Our clothes’ worth is a central question and starting point for an open discussion.

It seems like it has changed in a negative direction more than ever in the last decades. Clothing is as cheap as ever, and the life circle of a garment has decreased alarmingly. 

To create awareness and knowledge on the production of clothes, Fashion Open Studio, an initiative from Fashion Revolution Germany, has decided through exhibitions, presentations, talks, and workshops to educate about the fashion industry and its production methods. The goal is to highlight sustainable options and better alternatives. With more transparency and accountability, designers and brands can lead with a good example. 

Today Sofia Ilmonen (founder and designer of her namesake sustainable fashion label), Arianna Nicoletti (textiles lead of Circular Fashion Berlin), Grit Thönissen (journalist at Tagesspiegel) and Lea Luisa Strasburger (editor and journalist at ARD) presented their thoughts on sustainability within the fashion industry and how to extend the life circle of clothes in the long term. 

Arianna Nicoletti, who is also part of the Fashion Revolution Germany, just launched the A-Gain Guide, an online Plattform that shows all repair and alteration shops in your area in order to connect you with people who help you extend your clothes lifespan. This is a first step to implement sustainability into a bigger audience outside the fashion industry. 

Sofia Ilmonen showed her AW22 on the 14th of March as the opening show for MBFW Berlin. Her designs are made to change with you and your taste. “Fashion is always changing but sustainability seems to be evolving all the time, so I wanted to make fashion transformable. It’s like lego for fashion!”, explains the Finnish designer. She makes squared modules that can be arranged in different way so the dress you bought, can change its structure and form as you like. 

The main message that was multiple agreed on was that fashion should always be an investment instead of a dopamine rush. The future of fashion is a circular model that also includes renting your clothes. The fashion industry needs to embrace a sharing, as well as a recycle and upcycle culture as so many young designers are already practicing. 

The responsibility is always in the consumer but should be shared with governmental institutions in form of a brighter education for instance as a school subject for the younger generation. In order to learn about the value of clothes children need to understand the time and effort that goes into making a garment. Also tax reductions for people repairing and restoring our clothes, as well as the regulation of big fashion companies should be the next step to live sustainability in the future. 

As it comes to the regular citizen, people should always stay curios, check for alternatives on repairing your clothes or transforming them, online. Live your values and inspire others with it – tell a friend, share it online! 

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer