashion development model.
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I believe we need to take a close look at the use of the word ‘sustainability’. Especially after it became popular through all consumer markets, not only fashion. As a brand, we have certain core values that guide us towards implementing a fairer and humane production chain. These core values also help us acknowledge and change social and environmental impacts we might cause. This is what we call sustainability.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? All of our clothes are dyed with natural
ingredients obtained from insects (cochineal), leaves, bark and roots of different plants. Our routine water testing monitors our water waste and confirms that it does not pose any environmental threat, as it is not pollutant. Furthermore, we give preference to fabrics made of natural fibers, organic and nationally made (to reduce environmental impact). Our textile residues are donated to a project called Banco de Tecidos (Fabrics Bank) where new designers and artisans acquire them for an accessible price. Our fabrics at Banco de Tecidos are also used for professional training programs. We avoid using plastic in all of our production chain. All of our packing is reusable. This year we had a staff training by Instituto Muda to better our day-to-day routine in regard to managing waste. Instituto Muda is a company specialized in promoting sustainable practices and waste management in companies and residential buildings in the city of SĂŁo Paulo. Personally, I avoid eating meat. I consume only natural and organic products and do not buy anything that has a disposable packing. Through my work, I hope to inspire and influence my consumers to follow the same path.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? We are a fashion brand at heart, so design is our strong suit. To us, design is invariably connected to sustainability. Developing products in an ethical manner inside a market that constantly throws you in the opposite direction is challenging. This challenge is what pushes us forward.
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# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind FLAVIA ARANHA? Flavia Aranha is a Brazilian brand that produces clothes in a sustainable and ethical way. Through natural plant extracts, each piece is hand dyed.
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? The size of our brand allows us to have full control over all steps of production, which ensures we are aligned with ethical and ecological standards. Most of our production process is done internally. Design, research, product development, shopping, cutting, most of the sewing and all of the dyeing. What is done outside our atelier is supervised through partnership with co-ops, NGOs, communities and small companies with values like ours.
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? One of our biggest challenges is facing fast fashion culture. Such businesses sell at low prices and generate illogical external cost. Fast fashion culture is so ingrained in customers that makes it hard for them to distinguish the real cost of producing clothes. The same logic applies to suppliers. Our focus has been creating a strong network between the supply chain, producers and consumers, all of which having the same core values as us. -71-
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# What is your inspiration for your designs? Inspiration comes from everyday life. appear through our interest for a specific matter, an artisanal technique, a trip or material. A sense of comfort and coziness my choices and preferences.
# What is the typical FLAVIA ARANHA style? Who is your target group?
It may dyeing a new guides
We design for people who choose to live more in balance with the environment. People who value design, comfort and believe that consuming is a political act. Consuming allows such customers to show their thoughts and influence the market towards a more positive future. Our customers value detail, quality and timelessness. They strive to consume with consciousness and enjoy knowing how and by whom was their clothes made. They usually are interested in art and design.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? Our new collection was born from my observations of hand weaving. This collection is called Enlace and with it we call attention to the passing of time and manual labor. We also bring attention to both the harshness and softness necessary in weaving. These opposites come through in the different materials and weights. As a starting point we traveled to Muzambinho, a village at the heart of Brazil, to develop handmade fabrics with the artisan collective Amaria. Pomegranate peel, rose petals and cashew leafs were the materials found there and used for dyeing. Simplicity and minimalism shine through the color pallet, shapes and materials of this collection. Enlace offers a cozy feeling.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.goodsociety.org visit at ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN
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JULY 2016
GOODSOCIETY
GOODSOCIETY combines fashion and sustainable lifestyle: stylish design and premium organic products. GOODSOCIETY has dedicated their work to find a balance between enjoying life to the fullest, embracing change and being mindful of the world around us. They stand for minimalistic design and highest quality of natural fabrics and materials. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
company I have been partner in and realized what I ever wanted to do: making the world a better place with fashion.
GOODSOCIETY was originally founded by Dietrich Weigel in America in 2007, with headquarters in Germany and an office in Italy today.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? In my youth I followed music and fashion subculture. Than growing up and thinking about life, I felt that there should be a world with less oppression and more equal chances for everyone. With 19 I decided to make my own collection and connect these to passions. I learned tailoring and worked in various positions in the textile industry with premium brands. In 2010 I sold the shares of the -75-
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it? I would say it is all about looking to reduce any negative impact on nature as much as possible. Respecting other individuals and support those who are not in my position.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? One can do a lot of small things like switching of light, making less garbage, One can do a lot of small things like switching of light, making less garbage,
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards?
building GOODSOCIETY and try to convince more people to follow what we believe in was my biggest step in this direction.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? I always arranged to find ways to not compromise with any of both. If I would be forced to, I would select sustainability, as I don't think we are in a position to continue to sacrifice it. If design and sustainability does not go hand in hand, it is just superficial.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind GOODSOCIETY? GOODSOCIETY was founded in the USA with an entire social and organic supply chain in India. As the past owners where struggling with manufacturing difficulties, in 2012 I took the brand over to build it up as a premium brand – 100% Made in Italy. The vision is to work with fashion on creating better living together. Respect for nature, no hunger, no oppression, with style and beauty.
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We use only GOTS-certified organic cotton. Further we produce 100% in Italy, starting from yarn manufacturing, weaving, indigo dyeing, cutting, sewing, washing, garment manufacturing, production of accessories, finishing. I know all my suppliers, the owners and most of the workers. I like to know my team. I like to keep things personal.
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? A lot of people are afraid and think they can’t do more in this world. But there are also a lot of people which really see what it means what we do and try to support our values and ideas for consequent ecologic and social value arguments.
# What is the typical GOODSOCIETY style? We do sustainable design, contemporary, a mix of classic, authentic, timeless hip. We do not follow fashion trends.
# Who is your target group? We do not have a target group. Sustainability isn’t an argument linked to a target group, it belongs to everyone and it would be good when everyone quickly would make it his or her ‘style’.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection?
We will launch several new items in our design philosophy of modern essentials. A chino style in denim, a stylish jog pants for women and men in special light weight fabrics. For woman there will also be a skirt, a dress and an overall, for men a super slim. We have developed 2 new sustainable washes in the Essentials Line, a darker shade and a medium light shade. We will launch our new designer line = Black. All dark and high end denims with crafted details, in part made in special artisan laboratories to protect traditions. Puristic beautiful looking dark blueblack washes. All made in our wide sustainable philosophy. Also we will present our t-shirt line, made with 100% egyptian organic Supima cotton. One of the best cotton qualities available. The design is inspired by tradition retro sports look as Rugby, Polo or Cricket, mixed with urban 60’s look.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.jannjune.com visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
JAN ’N JUNE
Transparency is a necessary asset that JAN ’N JUNE allows their customers to have, complete knowledge on how every garment of clothing is produced and the material composition. JAN ’N JUNE is a versatile label at affordable prices. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
and high fashion. And if you never try - you'll never know. So we just started doing it.
