Choose nature

25th April 2020
choose nature

When I started AGNES NORDENHOLZ in 2015 I knew it would be about changing something. Being in the fashion industry for a while, I felt less and less attracted by fashion and didn´t feel the joy and excitement anymore, that once made me start studying fashion design.

Fashion has changed in the last 30 years and turned into a race of following always new trends, consume goods with a very short life cycle for less and less money.
Globalization led often to a production chain that is built on low minimum wage production countries and production facilities with less social and environmental standards.
Clothing is part of our culture, it is about craftsmanship, heritage and our identity. Our clothing communicates information about us, our society, our culture and our values.
You can express joy or grief, modesty or playfulness, rebellion or conformity. But you make a choice and you communicate.
What is the content of communication, if we wear clothing, that is produced under conditions, that we wouldn´t accept for ourselves, that is made of materials, that harm the environment and that have a quality, that are not made for a long last?What is the content of communication, when we buy clothing, just because it is so cheap, that it won´t hurt, if we throw it away, maybe even without wearing it? Fast Fashion today is like a drug. Driven by the constant need for more, you stay hungry and nevertheless, you feel empty.

The intention of my work, is to produce soulful products. And that takes time.
What does that mean?

AGNES NORDENHOLZ is committed to sustainability and slowness.

Production with social and ethical high standards using materials and techniques, that are the best for the environment and offer high durability. The design is meant to develop products, that stay for a long time, rather then seasonal trends. That is why AGNES NORDENHOLZ is producing in a slow pace, all year long instead of following the rush of the traditional fashion calendar.

CHOOSE NATURE I decided to use only natural materials for my products, as they are biodegradable and long lasting. The main materials are Leather, Wool and Linen. The materials come from European productions, that have a high quality standard and the highest environmental and animal welfare requirements.

WHY LEATHER, WOOL AND LINEN?

One of my great-grandfathers was a merchant in the wool industry, while the other one a leather tanner and my first name is AGNES ( agnus meaning lamb in latin).
This is a pretty predetermined situation.
Leather, Wool and linen have the longest history in our culture.

Leather

Leather is one of the most durable and versatile materials. It is a byproduct of the food industry and is therefore sustainable from the beginning. AGNES NORDENHOLZ works only with European tanneries with high standards of production, that use only skins from farmers with the best standards in animal welfare. The leather is vegetable tanned, that means the tanning process is made with natural ingredients from trees, fruits or vegetables. It is the oldest and most traditional method that exists since centuries. It is a slow process, that gives the leather a special characteristic and that will gain value over time. Vegetable-tanned leather does not contain any toxic substance and is highly tolerable for those who suffer from metal related allergies.

Wool

Wool is just the best fibre in the world. It is a renewable natural fibre, from freegrazing animals. Wool is breathable, biodegradable, wrinkle resistant, an active fibre that reacts to body temperature, stain resistant, easy to care, odour resistant. Especially Merino Wool is an extremely fine fibre, that gives a soft and luxuriously gentle feel on your skin. Due to the high quality wool is also the most recycled and reused fibre.

The Messenger

Linen

Linen is one of the oldest fibers used in human culture. It is made from the Flax plant which is a very undemanding plant, growing even in dry land and needs much less water and pesticides for growing then the `Thirsty Cotton´. Flax agriculture doesn´t allow monoculture, instead needs a crop rotation system to get best results. Linen is a strong fibre, it is cooling and absorbent and dries much faster than Cotton. It has antibacterial properties and is anti-allergic. Especially in hot and humid weather it gives coolness and freshness. Due to the ingredients of the fibre, it has a natural silky shine. The oldest clothing made of Linen goes back to 4000 b.C. and was found in an egyptian grave. Since many years I work with traditional Linen manufacturers from Austria and Ireland.

The stripes tote