Can you tell us the vision behind the creation of Unvain Studios? What inspired you to launch your own brand?
I founded Unvain almost four years ago in 2020. Back then, there was no real vision behind the brand. I was experiencing a mental low point in my life at that time, as I was about to graduate from business school and had no idea what direction my life was going to take. I just knew that the business sector wasn’t the right perspective for me. Mentally I was in a bad place at that time and I started sewing because it was like therapy for me. It didn’t take long before some friends wanted to buy hoodies from me, because I offered a pattern that wasn’t available at the time. Shortly afterwards, I already put my first pieces into production. The vision for my brand formed over the years and is still evolving with each day. If I would need to describe it, I would call it a rockstar chic aesthetic with strong influences of Berlin culture. Extravagant design fused with absolute street ability.
What kind of audience do you think resonates with your designs?
Unvain is a more sophisticated approach to the aesthetics of Berlin’s youth culture. I have the feeling that the dark, raw atmosphere of the city fascinates people around the world. This, as a reference-point, makes my pieces feel familiar. I think the raw yet chic approach ensures that the aesthetic resonates with many different people. It’s hard to point the finger at the specific Unvain persona, because I think it’s there for everyone.
Unvain Studios has a unique purchasing method. You can subscribe to the newsletter for collection notifications or enter by password. Can you explain how the system works and the reason behind it?
Usually our collections are open to the public at any time, but for some special releases we lock the store beforehand and give out early access to newsletter subscribers. That is just a business-driven decision, as e-mail and performance- marketing gets more and more important for us.
Nowadays, brands can quickly gain visibility through social media and influencer exposure. However, this may lead to audience fatigue or being labeled as “overhyped.” What are your thoughts on this perspective?
„Hype” is a very fragile state for any brand. When a brand experiences hype, customer expectations increase drastically. At this point, many brand owners lose their vision as they are only guided by what is expected of them. They are only concerned with meeting expectations rather than bringing their own values to the world. At this point, you lose the core community you have built over the years. The goal of any brand should be to grow in a healthy way and build a solid customer base, not to grow as fast as possible. It is very helpful to know your brand philosophy and never compromise on your identity and core values. I think this way you can keep your customer base and reach new people at the same time.
Throughout your collections, we see various references like paisley print, a kimono cardigan, waxed denim, and distressed garments. Where do you draw inspiration for your creations?
For a long time I thought my design-process and ideas are completely random, but recently I’ve realized that they always come from the same question I ask myself: “What should this look like from my perspective?” For example, when I see someone on the street, I ask myself where this person might be going and how I would dress them for the occasion. I feel most inspired by going outside and imagining how stuff should look from my point of view. The best ideas come from this specific question, at least for me.
Tell us about your latest shoe launch, described as “a modern twist on a classic cowboy boot.” Are you considering expanding into accessories and footwear?
To release a boot was one of the craziest experiences throughout this journey. For an up-coming brand, like mine, that seemed to be impossible. I’m still very proud that we made that step and it proved to me, that I can create anything I want. To realize that there are no limits in terms of product, was a big milestone for me personally. It motivated me further to create a world for Unvain. This year I’m already working on a jewelry line, leather accessories, scents, our first store and maybe even a Cafe. Later, I will expand my line with decorative objects and furniture.
Throughout your collections, we see different references such as paisley print, a kimono cardigan, waxed denim, and distressed garments. Where do you get inspiration for your creations?
For a long time, I thought my design process and ideas were completely random, but recently I’ve realized that they always come from the same question I ask myself: “What should this look like from my perspective?” For example, when I see someone on the street, I ask myself where this person might be going and how I would dress them for the occasion. I feel most inspired by going outside and imagining how things should look from my point of view. The best ideas come from this specific question, at least for me.
Tell us about your latest shoe launch. You described it as “a modern twist on a classic cowboy boot.” Are you considering expanding into accessories and footwear?
To release a boot was one of the craziest experiences throughout this journey. For an up-and-coming brand like mine, that seemed impossible. I’m still very proud that we made that step, and it proved to me that I can create anything I want. To realize that there are no limits in terms of product was a big milestone for me personally. It motivated me further to create a world for Unvain. This year I’m already working on a jewelry line, leather accessories, scents, our first store, and maybe even a cafe. Later, I will expand my line with decorative objects and furniture.
What was the most challenging aspect in the creation of your brand?
As I dropped out of my fashion and product management degree after only one semester, I had no experience of how things go within the fashion industry. I had to learn everything myself, and it took me a long time to figure out how to run a brand successfully. That was probably the biggest challenge I had to overcome, and it still is because the fashion industry is changing rapidly, and you always have to adapt. But if you love what you do, it’s easy to overcome the “knowledge barrier.” So I would encourage everyone to just start doing what they want to do, even if they have no knowledge at all.
Unvain is focused on sustainable production. Can you elaborate on how this commitment translates into practical initiatives within your work?Yes, since our third collection, most of our garments are produced in a sustainable manner. All of our self-developed fabrics are made from organic or recycled fibers and dyed with natural dyes. We also try to ensure product longevity in the design process by focusing on a more timeless approach and paying attention to details that increase the lifespan of our pieces. We try to improve the quality, fabrics, and sustainable production with each collection. Our goal is to produce all of our pieces in a sustainable way by the end of next year.
You mentioned that some items were crafted in the same colors to be paired with pieces from the previous collection. Is this an intentional effort to encourage customers to continue wearing their existing pieces and ensure their relevance? Do you consider this a part of your sustainability strategy?
There is definitely a strategy of longevity behind it. One of my biggest goals is to get to that twenty-year mark of running the brand and then look back on my first collections, and they still match my current work. That’s an aspect I really admire about Yohji Yamamoto. You can take a piece from the nineties and match it with something that released just recently, and it will still match perfectly. This, of course, increases the lasting value of the products you create.
What is your Unvain favorite and why?
For me personally, it’s the waxed blazer with a detachable vest from my Fall/Winter 2022 collection. I usually don’t put sentimental value on objects, but this one still feels special to me, as it started a new chapter for my brand. Pretty much like the boots, it showed me that I can translate everything I’m imagining into a physical object. Creativity felt limitless at this point, and I made a whole collection inspired by this blazer.
Are all the items produced in limited quantities, or do you plan to keep certain designs as signature pieces in the permanent collection?
I will release a permanent collection called „entity“ this year. The Entity Line forms the foundation of your closet while the seasonal collections will provide statement pieces to build up on that base. The plan is to make the seasonal collections more limited, while keeping the Entity Line available throughout the year. This way we are going a step further into building a „uniform-brand.“
Credits:
Photography: Marco Giuliano / @marcogiulianoph
Styling: Anca Macavei / @ancamacavei
Fashion: Unvain / @unvainstudios
Make up/hair: Hejun Shi / @chicherdrink
Interview: Camila Correa / @cami.correahg
Model: Qilin at No Logo Men / @qiiiliiin @nologomen
Oksana on film