BERLIN | AW15.16

DARK CRUSADER
1 AutumnWinter15.16 Odeur, photo Posh
2 Wool Cape Elsien Gringhuis
3 Suit of Armour Leather Jacket & Leather Shorts Phoebe Heess
edited by me

COOL AS ICE
1 Kimono Cardi Komana
2 Staciatella Jumper Here Today Here Tomorrow
3 Sorbet Cardigan Studio Jux
4 Felt Like Heaven Jessie English
edited by me

Dark Crusader
Protective textile innovations and crusader-worthy capes were a prominent message from many Berlin collections this season.  Bavaria-based designer Phoebe Heess was exploring suits of armour and reflective lights as protection for her everyday super heroine.  Her square-shoulder leather jacket exhibited at SEEK's FashionTech Lab is made with Kevlar inserts - a light weight fibre originating from combat clothing with safe-keeping and cut resistant qualities.

Dutch design house Elsien Gringhuis presented chapter two of their collection of stories.  The beautifully draped cape made from 100% wool offers protection and comfort at the same time, regardless if you are on the road or relaxing on your couch.

Disguising her vulnerability the Odeur woman sported a courageous look in preparation for the darker season.  The oversized bomber jacket with emphasised shoulders, featured on the Swedish label's AW15 catwalk, conveyed a need for protection in modern society and is perfectly suited to keep you wrapped up next season.

Cool as Ice
Mmm.  Scrumptious looking ice cream colours emerged as inspiration for the latest collection of socially committed and environmental conscious knitwear label Here There Here Tomorrow. Flavours like stracciatella and peppermint translated into chocolate sprinkled jumpers and cozy hats topped with pale green pom poms made from 100% biodegradable fibres.  Showing for the first time in Berlin at the Ethical Fashion Show the British brand is just going to melt your heart with their playful approach to current, high quality designs combined with fair-trade craftsmanship.

Award winning dutch design Studio Jux whipped up a delightful mix of berry sorbets with this lovely long and chunky cardigan.  Blended with the luxurious blouse in soft pistachio which features closed-loop eco fibre Tencel this look also captures Autumn's fascination with contrasting textures.
Adding to the heavenly mix of Vanilla & Co. is London label Komana's cream Kimono cardigan with hand-painted dots on organic cotton jersey as well as Jessie English's knitted felt slippers - they're just the coolest accessory to brighten up a gloomy winter's day:))

HAPPY | New Jeans

My new year started on a fast beat collaborating on creating a catwalk look for ecological denim label sey - fashion.  The assignment was to create tops to complement the new Autumn Winter collection of organic jeans.  Tuning in with the seasons denim revival I wanted to go for a head-to-toe denim look upcycling the label's jeans styles that had been classed as damaged or factory seconds.

This was an extremely exciting project to get involved with, even more so since I've recently been thinking of solutions to re-use all the preluvd denim trousers that I have packed away in storage!  Denim is an excellent material to work with and creates beautiful and bold silhouettes - but can still be draped and generate a lot of movement.

I decided on a tunic shape drawing inspiration from the clean lines of Bauhaus architecture.  I also attempted a denim cap for the first time ever and loved re-assembling the trouser leg seams for a deconstructed but neat look.  The most exciting thing about working with organic denim is knowing that it all has been manufactured with minimal water waste and low energy consumption.  It was definitely worth it and felt really rewarding giving those jeans a new live...

The finished outfit will be shown at next week's Salonshow featured by Greenshowroom Berlin. Whoop:))  Good times!

ELSIEN GRINGHUIS | ELEMENTARY ELEGANCE

Back to basics has always been key at the house of Elsien Gringhuis - the young designer from Arnhem / Holland is known for her simple elegance and blending clean cuts with strong appeal by playing with unusual print techniques, silhouette and fabric interest.

