Editor’s Note
This article highlights the success of the third “Sustain!” pop-up market in Düsseldorf, which drew record crowds to explore sustainable fashion. It underscores a growing public interest in eco-conscious consumerism and the creative work of local designers.
The third edition of “Sustain!” saw unprecedented visitor numbers. At the pop-up market in Düsseldorf’s Theatermuseum, sustainable fashion labels presented themselves.
The location was perfectly chosen – right in the city center, framed by the Hofgarten, the pink Theatermuseum experienced a rush on Saturday. Spread over two floors, staff from 25 brands pursuing a sustainable approach had set up their stands. Thousands of visitors were offered a wide range of handmade fashion, jewelry and design, plant-dyed unique pieces or fermented tastings. What they all have in common are sustainable concepts, craftsmanship instead of mass-produced goods made from upcycled materials.
One of the exhibitors at the “Sustain!” pop-up market was Nils Hauser, for example. The designer revives vintage shirts bought at flea markets, sometimes alters their cut and “decorates” them with his sewn-on ornaments, chair or house motifs in the style of paper cuttings. His “Chore Jackets,” which move between classic blazers and worker jackets, are also alienated.
Even the smallest leftovers are utilized, creating individual buttons, for example.
Goldsmith Lisa Scherebnenko, on the other hand, continues the story of one of Düsseldorf’s oldest jewelry galleries. She has been running the gallery “Orfèvre,” founded in 1969, for six years. Inspired by ancient jewelry making, where fine silver and gold wires are intertwined, she creates rings and bracelets from recycled precious metal at her Düsseldorf workbench. They look like precious ropes.
Textiles are the métier of Charlotte Weber and Ramona Möllers. They are studying for a Master’s degree in “Textile Products – Design” at the Hochschule Niederrhein and are working with their young label on a clear mission: to make textile waste visible, save resources and create sustainable alternatives. During a trip to Nairobi, they saw where large parts of used clothing exports from Europe end up – unused and polluting the rivers and landscapes on site.
According to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, German consumers buy an average of 60 items of clothing every year. 40 percent of clothing is never or rarely worn. Around 1.3 million tons of textiles end up in the trash every year. Charlotte and Ramona now design products from rescued textiles. One of the first collections was created in cooperation with “Africa Collect Textiles” in Kenya, where old but robust corduroy trousers were turned into bags and cosmetic pouches.
At the Düsseldorf Theatermuseum, visitors of all ages had the concepts of the exhibitors explained to them over the weekend. They could also take part in workshops and make key rings there, for example – and of course shop. Katrin (57) and Kerstin (65) were thrilled by how diverse sustainability can be. The friends not only informed themselves at the pop-up market in the Theatermuseum, but as participants of the “Green Fashion Tour” they rode through Düsseldorf in a double-decker hop-on-hop-off bus until late afternoon.
In cooperation with Visit Düsseldorf, various environmentally friendly concepts in the city area were targeted. One of the stops was the recently occupied studio of jewelry designer Moritz Wenz. He has given up his concept store on Ackerstraße. Minimally reduced, he has moved into the former monastery on Flurstraße and opened his monastery forge there in one of the rooms.
Also on the bus route were the Atelier Goldfisch, the second-hand shop Koko Selected, the children’s shop Purzelbaum and the presentation of fashion designer Marion Strehlow. The finale went to Rath in Hall 29, where the “Neonyt” trade fair was running as part of the “Twodays” organized by the event organizer Igedo. Also on the bus trip were teenagers Myriam and Franzi. The 15-year-olds are passionate about fashion, bags and jewelry and wanted to experience Düsseldorf in a different way.