Advance — Copy

ArtEZ University teachers, Hanka van der Voet and Chet Bugter, discuss their recent open source paper: A Fruiting Body Of Collective Labour: Working Towards A De-Hierarchised System For Fashion Education.

Muse co-founder, Sarah Kourim, reflects on her and her mother’s independent journeys, nurturing a market stall into a growing e-commerce business, and the under-representation of modest voices in fashion.

Palo Studios founder, Cassie Rose Ebner, reflects on what inspired her to bridge the gap between conscious brands, retailers, and customers.

babaà’s founder Marta Bahillo is a champion of the Spanish knitwear industry. We discuss her unique value system, decision to focus on direct-to-consumer and supporting ecological innovation.

Baserange co-founder Marie-Louise Mogensen explains how the brand aims to resemble a healthy organism and talks to Tugba Mert Taskan of the pioneering Turkish factory Mert Ipek.

Co-founders of Delhi-based NorBlack NorWhite, discuss how India's rich textile heritage instantly caught their attention, why the trade show format didn’t work for their brand, and how they grew NorBlack NorWhite to being a cultural platform and creative studio.

Paris-based Creative Director, Clarisse Demory discusses the elements of her moral compass, the many twists of her career and reveals the beauty of frugality.

TT CoLLECTIVE allows founder Thalia Tserevegou the freedom to share her strategic vision with value-aligned brands. She talks about her learnings on building modern, conscious fashion companies in today’s ever-changing market.

With precisely engineered handbags made using state-of-the-art Italian craftsmanship, Advene has grown steadily since launch thanks to close relationships with its customers and mentors. We speak to the brand's founders, Yijia Wang and Zi Xuan.

Co-owners of Desert Vintage, Salima Boufelfel and Roberto Cowan, discuss their introduction to the world of vintage and the twist of fate that led them to inherit a much-cherished local business.

St Rose founder, Belinda Smith, saw a space in the fragrance market for a conscious, luxurious and long-wearing fragrance brand rooted in the art of nature, and set out to steer the industry towards a transparent and gentler future.

South Africa native Lukhanyo Mdingi discusses the importance of love and patience in establishing a purposeful fashion brand.

Founder of Dutch womenswear label CAES, Helen de Kluiver, reflects on personal values and experiences in fast fashion which inspired her to launch a conscious brand with modern principles.

Artisanal soap brand Orris is rooted in holistic plant-based practices and artistic collaborations. Lani Le Berre and Kenneth Koo address tradition and purpose whilst diligently challenging the short-comings of the beauty industry.

Founder and Creative Director of South Korean label and multi-brand boutique Amomento, MK Lee discusses the gentle equilibrium between perseverance and change in managing an independent fashion label.

ROWSE Founders, Gabriela Salord and Nuria Val, share their approach to building a dynamic beauty company and explain how entrepreneurial ambition can benefit nature, people and creativity.

Arnsdorf is a robust womenswear label comprised of an atelier, online store and bricks and mortar boutique. Founder, Jade Sarita Arnott talks about the importance of designing new processes and not being afraid to cross industry barriers.

Claudia and Isabella del Olmo and long-time collaborator Cécile Denis imagined a modern European guest house and artist residency in Casa Balandra. We discuss multiculturalism, creativity, relationships and moments of indulgence.

Sustainable fashion consultant and Founder of Sonzai Studios, Celeste Tesoriero, talks about her approach to making sustainability simple.

Austin Austin is a British line of organic body care products crafted by the father and daughter duo Richard and Bessie Austin. We discuss integrity, longevity, and the value of social media in growing a thoughtful brand.

Badaam is the embodiment of its founder Priyanka Kaul’s multi-faceted character and her wide-reaching interests. We talk about juggling two careers, the long-awaited rise of multi-cultural fashion designers and India's unmatched knowledge of natural fabrics.

Founder of Après Ski, Lucia Vergara, discusses the spiritual approach to managing her brand and how she let go of expectations in fashion.

Rachel Jones-Jones and Hannah Cawley reflect on their residency at Grymsdyke Farm and how we can shift fashion's focus from aesthetics and function to meaningful values through knowledge of plants and colours.

Beth Wilkinson, Founder of Lindsay magazine, discusses the importance of valuing tradition, history and progress.