We, Anna (26) and Jula (25), started JAN ‘N JUNE in August 2014. With all the funding and collection development taking some time, our online shop went live in March 2015.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? We’ve established JAN ’N JUNE out of our own need. Studying fashion management we knew about the circumstances in which garments are produced but still we loved fashion and the idea of expressing yourself without having to speak. Moreover, we studied so that our budget for fashion wasn’t huge. The idea is simple: affordable prices combined with sustainability
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# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it? When it comes to our materials we only use certified organic cotton because organic could mean different things. Next to organic fabrics we try to focus on recycled materials to save more resources. What’s also really important for us is the holistic view. There is no point in using non-toxic dying methods on the one hand but packing all garments in conventional plastic bags on the other - for example. For us sustainability is connected to transparency. The customer should know where the garment is coming from and what steps are included. Therefore we have a little QR-Code in every garment. When scanning it the customer can see the items ‘ECO-ID’ with all production details.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? Golden Rules: 1. Choose well, only buy what you really need. 2. ALWAYS take a reusable bag for your grocery shopping. 3. Don’t over care your garments. Cold wash or 30 degrees are almost always enough. Do not tumble dry. Let your clothes hang.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? Both. We believe one can’t go without the other anymore. # Coming to your brand. What is the story behind JAN ’N JUNE? A JAN ’N JUNE customer can be 20 or 60 years old and everything in between. She is open-minded, interested, and curious for new things. A typical JAN ’N JUNE woman values good quality in her hectic lifestyle and knows that less is more when it comes to her style and needs. Our vision is to be the leading sustainable apparel company for high fashion with affordable prices - a real alternative to fast fashion companies.
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# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? It was not easy to find supplier that meet our criteria. With raw materials we work closely with the supplier who are certified. This has the advantage of external audits and strict rules concerning ethics and ecology. Our natural fibers are either GOTS or IVN-Best certified while recycled fibers have GRS-certification. The production is a small family owned factory in the heart of Wroclaw, Poland. We closely work together, visiting at least twice a year and Skyping on almost a daily basis. The women sewing for us are employed at this place for many years. One of them has been already working at the production for over 20 years. Sometimes during the design process we have to cancel a piece we really love - simply because there are no sustainable fabrics that are adequate for this piece. In those situations we are very strict.
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? In the beginning it was hard to find supplier who would offer small fabric quantities. If your facing a minimum order quantity of 400m of one fabric in one color - but you actually need 30m – that’s a problem. The good thing is that we’ve managed to grow and the problem isn’t that severe anymore. -81-
# What is your inspiration for your designs? We usually filter out an overall theme for a collection. That theme we most likely find in our everyday’s life, on the streets, during travels or sometimes even in nature. But at the end of day, of course, we also look into last collection’s well selling items and the feedback we got from our customers.
# What is the typical JAN ’N JUNE style? Who is your target group? Effortless and clean but always with a little twist. Our target group can’t be defined by age, we’ve experienced everything in between 13 and 80. But what they all have in common is a sensitivity towards sustainability and the will to start changing their closet from fast to slow without sacrifices.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? You definitely can feel the 70s vibe!
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.johannariplinger.com visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
JOHANNA RIPLINGER
JOHANNA RIPLINGER is a label combining ecological sustainability and sustainable labour practices with luxurious high fashion for women’s clothing with a distinctively feminine note. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
to create beautiful fashion in harmony with nature. At a very young age, the colour of a flower or the touch of a petal inspired me to reinterpret these In a way the germ of this brand was founded fascinating natural hues and textures and to transmany years back, maybe some 25 years ago when I form them into textile creations. My vocation was consciously made the choice to become a designer thus settled: there was only one thing I wanted to and create freely in harmony with nature. It took do: to become a fashion designer and eventually many years of experience and learning till the time to create my own label to express my very own was finally right to show the first summer collection personal vision of fashion and its fundamental link 2013 at the Fashion Week Berlin under my name. to nature. I would say it’s like a long evolution towards the foundation of the label JOHANNA RIPLINGER. # What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it? # Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion Sustainability means for me commitment to focus? conscious choices concerning questions like: what The sustainable angle is a vital part of who and what I am and how I see everything that I do. Thus, from my earliest childhood, I grew up learning to love nature, and this love gave impulse to my desire -85-
processing methods should I use? What materials should I use? What impact do I aim for? What are the best choices and the best sources compatible with my ideals of harmony? Thus there are two things I focus on. The one is concerned with the product
and its origins; the other concerns the person for whom it is made and who will ultimately wear it, namely the modern woman of today. The first of these two question complexes means, for me using natural renewable and organic fabrics like organic wool, organic cotton and silk and colouring them with natural living colours and plant dyes. For me, this was the most natural choice, for it amounts to a translation of my garden experience to an expression of the skin that feels best for me and represents a the choice of celebrating nature and our harmonious communion with it. The second aspect concerns all the people who are involved in the processes of production and distribution and also the customers who will ultimately purchase and wear my creations. Thus, to develop a sustainable and viable enterprise, it is important to cultivate not only protection and respect but even more importantly the dedicated and joyful activity and communication among all participants.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? Thoughtfulness about our everyday actions helps to enhance the life-supporting ways of being and acting. My choices in creating ‘living garments’ makes certainly the biggest difference in terms of impact but has also taught me so much and helped me extend my awareness to so many other areas still somehow linked to fashion: for example taking care of natural fibres and living natural colours requires a change of habit in washing, using natural detergents and bringing more attention to the present moment. -86-
It helped me understand my own power to choose a healthy lifestyle. Eating fresh, organic, mostly vegan and raw, local or regional products is not only healthier, but also less impacting on the environment than the long-distance transport, the industrial processing and packaging, involved in the production and distribution of conventional products. Thus in my miniature, window-box garden in my Paris flat, I enjoy growing my own sprouts and herbs. Other daily habits which are environmentally friendly are at the same time also economically sensible and add quality to one’s lifestyle, e.g. buying your rice, pasta, lentils in bulk rather than pre-packaged and using fine glass jars instead of plastics is much more aesthetic in the kitchen, reusing nice packaging or eliminating packaging altogether, are all things we have to get used to, but once we do so, we do not want to go back to old habits. Walking or taking public transport in the midst of Paris not only makes more sense health wise and economically but also makes you discover and know the city much better. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not a burdensome constraint but a fun and joyful way to be.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? That’s like asking: “what is more important, to breathe in or to breathe out?”. To me it’s not a question of choosing one or the other, both are important in their own ways. They are two complimentary fields that with time will grow more and -87-
more together. What is still challenging in fashion today is to combine them. Over the last decades, there has been much development and improvement, and luckily our growing awareness will help to do so much more.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind JOHANNA RIPLINGER? As mentioned above, my vision of a holistic and joyful expression of fashion is and has long been my drive to work actively as a designer towards linking high fashion to sustainable values. And whereas I once felt a bit solitaire in my attempts in the 90s, I now find it very encouraging to see so many leaps in the fashion industry since about 10 years and the growing awareness and demand among fashionistas. My label offers not only luxury of fine materials, beautiful and careful craftsmanship but the ultimate luxury of meaning and sense behind the beauty. In all true beauty is more than meets the eye and I am in constant attempt to create collections capable to reach all our senses and even accompany the woman to grow a stronger commitment towards herself.
