#cruba

[renest]

Arguments. / 21.03.2022

[renest]

Das Top, die Pflanze. / 15.04.2017

[photographedbychidubem]

Berlin

as narrated by Mira Becker.

“Berlin is a huge influence. Berlin is a very honest, very --I find in many ways-- very raw city. I draw a lot of inspiration from that especially [because] there [are] lots of things in the air. Lots of clashes of different people, I don’t live upstairs from [my studio] so I do travel through Berlin and you get a good image of what Berlin is about when you take a subway ride across town. 

I think it is the honesty and the troubling history of this country that you feel very strongly in Berlin. Probably stronger being German than if you are not German. Seeing more. It is sometimes very painful. To see how people run around with issues they don’t even know anymore where they have come from. Maybe historical pain they have inherited. I’ve never felt a city so vulnerable -that I have lived in -like Berlin. There is so much healing still going on and so [many] people still being wounded. 

I think that’s tremendously inspirational. 

At the same time you have the beauty of the city -there is hardly a city that is as green as Berlin. It has huge amounts of forests within city limits and you sometimes see wild boars or rabbits in the city centre. So it is this aspect of being very urban and [natural] that Berlin has that’s [also] very inspirational. So in many ways in daily life I get very inspired by Berlin.

What I find right now very impressive is how many people move to Berlin, who you wouldn’t necessarily think or expect to be in Berlin. Someone said to me a couple of days ago, ‘it is the last Brooklyn there is’. I think that sums up Berlin.”

Mira Becker is a fashion designer based in Berlin, who we profiled for our Lost Voices series in May, 2015. 

This is an outtake from our interview. 

[digishon]

What does Berlin and LA have in common? Designers that are willing to make things within close proximity of their national pride.  For German designer CRUBA and SoCal company Agave ( also a personal favorite tequila drink of ours) share the practice of transparency.  These small businesses are fashion companys that could most likely produce their luxury items cheaply by going overseas, however they chose to make a distinct association with their community that benefits their local economies and keep an interest within their loyal customers.

By definition, transparency is to be thoughtful and honest about your production and its associations to which you choose to share with the world. They both work to make a company work but have a real connection with their people….Those people are their partners, customers and skilled artists that make their products.  

CRUBA makes their clothing within 250Kilometers of Berlin, Germany.  While not cheap by any means, this price point is justified while their designer comes to a collection as a project with curiousity..In particular while showing me her line at the emerging designer's EditShow #editshow they decided to look at insects and its anatomical properties along high definition color laser focus. ( EDIT Show is a little known retail show for emerging and better priced products which hangs as if one were in a boutique setting)

Agave is a denim brand for that SoCal person…or lifestyle for anyone that eventually falls in love with their perfect jean.  Even in frigid 7 degrees, everybody in the US feels a connection to the western movies that inspired the collection. Meeting them at the @CoterieShow,#Coterie they talked of  all the fully responsible practice of making every single pair of their jeans in LA factories, MADE IN USA baby.  We also learned that they also hail from Venice, CA. Isn't that a great throwback 70's Starsky And Hutch moment?

SWAG worth keeping: SWELL made a lovely tree styled giveaway but don't regift that one.  Swell makes the best water bottles with a pay it forward aspect by giving back to the charities that are willing to preserve the rainforest.

All the above brands are sustainable fashion without loosing their cutting edge styles.

Lest not forget: Fashion is an experience not an item.