Her new collection for Spring / Summer 2015 influenced by reigning principles of function and form which showcased at GreenShowroom's lush venue Hotel Adlon was no different.  Under the visionary title Elementary Elegance she takes fundamental pattern cutting to another level where garments adapt geometric shapes of circles and squares, erasing side seams on the way. The results are stunning, sculpture-like, coat dresses and angular tops made in fluidly silks with a strong & continuous focus on innovative print.  Long time collaborator and resourceful print designer Aliki van der Kruijs presented her method using ink sourced from printer waste, applying strong detail to sleeve and hem details.

Focusing on the timeless good looks of modern separates which can be layered up suiting changing climate conditions and combined with existing wardrobe pieces, the label clearly distances itself from the antiquated four-seasons-in-fashion model and puts emphasis on aesthetics, quality & practicality rather than trend.  Promoting a transparent production line, minimum waste & the use of organic fibers at the same time, Elsien Gringhuis gives us a strong outlook of hope how fashion can be consumed in future.

photos top & bottom:
photography: Sabrina Bongiovanni,  hair & make up: Charlotte Niketic @ House of Orange,  model: Anastassia @ Paparazzi Model Management,  prints: Aliki van der Kruijs

ISABELL DE HILLERIN | BEYOND

Isabell de Hillerin has a powerful vision:  to integrate modern silhouettes with values of handcrafted and slow fashion. The idea to look outside perceived limitations and rather concentrate on what she sees as fundamental principles like using handmade textiles by local artisans in Romania and Moldova to add to her gorgeous designs has been her signature since the start of her label back in 2009.

With her new collection Beyond the designer invites you to take some time to reflect on the essential in our fast moving environment and translates her inspiration into a strong & extremely wearable collection for S/S 2015. Sheer layers give way to beautiful clean cut silky tops and dresses in whites, muted greys and powdered neutrals.  Hidden tucks and pleats on below knee length culottes and draped blouses redefine an effortless elegance with an urban twist.  My absolute favourite pieces were the grey cape layered shirt and the white patent brogues - top of my personal wish list!

I'm thrilled to see a great designer whose production line is as transparent as the beautiful layers on the girls she sends out on the catwalk.  But what I love most about this collection is that the garments are investment pieces rather than seasonal fads - Isabell de Hillerin is here to stay!

NEWCOMER | RAMONA HUPPERT

Newcomer upcyclist Ramona Huppert brought a breeze of fresh air and diversity to the Lavera Showfloor stage with her catwalk presentation last week.  Under the name Urban Mountain Journey the designer explored ways of modern nomads and our emotional attachment to the things we surround ourselves with.  What is home - is it a place or the things we own? I've contemplated this as long as I can remember especially because I get bored in one place very quickly and have a habit of changing post codes almost every couple of years.  

Huppert has come up with a clever solution for everyone who loves taking their personal things with them at all times - even furniture!   With a touch of avant garde her experimental creations serve more than one purpose. The boxy jumper made from an old leather arm chair folds up to be a stool - providing the user with familiar cosiness of home when travelling. The backpack transforms into a messenger bag, saving you having to take to many bags on hols - the fact that it's made from leather left overs is an absolute bonus!  The entire collection is a great example for resourceful choice of material, innovative cut and exceptional design – giving us a vision of a bright future!

REET AUS | UPCYCLING - AT - LARGE

A fanatastic example for promoting upcycling on an industrial scale is Estonian designer Reet Aus who showcased the new collection of her label UpMade at the lush Hotel Adlon, venue of GreenShowroom Berlin.

"Our goal," she says, "is to influence consumer awareness and to aim for upcycling to be implemented into a regular production process."  To make this happen the label teamed up with partner Beximco, one of Bangladesh's biggest garment producing factories, using pre-consumer waste as source material for its accessories, gear and apparel. This way it manages to save on average 70% of water and create 88% less CO2 emission for each new garment in this collection. I was totally thrilled by Reet's conscious approach and clever way of combining textile left over with commercial design - the new collection include cut - about blouses and denim dresses, relaxed unisex boyfriend jeans from 100% recycled denim and gorgeous snug pencil skirts. One of my favourite pieces is the white arrow UpShirt featuring some great pattern cutting skills for the arrow centre piece - the only way is up, I reckon!