# 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
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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 celebrating the trust among human being who meet. As much as the certifications have been important to prepare a consciousness and shift in our thinking and way of consuming, I wish to see more and more people to regain trust in our conscious choices not only within ourselves but through truthful communication with others.
# 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 scepticism of clients and shop owners about the stability of natural fabrics and colours. 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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photos | SARAH DULAY model | LOLITA (EASTWESTMODELS) hair and make-up | SARAH GEHRMANN -90-
# What is your inspiration for your designs? I draw my inspiration from three main sources: from Nature with its textures, colours, shapes which mainly happens when I resource myself in a natural environment, a garden or by contemplation Nature. The second and very important one is the creative process itself which is self-enhancing: drawing on an empty page whatever comes to me, draping fabric which is hand dyed with natural living colours makes me feel which way I should use it to amplify it’s beauty. As I create for women, I am often inspired by what I feel would perfectly underline the beauty of a women I see.
# 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 Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? The new summer 2017 is very light and easy to wear in many different occasions from urban and casual to elegant and dressy. There are many new organic cotton types as poplin, canvas and structured fabrics which underline the tailored pieces as summer coats and jackets in contrast to the flowy dresses. The sophisticated prints in various peach-orange tones, radiant silver shades and delicate indigo blues are combined with much white to support freshness and a feeling of celebrating life.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.recolution.de visit at ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN
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JULY 2016
RECOLUTION
RECOLUTION is fashion brand that made their mission – the eco-fashion revolution – even part of their name. Trying to incorporate all aspects of sustainability, the social, environmental and economic part and the brand produces street-wear that is 100% organic and environmentally responsible. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it?
Jan Thelen and Robert Diekmann founded RECOLUTION in 2010. RECOLUTION is Jan und Roberts dream of street fashion produced in accord with their moral values that came true.
Sustainability includes three parts: a social, an economical and an environmental factor. It is the only way to endure the earth ́s beauty for future generations.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus?
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment?
We believe sustainability makes sense in every aspect. We’re convinced now is the time to create sustainable and organic fashion. Treat the earth and its inhabitants with respect and fairness is our attitude towards life.
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We invest every effort as to respect the environment and the world we are living in, taking care of any small action that could make the difference. Just one example: We are riding a bicycle instead of driving a car.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? I’ve come to realize that my best contribution is to influence other fashion brands to switch to GOTS (organic cotton) or recycled fabrics. Some of them are probably getting a bit irritated at this point, but it’s necessary to look at the greater good. Other than that I ride my bicycle, avoid eating meat and sort my trash. These things are common sense and entail no sacrifice at all.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? Design is more important, because sustainability is presupposition for us. It doesn’t make sense to buy ecological and sustainable fashion if you don't like the design. The design is the decisive factor whether you wear a shirt or not.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind RECOLUTION brand? RECOLUTION is a fashion label, where one letter makes the difference. Our own word creation stands for eco and revolution. We started an organic fashion revolution by producing 100% organic, sustainable and responsible street fashion.
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# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? We are certified with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which is recognised as the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. This certification ensures the strict observance of high-level environmental criteria along the entire organic textiles supply chain and requires compliance with social criteria as well. Beyond that we are visiting our partners in Portugal and Turkey and commission independent tests on a regular basis.
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? It sometimes is difficult to find suitable organic fabrics, that fit for the design we created. Especially in the field of sustainable fashion it is very important to work with producers you can trust. Even if we fulfill high social and environmental criteria the prizes should be still affordable for our consumers.
# What is your inspiration for your designs? We are inspired by our surroundings, our beautiful but sometimes rainy home-town Hamburg, our city life, the urban art and of course the nature. -95-
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# What is the typical RECOLUTION style? Who is your target group? Our clothes are casual, urban, comfy and inspired by the maritime flair of Hamburg City. Everyone thinking about the protection of our environment is welcome to join our recolutionary fashion movement.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? Our upcoming spring/summer collection will be recotastic. We will have summer knitwear and TENCELÂŽ fabrics for the first time, wicked prints and our all-time favourites. Wear your attitude, become a recoluzzer.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.reetaus.com visit at ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN
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JULY 2016
REET AUS
Making a difference to the people and the planet is REET AUS’ mission. There is no compromising, when it comes to design and sustainability. Clean designs, that are wearable throughout many seasons and produced while meeting international standards for eco friendly fashion, form the brands look. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
I don’t want to be part of the devastating conventional fashion business. I had no other choice than to start changing the industry from inside of it. I am I have followed the principles of upcycling since glad that after years of research, me and my team 2002, dealing mostly with post-consumer waste. have not only focused on our own brand and it’s At one point I understood clearly that by the time I production, but are ready to offer a whole industrial save 1 pair of jeans, 10.000 more are produced, sold upcycling method to any brand willing to clean up and thrown away. I decided to work on implement- after itself and upcycle it’s very own leftovers. ing industrial upcycling and this is something we have achieved probably first in the world. Reet Aus first industrial-scale upcycling collection was born # What does sustainability mean in 2012. to you, how do you define it? # Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? At one point in my designer career I understood
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We define sustainability as a way of action that has positive result in all 3 fields at the same time: for people, for planet, for profit. Any business, regardless of the industry, has to thrive towards getting a positive result in all of these 3 bottom lines – otherwise it is hard to justify it's existence.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? As a team we are proud to walk the talk every day, starting from refusing non-necessary consumption to consuming ethical products. We love to call to action and ask people to carefully think to whom you give your buck or a pound – it makes you a supporter of the company, in good deeds as well as horrific.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? Why should one choose between them? I don’t compromise. It has to be superior design and quality, manufactured in a sustainable and ethical way.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind REET AUS? Our products are made using industrial preconsumer textile leftovers only. Leftover materials are circulated back to production inside the same factory using design. As it’s Life Cycle Analysis shows, such an item saves on average of 75% water, 88% energy and creates 80% less CO2 compared to using virgin materials.
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# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? We use UPMADE©certified upcycling design and production system. UPMADE© certification sets the criteria and this means our products are proved to be made out of leftovers, the manufacturer meets the key norms of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and EU and US standards on avoiding hazardous chemicals are met. Upcycling contributes to waste reduction which leads to significant energy, water and other savings from avoided virgin raw material production. We have seen industrial leftover reduction of more than 80% inside a facility!
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion?
The biggest barrier is to change the mindset in production and also the lack of information about available leftovers. The awareness and transparency in fashion industry is insufficient, there isn’t enough information available about leftovers and overproduction.
# What is your inspiration for your designs? Material efficiency. Simplicity. Wearability. We create designs that can be worn through different seasons, refusing the pace of fast fashion.
