PHILOSOPHY

I always wanted to become a fashion designer. I've been fascinated by textiles and their power to tell stories and express feelings, and that's what led me to follow this dream. 

I also had moments of doubt whether this was the right path, because in my experience the mainstream fashion industry can be a tough and unfriendly place. What matters to me is a collaborative way of working, where people are respectful and supportive, and where my materials and methods match my values. That's why I work with upcycled garments and natural dyes. 

During my studies, I was fortunate to learn about ideas and ways of working outside the traditional fashion industry. They fit my own values and still shape my work today.

For me, good working conditions and the choice of materials belong together. That's why I question each step of my process critically. As a fashion designer, I'm responsible for the materials I choose, and I take that responsibility seriously. I dye every piece by hand in my studio in Flensburg with natural dyes such as onion skins, flower petals and logwood. The hang tag of each piece lists the dye materials used.

I source my materials from the Berlin-based
textile sorting company Textilhafen and from second-hand shops. For my garments, I upcycle old t-shirts, blouses, table cloths, bed sheets and other textiles.The textiles are made of natural fibers like cotton or linen according to the manufacturer's label, and the woven labels in my garments are made of 100% cotton.

I source my dye materials from different places. Most of the onion skins come from Café Isa in Flensburg. Dye materials like cochineal, logwood or madder I buy from shops specialized in natural dyes. Many of the flowers I use for dyeing, such as cosmos, I grow, harvest and dry myself, so I know how much work goes into every blossom. Friends and supporters also give me dried flowers from their gardens or from bouquets, and I collect other materials, like leaves or bladderwrack, on walks. When I collect in nature, I only take a few plants and always leave flowers for the insects. My goal is that no one notices I was there.