Photography: @ Reet Aus

ETHICAL FASHION SHOW BERLIN 2014

It's the time of the year again!! This being my 4th season of Ethical Fashion Show at E-Werk Berlin I was absolutely thrilled to be back - seeing many familiar faces as well as meeting new ones.  First thing though I rushed to see the Safia Minney talk at the venue's spacy control room! After that I just had enough time to browse through the two massive exhibition halls of the fair until the upcycling fashion roadmap guided tour started at UFS.
The two labels that stood out for me this season were Lisa D's eco line and Päälä.  The latter proving to be a great alternative to your ordinary high street brand using only water based inks and 100% sustainable materials like organic cottons & Tencel for their graphic printed Tees & sweaters which were looking amazing and extremely soft. For Summer 2015 Annelot & Harm, the duo behind Päälä, extended their Tshirt-Only collection by introducing a few accessories like beach towels and printed totes.  Just like their Tshirts each product is screen printed by hand in their Amsterdam based studio.
The fab denim shift dresses at Lisa D mark the launch of her eco line for S/S2015 and are upcycled from old jeans and trousers decorated with vintage trims. You can even bring your own worn out pair to the Berlin based studio to give it a new second life!

Päälä is available at Flagshipstore, Oderbergerstrasse, 10435. Berlin from coming February

SAFIA MINNEY'S AGENDA

Safia Minney is an inspiration for anyone who loves clothes but is not prepared to support the fast fashion industry with their hard earned cash for the sake of low quality garments produced in sweat shops and under exhausting working conditions.

Last week the founder & CEO of Fair Trade and award winning fashion label People Tree followed an invitation by Ethical Fashion Week to Berlin's E-Werk. After taking a lift up two floors visitors arrived at the former control room of the venue that looked like one huge dash board with levers and buttons in various shapes & sizes setting the mood for sharing her remarkable story.  We were ready to be switched on to a new chapter in fashion industry.

She told us that when starting her career in advertising she soon realized that her work was to motivate people to buy stuff they really didn't need or want. With a clear understanding of future challenges like constrained resources, climate change, etc and a strong sense for social issues she took matters into her own hands and started her brand People Tree. 

By employing local farmers & artisans in developing countries the company helps to give back to some of the poorest people in the world whilst at the same time protect the environment by using organic as well as natural materials and craft skills.  

So not only does People Tree invite you to consume fashion consciously it also offers you a great choice to buy gorgeous clothes with a strong high street appeal and a sustainable production line. Double Yay! I'd say ❤ 

UPCYCLING FASHION BERLIN

speckled drapes by INHEELS at UpcyclingFashionStore Berlin

spokes lamp that I so want!

Ethical Fashion Week kicked off with a bang when Upcycling Fashion Store Berlin presented the first ever Upcycling Fashion Roadmap together with visitberlin.de and Heimtextil covering a selection of exclusive Berlin shops, studios & events that offer upcycled products & designs.  For the launch event the store organised a guided tour with the very talented upcycling designer Mariángeles Aguirre showing fashion minded guests a few hi-lites from the map including:

Upcycling Fashion Store 
The cool space at Anklamer Straße in Berlin's up & coming Wedding disctrict is already the second venue since the store first opened its doors only four years ago. Since then their lines and labels have more than doubled and include special treats like From Somewhere & Antiform from the UK as well as the gorgeous draped tops from ecofriendly Tencel or cotton by newcomer Japanese brand INHEELS.
Anklamer Straße 17, 10115. Berlin, 
Mon - Frid 11am - 7pm, Sat 12 - 7pm