# What is the typical REET AUS style? Who is your target group? Reet Aus’ target customer is a ethical and conscious consumer, valuing high quality designs. Reet Aus’ collection aims to provide essential items of clothing, that can be worn through different seasons. The designs are clean, simple and very wearable.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection?
The looks are clean, simple and always very wearable. Each collection is updated with only few new additional styles that can be matched with the ongoing designs from previous collections.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.skunkfunk.com visit at ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN
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JULY 2016
SKUNKFUNK
The urban label, Skunkfunk, boldly combines contrast and geometric design influenced by street and contemporary art. The Skunkfunk woman is not afraid to constantly evolve in style but retain femininity while remaining comfortable. The label has quickly spread in popularity across Europe and in neighbouring countries all while maintaining production levels without any environmental harm. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
taking the cut pieces from one factory to the printer and from there to the workshop to sew them. Finally, in the middle of the mass textile closures of Skunkfunk was born twenty years ago from the the late nineties we were somehow forced to move founder’s (Mikel Feijoo Elzo) passion for music and to Morocco first and then Turkey and China as our travel. From this an unconventional fashion brand quantities were also growing. It was more this than the price that moved us. Once in China we realized with an environmentally conscious drive was born. the impact of our activity in a country with little regulations in this matter and out of shock we decided to act. # Why did you establish a brand So you can say we turned our focus to sustainability with a sustainable fashion out of an ethical need that we did not have before focus? when manufacturing in Europe. Believe me, this makes a hell of a difference to start changing focuses Actually, we did not establish Skunkfunk as and processes once you are up and running at a a sustainable brand. We started from scratch in a certain speed and volume. farmhouse in the hills near Bilbao. As we grew we It would have been much easier to start as a sustainmoved from a small atelier doing small quantities able brand from day one as you set it all up based with all European materials to bigger units where on this. Today, I believe there are just a handful they could take care of many side activities, like of brands doing such range of different products, -103-
fabrics, and materials and with our geographical extension that have such a certified commitment as Skunkfunk does. Also, I have to mention that this affects your margins and prices. We could not move them once they have been out there for a while. We were scared of a market backlash so we took all the impact within our margin. Consequently, in a way this accounted for some financial trouble that we had a few years ago but our commitment goes this far.
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it? Sustainability is to try to minimize the negative impacts of our production activity. We call it like this, sustainable fashion and not green or eco fashion, since to be honest; no one needs more garments in this planet. The only green fashion that can exist is one that stays on the computer screen.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? Each one of us does different things, I suppose. Personally, I try to apply this principle of balancing our negative impacts in my personal life and I think I do it except for the traveling. We are somehow nomads and have this quest that inherently fits this business too (in fact, I am in fashion as a way of continuing my traveling thirst but adding an economical sustainable way to do so). Problem is that these days instead of walking, we fly and drive releasing tons of emissions. -104-
As a company we do act holistically; it is not just about the fibers or a green line in the collection but rather about the whole activity. We ship by sea; we re-use many elements from cardboard to fabric, we use recycled materials and do the packing in compostable bio plastic, and we communicate to create a conscience, even if we have a long way to go. We get certified by third party organizations in the use of materials, processes, and social responsibilities and we are a GOTS certified company where it stands as the toughest certification amidst the 500 different ones existing, the only fashion company in Spain actually. But possibly the biggest of our impacts is that we have, and took a long time and many karaokes, believe me, made several of our suppliers get certified so the positive impact is there for all of us.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? We are a fashion brand and design is essential and uncompromising. We design it all in our headquarters, even the trims and often the fabrics; all the prints, the styles. This is a massive asset that we have. Our design team takes a lot of resources from the company in comparison to other companies but it is our core and we are really proud of them. Back in the beginning we decided to go our own way and not follow trends and create something for our generation that was different. Obviously this has evolved as our other focuses as well, we have changed and matured and now we are more feminine and commercial. In this process we have learned a few things and that we can blend such a
polluting industry as the fashion one with a more eco approach; that not only is this possible, but absolutely necessary. Our next challenge is to make the design of our collections more sustainable and we have the ZERO WASTE collection; to make also fully recyclable garments and so many interesting things that make this voyage so exciting while being extremely challenging.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind SKUNKFUNK? When I created the brand, after being in the festival circuit for a while, I envisioned a street-wear brand with a Star Trek from the Far East touch. I wanted to dress these people that were like me. It struck a chord with a segment of the market and we grew exponentially also thanks to my travel addiction. We were soon, by ourselves, in three continents, then four, and then ultimately in forty countries. We touched something to some people, the same people that we were. Our communication was our product, we didn’t ever really spend anything on publicity, and with us it evolved. We have been a very open brand where the input of customers from shop owners, to commercial network to end consumers has been there. I see a brand as a child of whom you are the parents but as it evolves it becomes something, someone on its own. To keep this live entity evolving is the key of a brand. We can see so many fake brands, marketing products or projects that do not bring any value to a saturated market that somehow it’s a miracle they are alive trying to do your thing. Moreover, in a -105-
market so dominated by vertical monsters like the big main street firms that cannibalize others designs while excelling in real estate or logistics, which is the true nature of their businesses. They have the goal of taking over the market and they are succeeding at it. This is why we must have strong core values and designs. Only these ones will survive. Our collection is for the independent and the bold. Each design is a fusion of geometry, clean lines, and striking contrast, drawing inspiration from contemporary art and urban-chic style. We target authentic women that are constantly renewing themselves and urban women that want to feel comfortable and feminine.
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? We started to focus on sustainability back in 2003, the first time we went to China. We started randomly and out of an impulse but we had no guidance. We made many mistakes such as using bamboo fibers believing it was very green. Later we realized we needed to go hand in hand with experts to change and improve things and to get the certifications for it that would give us credibility and success in this activity. Today we know it is not where you manufacture but instead, how you manufacture and design. Skunkfunk was the first fashion brand in Spain to certify to the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or OCS (Organic Content Standard) in 2014. All organic products are certified and labelled to either one of these standards. Raw materials are the backbone of Skunkfunk's sustainability efforts. 60% of the products in 2016 use environmentally preferred fibers (organic cotton, TencelÂŽ, recycled polyester, linen and ramie), with the aim of reaching 100% by 2020.
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In order to improve labor conditions in its supply chain, Skunkfunk works with internationally recognized social certifications: Skunkfunk requests all their suppliers to be certified by an internationally recognized standard (BSCI, SA8000, GOTS, etc). New suppliers must comply from day one, whereas formers suppliers must engage in a gradual plan for their social certification. Skunkfunk supports a fair trade organic cotton farming community in India, called CHETNA and is working on its own Fair Trade certification for 2017.
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? There are many barriers to producing sustainable fashion, from lack of diversity in the sustainable materials, price point, need for technical knowledge and having the right network. It is a long learning process, and some tools have helped us to move forward, such as the GOTS certification and our membership at Textile Exchange.
