Who?  Sirima Ehmke

What?  Neo.Fashion.:  Graduate Shows and Awards

Where?  Berlin Fashion Week

Why designs by Sirima Ehmke matter?

The collection, “On the Mend”, sees consumers as stakeholders, as active contributors in mitigating fashion’s waste.  Although the collection is made from combining ecologically certified materials with modern upcycling, the message is in the design and aesthetics.  Visually, you get the idea that we can prolong the life of a garment by repairing.  Ehmke sees a way out of the industry’s overproduced and over consumption behavior through mending.  She says, “the collection points the way to a future in which the full potential of textile repair is exploited. A future in which the usage cycles of fashion can be significantly extended.”

Today the industry rarely focuses on tutorials or repair techniques to extend the life, instead it’s about buying more.  Involving the consumer to be an active contributor, by repairing before discarding, will shift the value system to one of respect and care for existing clothing.

“A Look at EDGE” curates a select few of Neo.Fashion.21 designers whose collections make socially relevant statements and offer storytelling through a fashion lens we don’t often see.  Ehmke’s messaging is clear and vibrant, taking us to an imaginative artistic state.  Sometimes fashion has to represent three-dimensional art in order for us to read the tea leaves (in this case: read the threads) to get the message.  The bigger story here is longevity.  Design and procure for longevity.

Feature Image:  Sirima Ehmke, designer | Neo.Fashion. Graduate Show – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin September 2021 | Photo by Robert Schlesinger/Getty Images for Neo.Fashion.