INTERVIEW #61 BASTANTE
Based in: Oslo, Norway
Founded in: 2021
Founded by: Aud Elin Omholt & Grete Roer
Stores: Only in Norway at the moment. We have a pop-up at Eftir, Grünerløkka in Oslo, and sell directly by contacting us through DM on Instagram or by e-mail at post@bastantetextile.com.
Price range: €550 - €710
Instagram: @bastantetextile
What is Bastante Textile and why did you start your brand?
Bastante Textile is a clothing brand producing high-end blazers made of 100% high quality surplus fabric from Norwegian furniture production. Bastante has a full Norwegian value chain. We started the brand as we saw a gap in the market for more choice and variation within less formal blazer jackets and workwear in general, and we especially found it difficult to find high quality blazer jackets produced in a sustainable way.
What is your sustainability profile?
The main focus dictating everything we do with our concept, is that we want to produce our clothes from using existing resources only. We want our model to be circular, and do not want to contribute to increasing the demand for new resources. We produce the jackets at a local factory in Oslo, Norway, named Manufacture Oslo. They specify in prototyping and product development, but as we still run a rather small production we are now able to do our full production here. We have a close dialogue with the factory, and a relationship to both our operations manager and sewer that we value a lot. We work with a local furniture producer to source our surplus textiles for shell of the jackets, and a company named Rekotex to source our linings. Rekotex specify in offering surplus textiles from other clothing productions, in smaller quantities - perfect for a brand like us. In terms of our designs, we also strive for these to be as timeless as possible. We focus on feminine shapes, and wish for our designs to be something women feel like wearing year after year because they always work. By utilizing surplus textiles in very high quality from Norwegian furniture production, our ambition is to create items that will last a lifetime - as these fabrics are known for being extremely durable.
How and where are the products produced and how do you choose your design?
Bastante is locally produced in Norway. We design and construct our blazers in Oslo, Norway at Manufacture Oslo. We are really glad that we have a local collaboration partner in Manufacture Oslo. As mentioned above, we have a very close relationship and dialogue with our production partner, and we truly see our local production as a competitive advantage in the market. With key local competence within construction and design at Manufacture Oslo, we are able to quickly decide whether a design works or not.
Where do you find inspiration?
We are both working in larger, corporate businesses and we find a lot of inspiration from many of the well dressed women in our workplaces. We love the women truly showcasing their personal style in the workplace, as well as in all other settings in their everyday lives. We are also greatly inspired by our many wonderful and stylish friends.
What have been and are the major challenges?
It has been challenging to make the business model come alive, and we have spent a lot of time establishing the partnerships that we now have. From the beginning we have been very determined on the partners we wanted to work with, and we needed to invest a lot of time building these exact partnerships. The most challenging part however, has been the product development phase. As we both come from business, not design, we needed a lot of support to develop and construct the first jackets. A fitted jacket is not really the easiest way to start either, we quickly learned... However, we believe we are able to overcome this barrier working with the right partners and sourcing the competence that we do not hold ourselves.
What has been and is the largest gain?
To have a full Norwegian value chain utilizing existing resources has been the main goal for Bastante. Our next step and largest gain ahead is to be able to produce only on demand from our customers. That way we are never left with a large inventory, and only produce the jackets that are in demand.
What do you think needs to change in the fashion industry to make it more sustainable?
We think there are a number of factors that could contribute to change and a more sustainable fashion industry. We believe more circular concepts and business models to avoid demand for new resources will play a critical role. Next, we also believe it is important for every one of us to reduce our consumption in general, and that we truly utilize our power as consumers and at the same time always search for more knowledge.
What do you believe is "greenwashing" and what can producers and consumers do to avoid it?
We believe greenwashing is about utilizing various “sustainability terms” as part of your marketing, avoiding putting these terms into a broader context or providing the needed explanation for what they actually mean. We believe greenwashing is unfortunately highly widespread among many of the large fast fashion retailers. To avoid this we come back to the importance of transparency, and to always search for more knowledge to best possibly utilize our power as consumers.
What would you advise consumers to do who seek to create a sustainable closet and lifestyle?
We would advise consumers to do more research, and make a thorough consideration for every purchase to be made. By investing more time and effort for fewer, better purchases, we believe you are also more likely to take good care of what you buy and provide your selected items a long lifetime. There are so many small, interesting brands out there with great concepts and sustainable business models - imagine how much of a richer selection and society we will have as consumers if we support these independent players vs the large fast fashion retailers, all creating similar styles.
