Updating the Scene: 7 Brands Leading the Way in Recycled Fashion Redesign
Berlin's Thriving Sustainable Fashion Scene
Berlin, a city known for its vibrant arts and culture, is making waves in the fashion industry with its commitment to sustainability. The city's fashion week strongly emphasizes eco-friendly materials, ethical production, and innovative upcycling methods, showcasing a plethora of emerging designers.
One such label is Maldonado, though not explicitly mentioned in our initial facts, known for its fairy-esque, grunge-influenced garments. The label, based in Berlin, creates one-off pieces, including pastel corsets made from tablecloths, curtains, and deadstock vintage jacquard fabric.
The Spring/Summer 2024 collection, named Opus Manuum, includes metallic elements, rough, futurist cuts, and plenty of oversize garments. Prices for Maldonado's pieces range from €50-180. Maldonado's studio is located at Fürbringerstr. 32, Kreuzberg, and can be found online at themaldonado.club and Instagram @maldonadoc_.
Another up-and-coming label is Josef, founded by Eric Friesen, known for his distressed denim patchwork creations reminiscent of Nigel Xavier's designs. Josef's designs can be ordered via DM on Instagram @josef_upcycling.
Berlin's sustainable fashion scene is defined by its experimental, underground creativity that pushes boundaries on waste reduction and circularity, rather than conventional luxury fashion approaches. This is evident in brands like ONEOFAKIND, a collaborative studio in Berlin founded by designers Softskill Atelier, Lelektra, and Still Apparel.
ONEOFAKIND offers a mix of outfits co-curated by the designers, vintage fashion, and their own staple items: Lelektra's corsets, jumpsuits, and bucket hats, Still Apparel's zipper pants, mesh garments, and bodysuits, and Softskill Atelier's DIY tops, bags, and jackets. All items from ONEOFAKIND are made from pre-loved clothes, deadstock fabrics, and occasionally new fabric sourced in Europe.
Wallawalla, an upcycling label founded by Frederike Wehpke, specializes in reworking discarded or unwanted clothes into stylish triangle shoppers or festival-ready crossbody bum bags. Wallawalla's bags can be purchased on Etsy.com/shop/wallawallaberlin or via DM on Instagram @wallawallaberlin, with prices ranging from €65-75.
Haderlump, another Berlin-based sustainable fashion label, primarily uses recycled materials and deadstock fabrics. The label made its international debut at the 2022 Paris Fashion Week and showcased two collections at Berlin Fashion Week: Autumn/Winter 2023 and Spring/Summer 2024.
Mohlagé, an upcycling "project" founded by Marie Edith Renate, focuses on creating timeless and timely pieces made entirely from recycled and deadstock fabrics and second-hand garments. Mohlagé's latest collection was released in June 2022, and many pieces from previous collections are still available to purchase on their website.
Avenir, another Berlin Fashion Week contestant, focuses on upcycling denim and produces pieces on a small scale in Poland and Portugal.
Berlin's sustainable fashion scene is a testament to the city's commitment to innovation and sustainability. These brands are setting new standards for fashion, demonstrating that style and sustainability can coexist beautifully.
The lifestyle of Berlin, with its emphasis on sustainability, extends beyond fashion-and-beauty, as Home-and-Garden initiatives also thrive in the city.During Berlin's spring and summer seasons, shopping for unique, eco-friendly home decor items is a popular pastime for the city's residents, with local stores offering a wide variety of upcycled furniture and vintage accessories.