# What is your inspiration for your designs? We always seek inspiration from nature and art. These are our main inspirations. Our collections are designed from scratch in the heart of the Basque Country. We do not follow trends, we create them. Skunkfunk garments are instantly recognizable. We live in a little green country surrounded by nature, so we always pick colours or details from these landscapes, we also travel a lot and gather inspiration from all of these trips. Art is a strong influence for us too, as most of our design team comes from an academic art background.
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# What is the typical SKUNKFUNK style? Who is your target group? Each design is a fusion of geometry, clean lines and striking contrast, drawing inspiration from contemporary art and urban-chic style. This brand is for strong active women, students, artists and mothers looking for clothes with personality, keeping a balance between the ethical and the aesthetic. It is for people who value knowing where their clothes come from and how they are produced. We deeply care about the quality and durability of our garments. We use environmentally preferred fabrics like GOTS and OCS certified organic cotton, Linen, recycled polyester and Tencel. Our prints are designed in house, never copied or purchased off the shelf. We believe that fashion can and must be sustainable. We are constantly looking for innovative production methods that can reduce CO2 emissions without sacrificing creativity. We strive to use natural resources in a responsible way and have met a number of social requirements set forth by different third party organizations. The fusion between art and fashion leads to new ideas and concepts. Each season we collaborate with an artist. For the SS17 collection we have chosen a French artist, Little Madi.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? Our Spring/Summer 2017 collection has been split between 3 different lines. For our legacy line We revisit geometry, one of our distinguishing marks, through natural textures represented by rock prints, 3D jacquard textures or melange raw colors. Keeping it special, not conventional and always moving one step forward. Our casual line Is full of art collaborations & emotions. With strong graphics inspired by the ocean side and handmade writings. There’s an innovative way of approaching the denim look through new dying processes. And for our Boutique line We have played with the use of new fabrics such as recycled polyesters imported from Japan combined with tencel crepes to achieve a contemporary feminine look. Printing both layers we have reached evocative floral shadows effects.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.elsiengringhuis.com visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
STUDIO ELSIEN GRINGHUIS
The dutch designer not only meets international standards for producing sustainable fashion, but is influenced by traditional skills and 100% made in the Netherlands. Women of every age like to wear the timeless and chic designs. For the new season it is all about the contrast: black and white, soft and hard. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it?
I started the brand directly after my graduation in 2008. Officially I started in january 2009.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? During my studies of fashion design at ArtEZ I got really frustrated about the (fashion-) industry. I saw documentaries about the terrible work conditions and extremely environmentally damage; for me this was horror. And such a contradiction to what fashion should be, at least in my opinion! Nice clothes made with love and respect for all living creatures and nature. So I decided I only want to work in fashion, if I can make clothes this way.
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Sustainability for me is quality / everything. I always say: quality is not an act, it’s a habit. It is about every aspect from the design to the final product. It’s the way you treat people. Even how and what you think. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor you are, you can always make sustainable choices. You have to be creative. I think this is the failure of our society nowadays. Most people are used to fast/cheap products. They don’t even know what quality means! Quality can’t be fast. Quality needs time.
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? In my daily life I try to only use things I really
need. And that is really not that much! I just buy organic food and mostly from the local food store, that supports its farmers. I try to avoid any waste physically and mentally! I have a green bank account, green energy and my goal is to live off grid in a tiny house.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? BOTH! The one thing doesn’t work without the other. No one likes to wear an ugly coat which is a 100% sustainable. At least I don’t! On the other hand, a nice design which is not sustainable might look nice on the outside, but when you know what’s insight you do not like it that much anymore. As a designer it’s your task to think about these issues. You cannot ignore the environmental and social issues we have to deal with.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind STUDIO ELSIEN GRINGHUIS? Studio Elsien Gringhuis is a high-end, sustainable label with a focus on the essence of clothing. Timeless, clean, chic and minimalistic, with innovative details. High end products with quality in cuts, fabrics and finish. We no longer create completely new collections every season but design a basic collection which we call ‘Books’. These books will be complemented regularly by a number of styles, so-called ‘Chapters’. The individual items remain as long as the fabrics continue to be available. We follow our own rhythm. To stimulate local craftsmanship, we produce 100% in the Netherlands.
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# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? It’s about the design till final product. DESIGN: This should be timeless, functional and elegant - high quality in cut and fabric. FABRICS: We work with the highest quality of mostly natural fibres. Appr. 80% of our materials are certified with GOTS, Oekotex or at least fairtrade. Some fabrics we use are produced with GOTS guidelines without certification, because it would make the fabric too expensive. SUPPORTING TRADITIONAL SKILLS: All items are produced in our own studio in the Netherlands just by me and with the help of skilled tailors, who I train myself as well. This way we support local craftsmanship, that in many ways is about to be forgotten, and stimulate economic growth of the local community. EXCELLENT WORKING CONDITIONS: All tailors get fair wages for their work. The working relationship with the co-workers is close, transparent and open. I know them all personally. REDUCING WASTE TO THE MAX: We focus on highly innovative patterns, reducing waste to the minimum. All items are produced on demand and not before you order them. Which also saves the environment from overproduction. LOW CARBON FOOTPRINT: By doing all the production in Holland, and sourcing the materials as close to home as possible, we save a lot of travel miles and carbon emissions in the production process. -113-
VEGAN: We have a wide range of vegan products. Besides this, it is very important for us to work with people who share our ideals and values. The contact with the world around us is as important as the products we make. It’s about transparency, honesty and commitment/reliability and TRUST. But also about the quality of our contacts. Because of this we have very loyal clients. We are building something together. This you also see in our choices for models. We do not work with model agencies who ‘deliver’ girls of nearly 16. We want diverse women of all ages, woman with a STORY. People who would wear our clothes! http://www. elsiengringhuis.com/stories/
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? Since we produce local there actually are no barriers. I do a lot myself; patterns, sampling, and also productions. I know my product from A to Z. And I only work with people who meet my standards. This is very good. I love to work this way.
# What is your inspiration for your designs? Landscapes, nature, architecture. And I like to do moulages to develop new shapes. I compare this with making music. Sometimes you ‘just’ have an idea, but it’s only in you mind. By actually doing ‘something’ things happen. And from one thing comes another. I’m a very practical person and as soon as I come up with an idea, I want to realise it immediately. I’m thinking by doing.
# What is the typical STUDIO ELSIEN GRINGHUIS style? Who is your target group? A minimalistic but outspoken design, very wearable, timeless and without nonsense. I think my style is very direct. My target group are women of ALL ages who appreciate and demand quality. They have humor, they are direct and appreciate art. It’s funny I literally have customer, who are 25 to 88 years old. And it is so nice to see how my clothes easily adapt a style from very modern, hip, fresh to classic, stylish and sober.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? Nothing is as black and white as it seems the duality in today’s society is the theme of the new BOOK. But we judge each other so harshly, especially on social media. We point at each other, but I want to show that we all are connected. We need black to be able to see the white. And vice versa. The designs of BOOK02 show these contrasts by combining black and white, hard and soft tones like shades of dark blue and beige, sky blue and nude. We show unity in duality with modest, intelligent and detailed items.
