“500kg co2” The future of upcycling in a digital age

As an official partner of the Berlin Fashion Week and supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economic, Energy and Public Enterprises, "500KG CO2” came to life this January. With this new digital upcycling event format, STUDIO183 invites people to dive into the new digital reality where upcycling, independent design and cutting-edge technology merge. Why “500KG CO2”? The name "500KG CO2" derives from the recent material science study conducted by INTEXTER that concludes that reusing 1kg of textile saves 25kg of CO2, so based on this research the idea for the digital upcycling format "500KG CO2” emerged.

The goal is to showcase new forms of consuming fashion in light of the climate crisis and the utilization of digital tools. Supported by technological innovations, individuals are empowered to use second-hand garments from their own wardrobe to create new items based on existing designs by independent, emerging designers. This new format was displayed in a 1-day event format during Berlin Fashion Week at POPKDM. The extension of this exhibition can be viewed at STUDIO183 Store inside BIKINI Berlin.

This new format is presented via the co-created influencer collection “500KG CO2”. With a background in upcycling and digital fashion, the design lead Manon Beretti Prenan met with a group of 5 influencers, including Britney Manson, who were invited to bring preloved garments to STUDIO183 Berlin. Upon exploring each talents’ preference, style and body type, and considering the preloved textiles, Manon created design suggestions based on design templates provided by STUDIO183 designers. The selected looks were produced by local creators in a pop-up atelier at STUDIO183 Berlin.

Glitching the lines between consumer, designer, and model, the upcycled collection that was co-created with the 5 influencers and enters the digital sphere in a VR Runway format. The influencers’ avatars become models, showcasing co-designed upcycling looks on the VR Runway and setting the new norm for upcycling and digital fashion showcase. Highlight of the exhibition is the design station, where you can experience the future of upcycling with the beta version of the AR Upcycling App. Guests can select from preloved garments and based on templates from independent designers upcycle their items.

With “500KG CO2”, STUDIO183 showcases how technology can be a catalyst for sustainable practices in the fashion industry, and seamlessly fuses independent design, circular fashion and technological innovations.

The exhibition continues at BIKINI Berlin inside STUDIO183 and the brands + design templates are @nena.barcelona , @papingomaminga , @afmf.ro , @studio747athens @moonshinecha , @oversized_studio , @starchak_official @chany.maria @gluckclo @jiminleeresults

NENA BARCELONA

NENA is a reconstructed non binary fashion label, founded in 2022 in Barcelona. NENA creates hand crafted pieces that are sustainable and celebrate true individuality. The designer uses every part of usable fabrics, and specializes in reconstructing vintage denim, leather and tuxedo. From upcycling belt straps into chokers to creating sleeves from leg openings, NENA believes everyones’ beauty is unique. We shouldn’t all look the same. Nena is here to celebrate your individuality. To feel powerful and fearless. Handcrafted in Barcelona

PAPINGO MAMINGA

Papingo Maminga is an independent design firm created in 2011 by Marco Gutiérrez and Daniel Ghetti in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. The purpose of the brand was to create clothes that break with the schemes established in their country of ‘how to dress’

With an avant-garde line, Papingo Maminga adheres to deconstructivism, organic morphology, pop culture, kitsch folklorism in Latin American cities, the nostalgia of the eighties and nineties of the middle class, the contrast of colors and textures, to harmonic dissonance, eclecticism, history, inclusion, and communication. Made in Bolivia.

AFMF

AFMF is a clothing brand that offers a wide selection of high-quality denim overalls, pants, skirts, tops, and dresses for women. Aesthetic Freedom/Manufactured for Fun. Made in Romania.

MANON BERETTI PRENANT

Manon Beretti-Prenant combines elements of graphic- and fashion design in a more modern and sustainable way through her digital fashion studio. From conception to production utilizing new tools to develop ideas and items for real life use and virtual / digital pieces of clothing to be worn in the meta verse and showcased digitally. Made in Athens, Greece.

OVERSIZED STUDIO

Oversized Studio is an upcycling brand created in 2018 in Kyiv. Its founder and designer Olga Boncheva loves unusual and rare clothes. Each item she creates is disassembled and reassembled. Always unique. Always special. Therefore, all items

are created in a single copy and every collection is in a limited number. Oversized Studio pushes people to buy quality, but not quantity. And it creates our identity. Made in Ukraine.

STARCHAK

STARCHAK is an upcycling brand from Lviv, Ukraine. Marija likes to work with eco-skin and knotty fabrics which preserve shape. These fabrics allow her to create new silhouettes and complex architectural forms. Made in Ukraine.

CHANY

CHANY’s most recent collection, SPACE KNIGHTS, was inspired by astronauts, space exploration and the search for alternative planets for life. In her collections, she mostly uses materials that maintain the shape, as her cuts are emphasized and oversized in some parts (mostly shoulders and sleeves). In this way the designer wants to show strength that humans carry inside. The collection is intended for everyone who perceives fashion as art, freedom, play, as a message and who feel their inner strength. Made in Belgrade, Serbia.

GLÜCK

Yehor was born in the small town of Alexandria on August 31, 1999. Since childhood, he dreamed of connecting life with art, so at the age of 19 he created his own fashion brand. In 2020, he presented his first art collection at the Ukrainian Fashion Week and since then has been collaborating with many Ukrainian celebrities. Mostly inspired by disco music from the 70s and 80s. Life credo: nothing is impossible, you just need to start. Made in Ukraine.

JIMIN LEE

JIMIN LEE is a menswear designer from South Korea. She is interested in eroticism, sexuality and the naked human form. Hand drawing is where her work begins and how she expresses what she sees and how she feels, revealing her imagination. The title of her collection is “Female Gaze”. Lee explores a new found freedom through her work that results in an admiration and respect for the naked male form. Made in South Korea.

APP INTERFACE DESIGN - Neli Štrukelj

Neli is an award-winning and highly experienced creative professional with a background in fashion, visual, and UI design. She dedicated her bachelor's and master’s thesis to researching sustainable fashion practices and developing environmentally friendly accessories collections. She founded a sustainable luxury handbag brand ZMAI which got presented in exhibitions in London, Vienna, New York & Paris. As a member of SOTO society, she received the “Elle Style Awards” and was a finalist of the “Independent Handbag Designer Awards”, in the category Best Green Handbag.

AVATARS // @marcel_schlutt , @aatypi , @nkraush , @saralilyperez , @mae_b_pssst

PARTNERS // @senwienbe @berlinfashionwe @fashioncouncilgermany___

PHOTOGRAPHY // @irene.marinato @tichypatrick @seraares

DOCUMENTARY DIRECTED BY // @ae_wiel CINEMATOGRAPHY @tichypatrick

PARTNERS // @senwienbe @berlinfashionwe @fashioncouncilgermany

@500kgco2

Words by @mirawanderlust

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