Fashion designer and multi-disciplinary artist Adriana Meunie talks about rejecting commercial fashion to start Odeminui, her dedication to preserving local cultures and how raw materials inspire consciousness.

Architect and Urban Designer Mitchell Joachim reflects on ‘monster’ branding and how retail architecture can cater to species on the brink of extinction.

Erica Toogood talks about the brand's inspiring existence outside of industry standards and the importance of unlearning to evolve.

Value chain strategist, Kristine Kim on bringing workers' wellbeing to the forefront of brand building.

Founder of Mount Maunganui-based conscious womenswear brand Marle, Juliet Souter, discusses the beauty of natural fibres and resourcefulness of New Zealand's creative scene.

UN Women representative, Marie Sophie Pettersson, shares her experience of Bangladesh's nuanced garment manufacturing industry. She explains how different production facilities can generate income without disturbing local communities and little celebrated talents of Bangladeshi people.

Los Angeles-based womenswear designer Shaina Mote talks about the importance of partnerships in creating positive change, daily benefits of local garment manufacturing and her dreams for the future of fashion.

Hannah Cawley, represents a pragmatic new generation of artisanal British fashion designers.

Interview with Founder of Hungarian womenswear brand Aeron. Established in 2012, Aeron is an exploration of contemporary elegance and quality with a personal touch. We talk about Eszter’s day-to-day approach to sustainability and embracing new dawn of creativity in fashion. 

Owner of Antwerp's innovative space Graanmarkt 13, Ilse Cornelissens, explains why the boutique renounced seasonal discounting to pursue a retail model of its own.

German fashion photographer, Alina Asmus shares how intuition played a vital role in helping her forge a unique career path working with renowned brands and magazines including Vogue, Matches and Interview Germany.

Conversation with Vanissa Antonious, Founder & Creative Director of women's footwear brand, NEOUS. London based Antonious reflects on her principles for creating artisanal Italian shoes that resonate with modern-day women.

Conversation with Chantal Spaas, business partner of the greatly admired Belgian designer Sofie D'Hoore. Chantal reflects on the brand's quiet approach to quality relationships and uncompromising garment engineering.

Conversation with Wellington-based Ali Johnson, Founder of Sphaera Soap. Ali talks about overcoming local constraints by following her instinct and trusting time to build a quality artisanal business.

Holly Ryan's namesake jewellery brand was designed with no separation between the Australian designer's personal values and those of her work.

P.A.M. (Perks and Mini) is a Paris-based fashion and lifestyle label originally established in Melbourne by Misha Hollenbach and Shauna Toohey. The company is respected in the world of fashion and art, a unique position earned by their unfaltering commitment to solid creative values and bypassing of industry standards.

Advance Copy meets Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA/AMO) to ask if the Office’s work with Manifesta Biennial on Palermo Atlas could hold useful lessons for fashion. As long-term collaborators of Prada and masterminds behind Fondazione Prada, Fondation Galeries Lafayette and Kadewe, our conversation expands to customer engagement, brand experience and retail architecture.

Melbourne-based brand SUKU Home specialises in bedding and leisurely ready to wear. Capsule collections are ethically made in Bali using natural materials and released gradually, keeping customers eagerly anticipating. Find out what factors make Christine Lafian's independent brand so unique and respected by its clientele.

Permanent Collection collaborates with artisans, designers and the estates of esteemed artists to meticulously reproduce time-tested, iconic pieces from design objects to jewellery and clothing.

Owner of Netherland's Jones boutique, Judith ter Haar, shares her thoughts on the current state of fashion and the significant role of independent retailers in bringing about positive change.

Companies just want to please customers and buyers, but they don’t want to state their values clearly, in case these end up putting some clients off. I feel like we are living in a world where we need to stand for something.

Meet Joon Lee, Founder of Berlin-based knitwear label PLYS and winner of Samsung's 13th Fashion Design Fund. Joon explains how frustration with newness in fashion and early experience with video games led him to create PLYS.

Owner of Bjork concept store, Filippo Anzalone, talks about his decision to return to Florence and open a contemporary fashion store representative of the world.

I underestimated working for other people and then starting to work for myself, the pressure that is on you when you start your own brand, to run a business and be creative, that’s when independence becomes a real thing.