INTERVIEW #47 KATARINA GRAFFMAN

“Let’s talk about the system instead of individuals!”

What’s your relationship with clothes?

I’m always naked! No, I’m joking. 

I like clothes, but it’s not something I give a lot of attention to in my private life. The only strong fashion memory I have was from my first year in high school when I dressed in clothes from the 19th century. The clothes came from my parents’ old house, and I loved those truly “vintage” clothes. It’s the only time I can remember I used clothes to differentiate myself. And my fellow classmates thought I was really weird… ha ha. 

I believe I have always been quite sure of who I am and think that I rather early found my style. I haven’t changed my style a lot throughout the years. If I find something I like, often in good quality, I use it a lot. I’m not a “searching” person. I like beautiful clothes, but I’m not using it to play with my identity. 

“I believe I have always been quite sure of who I am and think that I rather early found my style. I haven’t changed my style a lot throughout the years”

 How would you describe your style?

I would say I’m a denim person! If I find a good pair of jeans I could wear that all the time, almost, with a beautiful shirt. I like the design of the brand Zadig & Voltaire, the mix between jeans, femininity and coolness! Clothes also have to be convenient, that is very important to me! As soon as it gets a little bit warm in the spring I prefer to use skirts and dresses. I use dresses the whole summer. It’s so nice not to wear stockings, it’s a feeling of freedom!

I do a lot of lectures and of course I want to look good on stage, so I often use colours because it makes a different impact than if you use black or grey, for example bright red or something similar. But it has been a journey for me to feel comfortable on stage. I want to feel convenient on stage but at the same time look good. I have probably explored my style identity more as a lecturer than as a person. On stage, my clothes are my uniform. 

But it can be complex, you don’t want your clothes to be in focus. I’ve been having lectures and afterwards people from the audience complement my clothes, my shoes or my skirt and then I’m wondering if they’ve been listening to my talk at all? The lesson learned, don’t dress in a way that takes focus from your message.  

I know my style, I have a good wardrobe, I’m 50 now and have found what I like and what suits me. Each life phase, has its own way; when you are a teenager, first phase of being an adult, when having small kids etc. And each phase puts a layer on who you will become. This will of course have an impact on how you dress. 

The influencer culture we see today is unfortunate promoting the opposite. In today’s society we can’t wear the same clothes several times. For a while ago I scrolled my Instagram feed and realised that the same clothes were coming up over and over again. First I thought, oh what will people think, but then I felt proud. My first reaction was a response on how we think we ought to dress, always new outfits, according to the logic in Consumer culture. Then I realised that I was trapped mentally by this logic and got annoyed with myself. It’s a great thing to show that we use the same clothing over and over again!

It’s actually greenwashing when influencers just sell their clothes second hand as soon as they have used them once. It’s important that we use the same clothes, and that we change the logic “always a new outfit”. 

“Each life phase, has its own way; when you are a teenager, first phase of being an adult, when having small kids etc. And each phase puts a layer on who you will become. This will of course have an impact on how you dress.”

How would you describe your closet?

It’s not a classic closet that magazines and fashion experts advice us to have if we want a “sustainable closet” - the casual closet with a trench coat, a white shirt and a black dress etc. I think I have my own kind of “sustainable closet” – several jeans I really like, a mix of different shirts, t-shirts, dresses. It’s really hard to find good dresses. So when I find one, I use it until it falls apart. In my age you have realised what kind of model you like on your dress or shirt. The right length and the right shape are very important when it comes to feel comfortable about your style. So, in my closet you can find jeans, dresses with flowers, some cool items, like a leather jacket, smart but still feminine. 

When I buy something new I use it until it falls apart. I buy high quality and I prefer Scandinavian brands because some of them take more responsibility when it comes to production. If I don’t like it after a while I’ll give it to a friend. 

My closet is well organised and it’s small! If I compare it with friends, it’s small! I never have had that enormous wardrobe. I think my closet is enough. If you don’t have order in your closet, it’s hard to know what you have! To have it more organised you remember what you have and it’s easier to mix and match.

“If we truly want to change, we need new business models and we need to change the Consumer culture logic.”

What is a sustainable closet for you?

-       Good quality – I use what I love until it breaks 

-       Convenient – to feel comfortable is the main thing no matter what situation

Those two, good quality and convenience, are the recipe to a sustainable closet, for me.

What do you think about the fashion industry? 

I think they are greenwashing a lot! When it comes to fast fashion, it’s not good at all. Several seasons every year, a lot of sales, it’s a consumer logic that is unhealthy for us as humans and for the planet. Why do we need that? But I also think everyone should have access to beautiful clothing. Everyone should be able to afford something they like. But the business model per see, is just building the Consumer culture which is a problem. It’s a dirty business in so many aspects, for example the production processes and the textile workers’ living conditions. It is not sustainable from either a social or an environmental perspective. 

It is a complex question because there are so many dimensions to it. For example, to hand in old clothes to get sales for new clothes, that’s greenwashing! People just keep on consuming, it doesn’t change anything. If we truly want to change, we need new business models and we need to change the Consumer culture logic.

What do you believe needs to change?

We have to change perspective, from this stubborn focus on the individual, the consumers, to focus on the companies and politicians! It’s the neoliberal ideology that dominates the world today and that system celebrates the individual’s free choices. And with this ideology companies say that they are only listening to consumers and what consumers want. The responsibility needs to be put on the producers and the politicians. If we only have good choices to choose among, we will make good choices. Let’s talk about the system instead of individuals!

But we also need to change the current Consumer culture logic. We can’t continue to buy and buy and throw away when we get tired of the stuff we buy because it’s not “trendy” at the moment. But we should not be naïve and think that it is easy to change culture, that over night we can have a new kind of cultural logic. No, it takes time (time we may not have…), but a great way to start the change is to understand the logic in Consumer culture and what impact it has, both conscious and unconscious, on how we behave. 

“We have to change perspective, from this stubborn focus on the individual, the consumers, to focus on the companies and politicians!”

What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?

• Get to know yourself and start to feel comfortable in who you are. Be conscious about how companies marketing wants you to feel unsatisfied in who you are. The whole idea behind marketing is to make you think; “maybe I feel more beautiful, cooler and smarter if I buy this products”.

• Understand your needs and your desires and what differentiate them. In the consumer culture we live in, it is the desire logic that is dominating! We think that material things are solutions to our emotional problems.

• Practice by using the same clothes for several days. What happens? How do you feel? Do people around you react to the fact you’re wearing the same clothes?

Learn more about Katarina on her website! We highly recommend her books, follow her on Instagram and watch her Ted talk!