EARTH DAY

IN HONOR OF EARTH DAY - AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDER JULIA JENTZSCH
ON LIVING AND DESIGNING IN BALANCE WITH NATURE

1. What does Earth mean to you?

Earth is the best planet to live on as of our knowledge right now. It is a paradise: Earth is water, fire, air and the ground that provides our food. Earth is the nurturer and, in my eyes, incredibly beautiful. There is no better place. We urgently must celebrate biodiversity and preserve this planet. We must hold land preservation to our highest value. We are living in the age of awakening, and it is lovely to see how many environmental advocates and scientists come together to find new solutions to the problems we are facing right now. We can correct mistakes we made in the past and rethink our relationship with mother nature.

2. If you could pick any location on Earth to serve as a source of inspiration for your designs, where would you choose, and why?

My favorite locations can be anywhere really if there are trees involved. Trees are a big part of the solution for so many of our environmental problems. They are the lungs of the planet. Forests and their plants have healing properties that we are beginning to discover and that ancient civilizations knew about. My other favorite place is my garden. Studying to plant and harvest makes one understand natural principles like for example circularity much better.

STUDYING TO PLANT AND HARVEST MAKES ONE UNDERSTAND NATURAL PRINCIPLES
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE CIRCULARITY MUCH BETTER.

3. Fashion Industry and Green Revolution. How do you think this will have an impact on climate change? (Fashion industry is genuinely starting to change, Growing Awareness, pre-order, etc.)

The fashion industry has to change its ways of overproducing and wasting the planet's resources. As much as we all love fashion as a means of self expression and culture, we as consumers also must change our over consumption. We are facing the biggest challenge now and we as an industry have just started to understand the magnitude of this challenge. Fashion and all other industries must become circular. There is no way around it. It's the law of nature. The good news is that our industry is aware of its challenges. Soon regulations mandated by law will help to minimize the damage to the environment and companies will be made accountable for their waste. The conversation is everywhere, and I am hopeful that new concepts will be found and will be successfully implemented. The fashion industry is an advocate for change.

FASHION AND ALL OTHER INDUSTRIES MUST BECOME CIRCULAR.
THERE IS NO WAY AROUND IT. IT'S THE LAW OF NATURE.

4. What are you actively doing to accelerate the sustainable advancement of your label?

As a small brand we are looking deeply into the origin of our yarns and fabrics, and we are choosing only certified sustainable fabrics. The search for the best quality fabrics is quite intense, and we work only with high-end fabric mills we trust. Our designs are timeless, allowing our customers to build their wardrobe from one collection to the next. Our clothes are easy to style and reimagine in different combinations. We do not pursue fast fashion trends. Our clothes are meticulously engineered to last, repaired and handed down to the next generation. We experimented with Zero Waste projects and are actively searching for innovative ways to minimize our waste by for example turning fabric scraps into luxury home objects. Our products are produced locally to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible. Our packaging is biodegradable. Our research into circular business models is ongoing.

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY OWN CLOTHES I WEAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THEY ARE OLD FRIENDS.

5. As the founder of a brand that promotes sustainability and zero waste, how do you incorporate these values into your personal life?

Do you have any earth-friendly habits or practices that you follow in your daily life? My relationship with my own clothes I wear has always been like they are old friends. I have built for myself a wardrobe of favorite pieces that is big enough to match and reimagine into new combinations. It helps to wear a lot of neutral colors. If I buy new clothes, I always make sure to buy high quality garments because I will keep them forever. At our house in the country, we are growing our own vegetables in a self-sustained garden and we are learning about Permaculture. We are composting and recycling. There are lots of personal projects we will implement in the next year, one of them is solar energy for the house. In our town we are members of the environmental organization which preserves land from being developed and turned into national parks. There is so much you can do just in your small hemisphere. Constantly thinking how things could be better is a journey. Sustainability is a goal but first it is a state of mind.