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CET

13:41

Meet K Kjaer a Copenhagen upcycling fashion designer

Words by

Interview by Matthew & Mckenzie

Published

June 7, 2024

Meet Katrine Kjær, the designer behind Copenhagen-based brand K Kjær. Her vision of reshaping the fashion landscape can be seen in her sustainable upcycling ethos, loving and adjusting clothes as they age with us.

From sewing in her bedroom to starting solo entrepreneurship, Katrine epitomizes the fusion of creativity and conscience in fashion. Her process tastefully merges upcycling methods and high quality pre-loved materials to craft garments with an eye for longevity. Join our chat with K KJAER and explore her vision for a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry.

‍

"My biggest skill

is to work with what I got"

McKenzie (MK)

Do you want to give us a little background about yourself to start off?

‍

Katrine Kjær (K)

I'm Katrine and I graduated from my Bachelor super recently, like 1.5 years ago, and immediately I had to just buy my own industrial sewing machine and continue where I was going from the Bachelor. I've been self-employed ever since.

I started in my bedroom, I would make my bed into a sofa and it would be my workspace in the daytime. Quickly I had to get a proper studio because I have too many materials. I can't help myself and gather too much stuff, because I'm only working with upcycling materials and second hand materials.

Often people give me so much stuff and I can't say no to it, because I've discovered that you can use anything for anything. Nothing has to be thrown away.

‍

It's so difficult to throw stuff away because it's like “Oh, maybe I could use this for something.” Of course I have to have it managed, so I have to narrow it down a bit. Denim has especially been my thing, upcycling denim, but also fur. I really like to work with these raw materials, because those materials can really last for a lifetime. I really love to, when designing, think about making pieces that can really last for a long time. Also I work a lot with adjustability and things like this, so that you can change it a bit as your body changes, because it will during the years.

"Actually I've started feeling that there are so many new ways to see the role of the designer. The idea of taking garments that are already produced and turning them into something new"

‍Matty (M)

It’s really well thought out. It is not just making one product, but about how that can be changed and prolonged to suit that one person or anyone else that would take that on in the future.

‍

Exactly. Yeah. I feel like for me it's always been a bit ambivalent to start working with fashion, but it was the thing I had to do. It was so natural, but still I've always felt like we don't need more products in this world. We already have enough for the next, like, six generations. So why should I produce more? And also I feel like I'm a big minimalist. Actually, I don't feel so good about having that many things. And in a way, I'd love to leave as few traces as possible.

Smaller footprint.

‍

Exactly. Smaller footprints. I feel like I can do that by taking the garments that are already produced and turn them into something new, because then I'm not only participating to create some kind of life cycle. Yeah.

‍

You said that you stepped out immediately on your own. What was the reason for that?

‍

I think it was difficult, and it's still difficult for me to picture myself in a company, because there's not that many companies that work with the same ethics that I wish to work with. I wouldn't like to be in a big company and do it season by season, not caring about what I'm actually sending out. It would kill it all. So I feel like it was so much more natural for me to start on my own. I get the most experience by doing this for myself, when you're on your own you have to do both the economy, and the PR, and the visuals and the production and you get to learn so many things. It's a lot, but it's also super nice for me to learn it all.

Yeah. That's where we create change, right? Though not conforming with whatever is happening, but taking the new direction, planting a new seed.

‍

Exactly. Now I've only been doing it for 1.5 years and it's not sustainable for me economically. I can’t live completely off it, not if I picture myself producing it all. I would have to hire someone or do something else, get something produced, but that's also such a difficult choice. Because then something else happens to the whole idea, it gets more commercialized in a way. Maybe I wouldn't like that.

‍

Actually I've started feeling that there are actually so many new ways to see the role of the designer. The idea of taking garments that are already produced and turning them into something new; I feel like it could be super interesting to also work with some of these companies that are already existing and try to open their eyes. They have so much stock and I would love to be someone helping them with that stock. My biggest skill is to work with what I got. I would love to do it on a bigger scale.

‍

How do you go about finding materials to work with at the moment? You said you get some from friends…

‍

Yeah, both that, but my denim I get from the Red Cross. They have so much denim that they can't sell in-store. So actually I can order 30 kg of denim jeans. In the beginning I would go to the second hand store and pick the pieces out, but that takes way too long. Also I felt bad that maybe I took the jeans from someone who would actually buy them as they were, instead of me cutting them. Now I'm taking the jeans that they couldn't sell.

‍

There is always excess stock and unfortunately a lot of it ends up in landfills. So I feel like it's still positive to do that. And in that as well, you've got to buy your fabric from somewhere, so buying it cheap enough means that you can handcraft these pieces in Denmark where labor prices can be quite high. But then it still enables the designers to produce here and sell at competitive prices.

‍

Exactly.

