TREND | Jean-ious

1 recycle rug indigo

2 denim jacket

3 camper seat

4 tie dye jeans

Berlin Fashion Week was hosting some great trade fairs last week where I discovered two labels producing stunning and at the same time absolutely consciously made Jeans.  

Wunderwerk from Germany impressed with a authentic denim range tapping into one of the big trends this season with their bold tie-dye finishes.  Their jeans are designed and produced with a minimal environmental impact in mind.

Nudie Jeans from Sweden showcased an eclectic and well developed range of crafted high quality denim pieces.  The brand provides an in-depth production guide for each garment they sell on their web site.  That way the customer can trace back their jeans and find exact information of where, how and by whom it's been made.  The concept of breaking-in, repairing, re-using and recycling jeans is explained in great detail on their homepage and very popular with their regulars who can redeem old jeans for a discount on a new pair.  The gorgeous denim rug and camper chairs are just a few upcycled products that have made a come-back out of the factory lab onto the shop floor.

Highlight of the presented collection were the customized and printed denim jackets with a reminiscent feel of retro to it - totally in tune with my current denim obsession :))

HI ON LIFE

I find it incredibly exciting to discover modern & unconventional clothes that have been produced consciously at the same time.
So naturally I was thrilled when I met with Arvid in his creative concept store HI ON LIFE bucking the fast fashion trend.  Key to Malmö's eco-scene the shop is perched above the crowd of local supermarkets, framing the entrance of alternative mini-mall Mitt Möllan.

Inside I was keen to see the shop's first own line, a joint effort with local fashion designer Olivia Thomasdotter.  With organic mesh crop tops, super-snug ankle pencil skirts & exaggerated coats made from upcycled door matts the exclusive mini- collection explores a modern world for style minded individuals with the courage to create change.

It was fantastic chatting to Arvid whilst trying on the entire shop - personal fav: the stunning oversized, black factory coat made from sustainable cotton.  Together with his partner Malin the duo's aim is to promote the things they love most - mixing fashion, art and style with a sustainable approach.

With a great focus on creativity HI ON LIFE stocks a new generation of eco-conscious labels: playful print designs by A QUESTION OF hang casually next to bright & bold Tees by London's LAZY OAF setting a nice contrast to obsessive minimalist Kiwi brand kowtow.  And as for the lush trainers, they give key to it all. Made in Brazil, from organic fair trade cotton and veggie tanned leather Veja footwear proposes cultural change by employing socially excluded people.
Trust me, when in Malmö you deffo want to step inside this store.

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!

NECK & HEART WARMING ❤

Ahh, Christmas - wrap up & feel the LOVE ❤ Just in time for the festive season my friend and designer Martina Lewe launched the A/W 2014 collection for her label Mein Frollein featuring gorgeous scarves and hats spun from super soft Merino wool and with thoughts of charity.  Every season she picks a different project to support children in need with 3-5 € from each sale of her colourful cozyness.  This year she's helping to fund a traineeship program for young adults in Timisoara, Romania.  To add to the label's meaningful approach, she produces all her accessories locally right here in Germany. The only thing missing now is snow!

GREEN PASSION

Just your usual Friday night hang out I found myself sitting at the house of Representatives in Berlin next to an impressive set of stairs forming the centre piece of a lush catwalk.  As a finale to GREEN PASSION DAY the hosts, members of Germany's Green Party teamed up with Lette - Verein's fashion design class and staged a dazzling runway show featuring key aspects of low-impact fashion.
Designers sensationally mastered their different objectives ranging from using GOTS certified fabrics via upcycling preluved men's coats/ jackets to questioning the demand for fast fashion and creating timeless & effortlessly chic pieces. Follow their tracks & feel the passion ❤

Also massive congratulations to upcyclists Carina Bischoff and Arianna Nicoletti from UFS Berlin for their involvement at Green passion day discussion panels and for being a driving force for sustainable fashion in Berlin!

WATER TO WINE BERLIN

Forget Zara&Co and open your mind/heart for a new fashion aesthetic.  Step inside 'Water To Wine' and be amazed by the imagination & mindful approach of the designer labels sold here.  As promised in my previous post about the new upcycling fashion boutique on Auguststrasse 82 in Berlin-Mitte the shop opened for the first time last week. 

At the opening party last Thursday Sarah, the manager gave me a little tour navigating through white painted retro shelves & chairs hanging on the wall stocked with cool customized denim jackets by Wilfried Pletzinger, bottle top bags from Portuguese label Há de Haver, gorgeous sturdy totes made from old tents by Margarete Häusler and some beautiful one off vintage skirts.  I've put out a couple of upcycled panelled Tshirts for ROHstoff as well as the pieces I made for Berlin Stadtmission fashion show two months ago - yeyh! 

To shop here is rewarding for your conscience too as some of the money from the purchases goes back to Berliner Stadtmission and will be used for their charity projects. The accessories label Beliya is topping that by offering children in developing countries school education for a year if you buy one of their creations made from upcycled sofa leathers!
 This is what I love about low-impact fashion, it's set out to ponder where a product comes from, how it is made and what will happen to it once it's served its purpose.
Check it out!

ROHstoff UPCYCLE WORKSHOP!!!

Zealous to spread the 'ROHstoff' message I ran the first UPCYCLE workshop this Thursday at Naehinstitut Moritzplatz in the heart of the capital's most diverse & style exuberant district X-berg.

On my agenda was to illustrate how easy it is to find inspiration for 'new' clothes just by searching your wardrobe for things you no longer wear and transforming them into cool custom-made designs.

Everyone brought some preloved things they wanted to 'refresh' so I demonstrated a brief introduction to sewing techniques & gave individual design suggestions to kick-start the ROHstoff process.

Then the girls set about constructing their own wearable creations with a passion & energy that left the air crackle.

We had an absolute blast when everyone realised how easy it is even if you've never used a sewing machine before and after only minutes they were cutting, slicing, tucking & darting.  Here are a few snaps of the gorgeous designs and slogan Tshirts the girls came up with and from the fun of the 'ROHstoff' process ❤.....