# Thank you for the interview. -114-
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www.studiojux.com visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
STUDIO JUX
As the name of STUDIO JUX reveals, the designs are all about having fun with fashion and therefore being enjoyable for people and nature likewise. Statement details and patterns mix up the minimalistic collections of STUDIO JUX. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it?
Studio JUX was founded in 2008 in Amsterdam by Jitske Lundgren and Carlien Helmink.
# Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? Because we believe fashion should be fun and enjoyable for everyone; for the designers, the people working in factories and everyone wearing and using the products. Our name embodies this. ‘JUX’ literally means ‘fun’ or ‘having a laugh’ in German.
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To ensure safe and healthy working conditions for our employees, maximise our social impact and minimise environmental impact at the same time. Our collection is made in our own factory, women empowerment projects and social enterprises, that are based in Kathmandu, Nepal. This also ensures that every single piece is handmade with love and dedication. The handshake inside each garment connects you to the tailor who made it. All of our Nepali employees are rockstars, who we continually support. Being the owner of the factory, we ensure that a studio JUX supervisor is present at the factory to guide and support the team.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? Both parts are very important. The design shouldn’t affect sustainability and the same the other way around.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind STUDIO JUX? Our philosophy centres on offering sustainable, ethical and beautifully designed fashion at fair and affordable prices. Our logo consists of transparent layers representing our willingness to achieve structural and positive change, that we aim to be 100% transparent about.
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? At Studio JUX we believe you don’t have to be either an NGO or a commercial business. We combine the two. As a social enterprise it’s our mission to successfully run a sustainable ethical fashion and lifestyle brand. To us ‘success’ means growth for everyone involved in the value chain; success for our employees, stakeholders, key suppliers, customers, lenders and shareholders. Studio JUX offers an alternative to fast fashion, focused on maximising social-economic impact and minimising environmental impact. We are dedicated to minimising our footprint as much as possible.
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# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? We’re supporting a lot of small and local suppliers which is not always easy. Focusing on timetables can be a little bit challenging but nevertheless we will never regret working that way.
# What is the typical STUDIO JUX style? Who is your target group? Our designs are best described as minimalistic with an eye for patterns and statement details. The pieces always have a little twist and are made from high quality materials, that are organic, natural or recycled.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? The summer 2017 collection of studio JUX revolves two main themes; mold and diversity. The natural colours and handwoven fabrics bring a soft feeling to the collection. Prints inspired by leafs of a palm tree and bright colour combinations are giving a powerful contrast. The collection is based on molded designs combined with contrasts like oversized/on the body and round/straight forms. The designer Jitske Lundgren was focused on cherishing craftmanship, the fine quality of the materials and tailoring. Fabrics like very lightweight woven organic cotton with a wrinkled feeling and vegan organic cotton lace knit are new developments of the collection.
# Thank you for the interview. -119-
www.taukodesign.fi visit at ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN
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JULY 2016
TAUKO
The young label TAUKO believes, that changes can be made by thinking differently. Producing sustainable fashion in a different way than conventional fashion is one step in this direction. The nordic designs, inspired by nature and arts, are made from 100% recycled materials. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
show, that these changes are caused by humans and the direction of the changes can, and must be, altered by us. There are different ways of working, We, Mila Moisio and Kaisa Rissanen, have been producing, thinking and creating, and this is why we building our sustainable fashion brand since 2008. established TAUKO. The first full TAUKO collection was launched in 2013. Today we present one full collection in every two years followed by seasonal newcomers for our # What does sustainability mean previous collections. to you, how do you define it? # Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus?
Sustainability is about understanding that everything that we do has an effect on our environment and people around us. It is the power and responsibility given to us. Sustainability emphasizes the responsibility that we have for our actions.
There are huge changes happening in our environment, culture and global economy. Sometimes these changes seem to be driven by inhuman powers and the way we talk about them makes them look magical and we have a lot of superstitious thoughts about them. With our work, we want to
# What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment?
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We live according to our own ideals. We bike
instead of owning a car, we eat local and vegetarian food and we rather mend build, than buy new. We enjoy different art forms and long walks by the coast or in the nearby woods, having a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop and looking at people passing by. This is our way of caring about the environment, enjoying it!
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? Design tells about how we perceive the world around us, our surroundings and environment. For us there is no difference between these two, design and sustainability. Fashion and design can help to define who we are, what is valuable for us, where we want to belong to and how we develop and alter our identity. This is where design and sustainability have equally important roles.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind TAUKO? We got to know each other as teenagers and as we shared the same kind of urge to find out how we could work for art, design and environment, we sticked together and after becoming besties we also became founders of TAUKO. We work together with local textile maintenance companies that lease textiles for hotels, healthcare and restaurants. Our production is made using the discarded textiles as the raw materials of the collections. The discarded bed linen and tablecloths are carefully selected for the high quality, dyed and printed and then crafted to become design clothes, TAUKO collections. -122-
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? All the TAUKO collections are made from 100% recycled high quality materials. Working together with local textile maintenance services we guarantee the durable, silky and soft materials that are used for crafting the TAUKO collections. We show our respect to the skilful people working for our production and visit them regularly in Finland, Estonia, Germany and Poland. Working in close collaboration with the textile suppliers and research groups we develop new methods to modify the used textiles for fashion. These new formulas are presented together with the designs as the new collections are released.
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? Our production requires skilled professionals that are willing to challenge the customized way of working with fashion industry. If there is something positive about the modern production structure that is based on the cheap labour, it is the European sewing companies that are looking for alternatives and ways to compete with the low costs of production. The specialization and new ways of production that crafting TAUKO collections requires are maybe barriers but also opportunities that we are facing.
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# What is your inspiration for your designs? It is impossible to name the source of the inspiration as it is in the everyday life around us. We read a lot, not as much as we would like though, we are amazed about the nature and theatre, films and fine arts that expand our horizons. All these special things have huge, usually unconscious effect, and give an impulse to what is later found in our designs.
# What is the typical TAUKO style? Who is your target group? People who are interested in design, nordic design, and who look for something that is slightly different and still fits to the everyday wardrobe, find TAUKO as their brand. Classical fits and small functional details, high quality and little bit of playfulness, authenticity, define the TAUKO style.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection?
The S/S 2017 Collection from TAUKO is named Paikka, as it stands for a patch and for a place in Finnish. Inspired by the art of patching and layered places around us, we designed a collection around the beauty of overlays and aging surfaces. The collection combines subtle colors with colorful patched details – light and loose fit summer blouses with stylish culottes. All the collection items are crafted from 100% recycled German textiles.
# Thank you for the interview.
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www.zurita.co visit at GREENSHOWROOM
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JULY 2016
ZURITA
ZURITA is a fusion of andean and european styles. In contrast to the conventional way of producing fashion ZURITA is not following seasons and harming nature. Sustainability and design are interconnected. # Who started the brand and when was it founded?
in and to be respectful with the cultural heritage and people, who live there.