El Reinventor
Upcycled furniture at its best - Designer Daniel Carrion Rivas gives old musical instruments, bins and all sorts of other cool junk a second life.  Personal favourite: the spokes lamp, it actually radiates, casting shadows all over the ceiling when you hang it up.
Brunnenstr 26, 10119. Berlin

Bis es mir vom Leibe fällt
is the ideal address for revamping or even rescuing favourite wardrobe pieces. Alternatively you can mix & match any of your preloved clothes and design something completely new with the professional assistance of the superfriendly staff.
Hackeschen Höfe · Hof 4, Rosenthaler Straße 40/41, 10178. Berlin
Mon - Frid 11am - 7pm, Sat 11 - 6pm

Frankenstraße 1, 10781. Berlin
Mon - Frid 10am - 7pm, Sat 11 - 4pm

Water to Wine
The unique Berlin upcycling boutique is located in Berlin - Mitte. Labels include Wilfried Pletzinger, Há de Haver, Margarete Häusler, ROHstoff, Beliya 
Auguststr. 82, 10117. Berlin
Mon - Frid 11am - 7pm, Sat 12 - 7pm

Schmidttakahashi
The creations of design duo Schmidttakahashi are extremely beautiful - their story is equally powerful so I decided to cover it in a seperate post :)
available at OUKAN
Kronenstrasse 71, 10117. Berlin
Mon - Sat 12 - 7pm

GREEN LOUNGE 2014

@Nina Pieroth 

And here is the GreenLounge party at Umspannwerk Kreuzberg, one of the biggest networking parties in green fashion land organized by Innatex - international trade fair for sustainable textiles.  The venue which is located in my favorite part of town is set up with a generous amount of space to accommodate the growing crowd of designers, labels, buyers, photographers and journalists working in sustainable fashion.  I sure had a good time mingling with my besties Arianna from UFS and the gorgeous ladies Sarah, Steffi & Bea from Upcycling Boutique Water To Wine.  ROHstoff pal Ala & Bea were tuning in to the current trend of odd painted nails and we all loved it!  Who's got time for elaborate manicures when you're rushing to get out of the door. So why not just paint one or two nails instead and leave the rest natural...or just paint those nails with paint chipped off & mix it with your old shade - saves time & paint ❤

DUTCH ECO DESIGN

 

 

Last Wednesday it was showtime once again for Ethical Fashion in Berlin. This time the venue for the Green Showroom had been moved to the Kronprinzenpalais. A stunning building with a lot of pre-wall fall retro charm and a long trail of history.  It has hosted the Hohenzollern Kings and seen a few heads of states in its time.  I strongly suspect catwalks & gorgeous girls in stunning frocks were a first though.

Arriving in one of the convenient shuttle taxis connecting the E-werk site with its posh and not-so-little-anymore-sister site we had a good browse around the exhibition where Ala and I met new & familiar faces! 

Having set the bar high with her S/S 2014 collection Dutch designer Elsien Gringhuis didn't fail to deliver yet another strong and intelligent collection. For Winter 2014 she was exploring the idea that all things connect.  Situations, people and events respond to signals - good or bad vibes you send out and not everything is what it seems at first sight. The gorgeous sleeveless organic wool coat for example can be zipped off half length, worn as a jacket or swapped for another contrast bottom. Elsien stayed true to her classic, angular and elegant signature with a beautifully cut, boxy sleeved, grey marl sweat top and introduced natural rhubarb tanned leather a collaboration with German brand DeepMello as a new material for Winter.  The black sweatshirt with leather lined front detail is my new fav for next season and I just had enough time to give it a quick try as seats were going fast for the evening scheduled runway showcase featuring Dutch Eco Design.

Dutch designers always had a strong presence at the Greenshowroom since it first appeared on the Berlin fashion horizon in 2009. The show was a special treat for this season sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  Another brand featured in the show was Dutch brand Studio Jux who made it their goal to look AND do good as they build up their label using only sustainable materials.

