Introducing the Bachelor Collection by Veronika Hopponen. Photography by Lexi Sun. Models are Jennifer Farwer signed at Agency M4 Models, Matilda Venter signed at dsm Management and Nadezda Papkovskaya. Hair & Make up by Kateryna Wulff. Sponsorship by Textilhafen. Veronika Hopponen is a 27 years old Berlin-based fashion designer.
“I am originally from Sweden with Finnish and Polish roots. I have been studying fashion from the early age of 15. I decided to move to Berlin back in 2014 where I initially started studying at the former Esmod Berlin. Now Spring 2020 I am graduating from Universität der Künste Berlin. The years in-between my degree I have been interning in Paris and working in the fashion industry in Berlin.
In my designs, I am inspired by what surrounds me along with Berlin which I believe is one of the most unique capitals. A place that I today refer to as my home. In my work, I believe in collaborating with local, independent creatives and businesses. For my bachelor collection, this was a given. I got sponsored by the upcycling project Textilhafen which is a part of the Berliner Stadtmission. Furthermore, the production of the photoshoot was located in East Berlin at the truly unique industrial furniture store Urban Industrial.
My focus as a designer lies in creating sustainable high fashion garments. I believe that textile waste is one of the most valuable resources for the future of fashion. I have always been very attracted to the second hand and vintage market. My first experience with the second hand was at a young age volunteering at a large second-hand store. Ever since the second-hand market has played a big role in the creations of my designs. Naturally, for my Bachelor Collection, I have spent hours at the many local second-hand stores and flea-markets that Berlin has to offer. I really value the entire atmosphere these places gives me. They give out a feeling of authenticity.
My collection is titled “Living Rooms”. It is an artistic work where I critically have been looking at the future of fashion, while at the same time learning from the past by researching historical examples of “Do it yourself” culture. “Do it yourself” or DIY has in past practices often been utilized in times of crisis. Such as during, after or in between wars or when the safety and structure in society has been challenged or taken away. During unstable economies where people have been living with limited financial resources seeking creative solutions to make their own products. In particular, I found great inspiration from my Polish roots and the resourceful attitude that my mother grew up with. In her hometown Słupsk everything could be reused or upcycled. Objects did not have the same disposable value as they have today.
Today we live in a reality where our future is uncertain and extraordinary unpredictable.
These unconventional times enforces us to do things differently than the way that we have done things before. I believe in taking a stand for the future of fashion by reframing the way we design and produce our garments.
By applying sustainable material solutions, I wanted to explore the possibilities of renewing the existing system of garment production. Taking discarded interior textiles as my starting point.
The collection is titled “Living Rooms” owing to the fact that the garments are produced mainly using post-consumer interior textile waste. In my design concept, I give these pre-owned interior textiles new value by placing them in new rooms, in the sense that they are transformed from discarded interior textiles into high fashion garments. By combining the post-consumer textile waste with new, deadstock materials I achieved to prolong the lives of these rejected materials by giving them the opportunity to re-enter the fashion system.
These are materials that most likely would have had piled up on the mountains of landfills together with the already million tons of discarded textiles. Releasing methane emissions into the air, causing toxic pollution of the groundwater and harming our environment. By taking these rejected materials and giving them new life and new value, I wanted to raise the question of what we value within the fashion and how we can change our ways of thinking about how we consume.”
Bachelor Collection by Veronika Hopponen / Instagram: @veronikahopponen
Photography by Lexi Sun / www.lexisun.com / Instagram: @gieesio
Assistants by Johanna Braun / Instagram: @johannusb and Dominik Musewitsch Instagram: @dominik_demonic
Hair & Make up by Kateryna Wulff / Instagram: @kati_mud
Model is Jennifer Farwer signed at Agency M4 Models / Instagram: @jennifer.farwer
Model is Matilda Venter signed at dsm Management / Instagram: @matilda.venter
Model is Nadezda Papkovskaya / @nadushaberry
Location is at Urban Industrial / urban-industrial.de / Instagram: @urbanindustrial
Sponsorship by Textilhafen / Instagram: @textilhafen