I, Gabriela Farias Zurita, started it in 2010. # What do you do in your daily life to protect the environment? # Why did you establish a brand with a sustainable fashion focus? I am designer and working as a fashion designer for 10 years. In all these years it just didn’t make any sense for me to bring more clothes to this world unless it has a positive impact or it doesn’t hurt.
# What does sustainability mean to you, how do you define it? For me it does not only mean to do no harm but actually to be significant in the territory you work
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I try to do the as ‘little’ as I can. Which means, that today almost every action of consume or transport etc. is related to an environmental impact. So I try to just do, what really makes sense and is important.
# What is more important for you as a fashion designer – design or sustainability? I think it is related, for me a designer, who does not have a sustainable vision, is totally out these days. It is important to understand that 80% of the
sustainability of a product is reached during the design phase, therefore it is absolutely impossible to separate these topics.
# Coming to your brand. What is the story behind ZURITA? It is the last name of my mother, she is a Chilean artist.
# Sustainable fashion includes ecological and ethical aspects. How do you make sure that your fashion meets these standards? As a designer I am involved in all processes and I work exclusively and directly with all persons collaborating with my brand; even the animals (alpacas).
# Which barriers do you have to face in the production of sustainable fashion? We have a very big problem with the huge industry of cheap fashion, so the problem I have is mostly that people became used to buying very cheap fashion. It is difficult to work against these habits with luxury fibers such as alpaca, hand spinned and knitted. The industry itself works in a way in which collections are out of fashion in almost 4 months, when new collections are placed on the market. This crazy rhythm does not fit us, so we can’t and won’t work that way. But often that means not to fit into the boutique’s and buyer’s schedule.
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# What is your inspiration for your designs? The andean pre-columbian culture and heritage and the fusion with occidental contemporary tailor clothes.
# What is the typical ZURITA style? Who is your target group? In Zurita you will always find pieces, that are made by hand such as the hand spinned and woven alpaca fibre textile for the 16/17 season. These handmade materials come together as a modern and geometrical shape mostly in natural colours from the camelid fibre and some soft colors like yellow and soft pink (made by natural dyes). Our target group are mostly conscious and modern women from 27 to 60.
# Can you already tell us a little bit about your upcoming Spring/ Summer 2017 collection? Zurita doesn’t work with strikt seasons by year because of its sustainable standards in which the design pieces don’t get out of ‘trend’. We still create new designs each year and we will present them in the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin 2016. The inspiration by the modern classical occidental tailor shape coming from the europeans in the Altiplano (Andean Highland) and its fusion with traditional andean materials and clothing continues to influence the collections. This year we included organic printed cotton dresses; the motives simulate hand painted stripes.
# Thank you for the interview.
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photography by VIRGILE REBOUL styling by BROOKE DULIEN make-up by MELISSA ROGERS @ THE ONLY AGENCY hair by RYAN RANDALL @ THE ONLY AGENCY model KELSEY SOLES @ VISION LOS ANGELES
shirt A.L.C CLOTHING skirt VINTAGE belt CORRAL BOOTS boots CORRAL BOOTS earrings THE 2BANDITS bracelet CHARLES ALBERT -132-
July 2016
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apron dress FRANCESCA LIBERATORE beertab choker WHITETRASHCHARMS hat GLADYS TAMEZ
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July 2016
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dress YULIYA MAGDYCH hat GLADYS TAMEZ leather choker EREVOS AETHER boots OLD GRINGO
jacket A.L.C. shorts A.L.C. boots OLD GRINGO purse OLD GRINGO bolo tie THE2BANDITS -136-
dress YULIYA MAGDYCH hat GLADYS TAMEZ leather choker EREVOS AETHER
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hat GLADYS TAMEZ dress WOW COUTURE choker STYLISTS OWN gold cuff CHARLES ALBERT shark tooth cuff CHARLES ALBERT -138-
July 2016
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boots CORRAL BOOTS jacket ELECTRIC LOVE ARMY bandana THE2BANDITS dress WOW COUTURE gloves MAJESTY BLACK
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jacket PINK SHEEP HEIRESS bustier A.L.C. pants A.L.C. ankle boots CORRAL BOOTS tassle cuff MISHKA PIAF
July 2016
chiffon dress DORA ABODI bathing suit XULY BET thigh highs AUGUSTIN TEBOUL boots SHOE REPUBLICA -141-
GREENSHOWROOM & ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN Interview with Magdalena Schaffrin & Olaf Schmidt Magdalena Schaffrin, Creative Director of GREENSHOWROOM and ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN, and Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies of MESSE FRANKFURT, which organises both exhibitions, talked to Tom Felber from SUPERIOR MAGAZINE about the highlights this season.
interview | TOM FELBER photos | THOMAS LOHNES/ GETTY IMAGES & MESSE FRANKFURT -142-
JULY 2016
# This summer, ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN celebrates its 10th edition. Is there any special ‘anniversary’ programme? Olaf Schmidt: We will celebrate the anniversary with a special promotion during the fashion show ‘Ethical Fashion on Stage’ : the show will present outfits from all the labels that were present at the very first trade fair and have continued to exhibit every year. So we can look forward to an exciting showcase with summer looks from our most loyal labels. These include BRAINTREE/THE HEMPLINE, DEEPMELLO, ELEMENTUM BY DANIELA PAIS, HEMPAGE, HAROLD'S, JOHN W. SHOES, KOMODO, SASCHA SCHRÖDER and STUDIO JUX, which were all exhibitors five years ago. # Some exhibitors present their collections for the first time at one of the two fairs. Would you like to mention some? Magdalena Schaffrin: We’re very much looking forward to presenting 13 new brands at GREENSHOWROOM, such as ACKERMANN TASCHENMANUFAKTUR, in addition to our loyal exhibitors. Another new exhibitor is JUNGLE FOLK, a Swiss brand that produces its goods for fair wages and working conditions in socially disadvantaged -143-
areas such as Medina, Columbia. With AIKYOU and HEARTCOUTURE, two lingerie labels will be represented at GREENSHOWROOM for the first time. At the ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN, we will welcome more than 40 new brands, including COSSAC, a streetwear label from London, the shoe brand DUCKFEET from Denmark and the Dutch bag label HO MULDER. # Which themes are very important from your point of view at this season’s GREENSHOWROOM and ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN? Magdalena Schaffrin: Our main theme this season is social responsibility, a big and important topic from the point of view of the millions of people who work in the textile industry. All our exhibitors take into account social aspects in the production of their collections, and lots of presentations and podium discussions will be dedicated to the topic. Stylistically speaking, the 90s are back, with high waist and bootcut jeans, culottes and maxi dresses, and the tops are once again shorter. Colourful patterns and large format digital prints such as those by LANIUS and JOHANNA RIPLINGER can be seen at the trade fair. At the same time, there is a trend towards futuristic, minimalistic fashion such as that offered by STUDIO ELSIEN GRINGHUIS with black and white contrasts or tone-in-tone shading.
