COLLECTION Nº1
NOT JUST A LABEL LAUNCHES ITS FIRST EVER COLLECTION
Not Just A Label Launches First Sustainable Collection: By Designers and For Designers
The height of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lockdowns, so many designers and artists faced tremendous challenges but continued to find ways to create and produce in their studios. Inspired by their passion and tenacity, NJAL is launching a collection of “atelier work uniforms” as a way to give back to the community and contribute funding to its operation.
One of the most unique aspects of this collection is the community-based effort in the design process: a questionnaire was sent out to 1,000 designers in the NJAL network specifically asking for what they wish to see in the collection. Their responses were then curated by Product Designer Hande Sadic, who in the past managed product segments for labels such as Alexander McQueen, Victoria Beckham, Marimekko, and Mary Katrantzou. Some of the major design elements based on the feedback include practicality, comfort, ease in mobility, and minimalism. The designers also seek the production to be made using an eco-conscious approach.
The collective input by 1,000 designers resulted in an 8-piece collection which consists of modern and functional basics. The pieces come in five colours (eco orange, rubia, leafy green, off-white, and black). Each piece, including a statement Atelier jacket, is designed with utility details such as reinforced/hidden pockets for scissors, headphones, notepads and various objects that creatives carry around their studios.
Importantly, the collection was made in the most sustainable way garments can be produced today: the fabric is a mixture of recycled cotton and organic cotton, and the dyeing process was all natural using only botanical (dissected flowers, tree bark, and leaves) sources. To eliminate waste production and potential overstock, all garments were manufactured in Portugal as a highly limited collection.
Available now, the first NJAL collection is a first-of-its-kind fashion project. It is an example that, despite adversity, the global community could still come together, chime in with ideas, and create something truly special.