'Jux' is German for fun and by employing and fairly paying tailors from Nepal one of the poorest counrties in the world they're making sure that their fairly paid and treated employees have plenty to laugh about. Their mantra is: 'My tailor is my rockstar' - deffo a label to watch ❤

ETHICAL FASHION WEEK BERLIN - PART III

To tie up the end of my reporting from EFS - here is my latest discovery for upcycled accessories.

I instantly fell in love with this chunky silver metal bracelet by Finnish brand Mifuko which I spotted at the exhibition's E-werk site. The label's products combine traditional African workmanship with Scandinavian design. For their cast aluminium & brass jewellery collection made from recycled metal scraps they collaborated with Kenyan artisan Steve Kine who lives & works in the Kibera slum in Nairobi. Watch his amazing story here...

It's brilliant to see jewellery being approached this way with the ultimate aesthetic upcycling challenge to create something desirable from waste.  I think Mifuko totally pulled it off, so much so that immediately after the show I went to buy the bracelet for myself.  If you live in Berlin you can purchase the bracelet & more Mifuko jewellery here...

ROHstoff ❤ Mifuko

ETHICAL FASHION WEEK BERLIN - PART II

@ Elsien Gringhuis

@ Elsien Gringhuis

@ Aliki van der Kruijs

@ Elsien Gringhuis

Straight after I finished my facebook post about the british upcycling showroom I went down to check out the green showroom at Adlon hotel which showcased sustainable luxury & high-end labels.  Here I revisited label Elsien Gringhuis which I had already discovered at last season's fashion week. The unusual but rather glamorous venue provided the perfect contrast to the designer's sleek & modern designs. Aiming for low environmental impact from minimal waste pattern drafts to conscious choice of natural materials Elsien's creations have a timeless quality to it which makes them credible long time wardrobe classics.  The beautifully tailored trousers & boxy jacket for their S/S14 collection are the results of collaborating with textile designer Aliki van der Kruijs who creates prints through a technique called hydrography which allows her to capture water movement - in this case rain!   I also got to try on this amazing hooded cape made from beeswax coated cotton. I love the unexpected texture and sculptur-like silhouette, with a little tuck you can change your entire look....❤

Check out Elsien Gringhuis' recent collection here!

ETHICAL FASHION WEEK BERLIN - PART I

My second time at Ethical Fashion Show Berlin got off to a brilliant start with the 'British Upcycling Showroom' - an amazing demonstration of British 

award winning & cutting edge fashion labels with resourceful skills pushing the boundaries in low impact fashion.

Massive congratulations to the team at Upcycling Fashion Store, concept store for upcycled fashion in Berlin for hosting this fab installation which included exclusive clips of collections from British designers 'From Somewhere', 'Goodone', 'Antiform' and 'a case of...'  

as well as a dance performance by independent dance group 'zeitgetroffen-KOLLEKTIV'. To watch their steps follow the link.

ETHICAL FASHION WEEK

@ Elsien Gringhuis

@ Elsien Gringhuis

clean cuts & gorgeous fluidy eco tex silk at Elsien Gringhuis

(F/W 2012 ‘ONE OF THESE DAYS’ campaign) 

Elsien Gringhuis at Ethical Fashion Week Berlin January 2013,

the GREENshowroom

lush accessories from ROYAL BLUSH such as chunky knotted bracelets made from vegetable tanned or even fish skins

looks very similar to snake skin and you can wear it with good conscience as they are a by-product of the food industry- amazing!!!

GREEN fashion had a strong presence at this season’s Berlin Fashion Week.  There were some impressive brands showcasing key developments in sustainable fashion.

It was spread over several venues, E-werk being the main site and the five star Adlon Kempinski hotel hosting labels with luxury appeal.

Perfect to discover the latest in sustainable fashion style.