# There will be something new at the ‘Salonshow’. What is it? Olaf Schmidt: In Eymeric François, we have a new designer in the team who is working with us on the staging of the ‘Salonshow’ and the second show ‘Ethical Fashion on Stage’ for the first time. As a director of numerous fashion shows, he has already enjoyed much success at Messe Frankfurts textile trade fairs in Paris. He will be responsible for the design of the shows alongside Magdalena. On the first day of the trade fair at 3 p.m., invited guests will be able to enjoy a refreshing catwalk show comprising collection highlights from Greenshowroom. Part two of the show programme follows at 5 p.m. when we present the highlights of street and casualwear on the runway during ‘Ethical Fashion on Stage’. # Beside the presentation of fashion and the shows, talks and panel discussions are important elements of the fair. What are the themes you cover there? Magdalena Schaffrin Olaf Schmidt: As already mentioned by Magdalena, the trade fairs are dedicated to the topic of social responsibility in the textile industry – a topic that is currently an increasing focus of the global textile business. There have already been positive developments in many areas, partly due to lessons learned from accidents that have occurred in past years, and partly it is simply -144-
a reaction to growing public and political pressure. The upcoming edition of our trade fair duo will put this topic firmly on the agenda, highlight the main challenges and present solutions in the form of talks and discussion panels. The CSR day hosted by the Dialogs Textil-Bekleidung (DTB), which will take place in cooperation with MESSE FRANKFURT for the first time, tackles this topic. On the second day of the trade fair (29 June 2016) at the club in the POSTBAHNHOF, there will be a whole day programme entitled ‘Responsible Management of Supply Chains – Social Compliance and Chemical Input’. # Is there anything else visitors definitely should not miss at GREENSHOWROOM and ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN this time? Magdalena Schaffrin: In addition to the content-rich discussions and keynote speeches, you should definitely make sure you see the Salonshow that we are reinventing this summer. For the first time this June, we will open the terrace during the trade fair and for after show cocktails; it can be accessed by visitors via GREENSHOWROOM on the upper floor. And a whole range of strong brands will of course be presenting their collections again, such as MASKA, a new label from Sweden at GREENSHOWROOM or KNOWLEDGECOTTON APPAREL at the ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN.
# Thank you for the interview!
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Olaf Schmidt
The trade fairs are dedicated to the topic of social responsibility .
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total look MAGAZIN -146-
Color Flow photography by CHRIS UBYCH styling by ADRIAN KOZIOŁ
make-up & hair by NATALIA ROBAK @ MANUA model DOMINIKA TWARDZIK @ MORE MODELS retouch by CHRIS UBYCH location PALACE IN CZERNIEJEWO
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dress MATT KASZUBA MAGAZIN
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total look MAGAZIN
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dress MATT KASZUBA necklace KATARZYNA RUSAK shoes MAGAZIN
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fur MAGAZIN dress MATT KASZUBA MAGAZIN shoes MAGAZIN -156-
bra MAGAZIN body MATT KASZUBA MAGAZIN
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THIS IS NOT LONDON photography by SUSANN JEHNICHENÂ styling by MARIA SCHNEIDER hair & make up by LAURA LASZEK @ CLOSE UP AGENCY model LINA-MARIE SCHULZ @ MGM MODELS photo assistant Lucie Fleischer
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July 2016
pullover NEW LOOK leather skirt ASOS stockings H&M glasses JEEPERS PEEPERS -165-
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necklace ASOS
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interview | NERYS D'ESCLERCS AND TOM FELBER photos | DER BERLINER MODE SALON
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JULY 2016
DER BERLINER MODE SALON Interview with Marcus Kurz
# Marcus, you are one of the co-initiators of DER BERLINER MODE SALON. How did it come that you started with this project? A common platform for all relevant fashion designers – either upcoming or established was badly missing in Berlin and Germany in general. Together these designers build a strong force to enhance their awareness nationally and internationally. # What is DER BERLINER MODE SALON? How would you describe it in a few sentences? The ‘DER BERLINER MODE SALON’-initiative brings together the best of German fashion design talent to promote both national and international awareness of German fashion design and establish a new, sophisticated and at the same time self-confident understanding of German fashion. The packed line-up of more than fourty designers illustrates the relevance of fashion as a cultural and economic asset. -171-
# What does DER BERLINER MODE SALON add to the other fashion events happening in Berlin and, more generally, in Germany? We think that for the real luxury segment, we have found the perfect concept to feature German fashion design 365 days a year. You cannot do it only seasonal during fashion week. Therefore the initiative organises also international events to make German design transparent across the world while simultaneously promoting sales through collaborations and ongoing exchanges with renowned luxury department and concept stores. Marcus Kurz
# Involving retail in the event is an important part of your concept. Why? Indeed. Fashion shows are absolutely important, but the end consumer needs to see and feel the product when labels are not really well known. A retail cooperation is a perfect tool to strengthen the brand’s awareness. Last, not least a label needs to sell. No income, no working business. # This season we see the fourth edition of DER BERLINER MODE SALON. What makes it so successful from the designers’and from the visitors’ perspective? We think that we are a collective. A fashion business crowd who follows the same aim: a German success story. So, from the designers’ and the visitors’ perspective we can be super proud to have luxury stores such as Luisa Via Roma, Harvey Nichols London, MyTheresa, Net-A-Porter, Saks Fifth Avenue or The Corner Berlin attending our event.
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We have found the perfect concept to feature German fashion design 365 days a year.
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# How do you select the participating labels? Which criteria do they have to meet? We are talking to the whole international fashion industry: store owners, fashion directors, stylists and trend scouts. They feeding us with new talents to watch. Brands have to be unique and they must fascinate us. Quality is the other parameter, which has the highest priority for buyers. # Are there any labels we will see for the first time at DER BERLINER MODE SALON? Unützer, Brachmann and 22/4 Hommes Femmes will joining us for the first time. As well as Felder Felder is back after a one season’s break this time presented by Mercedes-Benz. # One highlight this time is that you expand to the Humboldt-Forum. Is this just the result of your growth or is it also a statement? Nice question. Yes, it is a statement. We are located at ‘Unter den Linden’. The decision to expand to an additional location within the historical centre of Berlin was a deliberate one; during the 19th century it was home to Berlin’s clothing industry, and it was here that the city’s salon culture really reached its peak. # Would you like to mention some other highlights we will see? For this season it is definitively HumboldtForum and ODEEH’s first defile in Berlin, but be assured there will be something extraordinary coming up next season.
# Thank you for the interview! -175-
Getting dark on the sun photography by ROBERTO MARTINI production manager
by JOANA P. CARDOZO
styling by JONZU JONES hair & make up by BIANCA DUARTE model ALINA BASAKOVA @ MSA MODELS - NY photo assistant Ruabai Ram Kanjanavani, Wirasandi Ruslan retouch by EDDIE MENDES
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July 2016
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Magazine for fashion, design, music, art & culture • www.superior-magazine.com
coming out on JULY 29th 2016
# AUGUST 2016