Fashion Open Studio | A Virtual Tour Into Designers’ Studios
In this year’s Fashion Open Studios, designers opened the doors for us and showed how they create collections that are based on zero-waste, upcycling techniques and transparency. The event took place online during the Berlin Fashion Week 2021.
To receive the Luxiders newsletter, sign up here.
Within the sphere of the Mercedes Fashion Week, The Fashion Open Studio took place between the 7th and the 8th of September 2021. The tours, that where only available online, enabled audience from all around the world to snoop into the designer’s studios; and meet the people behind some of the most innovative ideas. The idea behind this project: to highlight innovation and search for solutions to the systemic challenges facing the industry.
Fade Out Label | Credits: Fade Out Label
Fade Out Label | Credits: Fade Out Label
FADE OUT LABEL
Designer Andrea Bonfini, Berlin-based founder of FADE OUT LABEL, showed us his studio and his process for creating fashion. Andrea describes his designs as zero-waste and timeless, with a urban unisex style. The way he manages to be zero waste, is by purchasing the textiles for his collections from charity stores. Andrea has a permanent collection, and when he feels ready or motivated he presents as well different capsule collections. But, the interesting part is that he doesn’t remove any items of the permanent collection. This is meaningful to him, since all of his pieces are available forever. The video went live on Tuesday, 11 am.
“For me, making clothes is like making cakes. It is the same.” Andrea Says to the camera.
GRANDMA WOULD APPROVE
In Grandma Would Approve, they restore vintage garments and upcycle them. All the garments that they buy are at least 30 to 50 years old. And, according to designers and founders Anugrah Samuel Phillips and Priyanka Muniyappa, that allows to create fashion without making a second impact on the environment. Moreover, by using post-consumer garments, in Grandma Would Approve, they are paying respect to the people that created them before. The video went live on Tuesday, 15 hs.
Grandma Would Approve | Credits: Grandma Would Approve
NEW BLUE
Later on Tuesday, it was the turn of the Fashion Open Studio of NEW BLUE. Founders Tim van Der Loo and Sandra Nicoline Nielsen are the designers behind the Berlin based-brand. The brand started after Tim was working in a charity non-profit organization which sorted clothes that where donated by all the people of Berlin. All the production from NEW BLUE comes from waste, and they don’t produce waste. “What the want to do is work with 100% transparency, and be completely honest about what it is in our products. “ Sandra explains to the camera.
New Blue | Credits: New Blue
New Blue | Credits: New Blue
Therapy | Credits: Therapy
THERAPY
Sisters Paula and Mariángeles Aguirre founded THERAPY; a brand that is transnational: it operates between Berlin and Córdoba, Argentina. All the garments of their collections are 100% upcycled. The sisters claimed they didn’t saw a space for them in the Fashion Industry, so they created it. They aim to create a space more open minded, more creative, and above all, more sustainable. According to them, upcycling is a way of criticizing and questioning materials. Therapy was the last Fashion Open Studio.
As promised, the Fashion Open Studios showed the public different points of view on fashion; and how designers that are concerned and committed with sustainable work to make a change, while still creating innovative garments and clothing. The Fashion Open Studio x MBFW where conducted in partnership with Fashion Revolution Germany, Mercedes- Benz, Nowadays and supported by the Senate Department for Economic, Energy and Public Enterprises.
*Header image credits: Grandma Would Approve
+ Words: Leila Salinas, Luxiders Magazine
Journalist | Berlin-based
Connect with her on LinkedIn or Instagram (@leisalinas)