I love it so much. I wish more designers were doing this, like there's so much material out there. We know it! That's why our mission is to get this message out there. There's so many clothes that are already out there, and I love the creativity of upcycling so much. It's just the better way. It's just so much smart, and that's where the role of the designer comes in. I read that you do a lot of made-to-order stuff as well. Can you give us some insight on that?

‍

Well mostly I do that, and then I sell some pieces in stores in Copenhagen, but mostly made-to-order. It’s a nice way to do it because, even though the jeans that I do are adjustable so they can fit a lot of body types, it’s still super nice to order a piece and you get it fitting your body exactly how you want. That also makes it a piece that you would actually have for a long time.

‍

It's a win-win. It's a win for you, for the earth, for the customer because they get something that really suits them and fits them. And then you save on the resources, you're not buying excess materials that don't get used. And you're not contributing to the landfill issue.

‍

Exactly. It's crazy because all these unused garments that the bigger companies can sell, it's a huge expense for them as well to have the stock. It costs money to have a big stock and it costs a lot of money even to burn it… which is a terrible choice to take, but it costs money. So it's such a win-win to actually spend some money or energy making something else out of that stock.

‍

What's your opinion on the state of the fashion industry in regards to upcycling? Do you feel like consumers are educated on this? I mean, obviously if they're coming to you, they probably have an idea of what's going on. But what's your take?

I feel like everyone knows what upcycling is, and it's something I see has been a big trend, people wanting to upcycle their own clothes as well…which is super nice! Also nice that people actually get a feeling about sewing and how the stuff that you wear every day is actually made. I think the consumer still needs to be educated in some way, to want to spend the money on something that is handmade, or really well made.

Of course it takes a lot more time to upcycle and you have to pay some extra money for that. It’s still a project because we have had so many years where you could buy like three T-shirts for the price of two. Actually we didn't even want the third T-shirt, but you just take it. So this state of mind still needs to be changed.

‍

I'm kind of surprised that actually there's so many men and women my own age who are wanting to spend the money on my designs, because maybe I thought that I had to target a more mature group, who had the money. But actually I think that there are some young people who want to spend the money.

‍

I feel it's becoming more of an obligation now, and a responsibility. Maybe there's a little more shame and guilt around buying fast-fashion. So people actually want to be part of a trend that's for the greater good, a better purpose, for the environment. People are starting to really embody that, which is great.

‍

It’s so valuable. Some people these days just cut and paste their style, but there's an underground of people wanting to be different.

‍

There's so much confidence in that as well, wearing something that's one-off, that's one unique piece and no one else has got that piece. What are the challenges you are facing at the moment with your supply chain through to your design making and getting it to the consumer, from an environmental and from a business point of view?

‍

Well, I feel like the problems that I'm facing right now may be that I'm just me doing it all. Being able to keep up with everything. Making and doing the orders, but still wanting to create new pieces and new designs.

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So right now I have to think in some other ways to do it. I love that everything is one-of-a-kind, that also gives me energy every time I'm making the piece. But in a way I can, I could, I should start thinking a bit smarter. I have to think of ways to do unique pieces, but a little bit faster.

I mean, you could always put your prices up to make the profit.

‍

Exactly, but maybe I will lose some customers as well.

‍

And it kind of goes against pushing forward the movement.

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I think that's where we come in. Copenhagen is such a model for the rest of the fashion industry because there's so many independent designers and we're trying to amplify these voices, get them collected into one place of only sustainable, only circular, aesthetic pieces. So people around the world can see this, and your brand grows with the community together. You said that you just started a year ago or something, after the pandemic. During the pandemic, a lot of people woke up, they started upcycling at home and started DIY because there was nowhere to shop. This started getting people thinking, and so now is the perfect time for this to just grow, grow, grow. Grow the support and band together as a community, spread the word and then you can upscale from there.

‍

Yeah it makes sense. I really like the thought of all my customers, when they choose to buy something from me, they choose not to buy it from these super commercial companies.

‍

Which is also great because that means they can start changing their ways!

‍

It's such a nice way to put it actually! Because this is such a small scale, right? Sometimes I feel like “Man, it's not a big change that I'm making right now. I would love to do bigger changes,” But actually, it is a big change because when we are many people pushing in that direction, it's gonna create change.

‍

What message would you convey to up and coming designers in the fashion industry or current designers?

‍

Well, I think some of the things we just talked about. To really keep on going. Push it in that direction that you really wanna go ethically. It's kind of a difficult question… I would love to say something super like spot on… but man, yeah, just go, keep going!

‍

Thank you so much for your time. We really enjoyed this and coming into the studio and seeing what you create is really inspiring.

‍

Thank you so much! Love the philosophy behind it, love the creativity. Can't wait to see more, more, more, more.

‍

Thank you! I can't wait to see more from you as well. Such a nice project.