INTERVIEW #57 KARIN LIND

Name: Karin Lind

Occupation: Teacher, blogger and co-founder of ÛNE Atelier

Blog: https://karinlind.se/ 

Based in: Stockholm

Ships to: (https://www.uneatelier.com/) internationally

Hi Karin!  So happy to have you featured on our site as one of the change makers  out there. Tell us about yourself and your background?
I’m a 30-year old historian slash art lover slash instagrammer! I’m a high school teacher by day, teaching history and religion. I love reflecting about my clothes and my wardrobe, sharing these thoughts on mainly Instagram @stilbloggen. I recently launched ÛNE, a sustainable clothing brand, together with my friend Lina Paciello.

To someone who never visited your blog, what’s it about?
It’s one part style diary, one part “source of minimalistic inspiration”, I would say! Here I share my outfits, which is mostly my black skirt worn in different settings styled with different accessories - my wardrobe is quite small and very curated. I try to inspire my followers to make more sustainable style choices. 

“I try to inspire my followers to make more sustainable style choices.”

I’m curious about your own sustainable brand ”ÛNE”, what’s your  own description of the brand and its concept?
ÛNE is a sizeless, timeless, sustainable clothing brand. Tired of traditional sizing and labels, Lina Paciello and I decided to create sizeless pieces. It’s a new take on ‘one size fits many’, our garments are created with the female body in mind, with adjustable sizing to fit most shapes and sizes. It’s timeless as in transseasonal, made to be worn in different ways, to fit all occasions. The ÛNE aesthetic is a mirror of Lina Paciello’s and my aesthetic; a scandinavian simplicity and mediterranian “soul”. It’s a warm, earthy minimalism. It’s slow - as in authentic, locally produced, made of eco-friendly materials. 

How and where are the products being produced?
As for now, we’ve released one item, the ‘Elba’ scarf, a triangular linen scarf. Is handwoven and sewn in Lithuania. As we aim to be a small, “slow” brand, we’ll work on one product at a time, sourcing the best materials and producers for each garment. 

“ I think clothes can be sustainable when they’re made to love and to last. When we wear them time and time again. When they’re made with more intention, less impact.”

Are we lucky enough to have you share some future dreams/plans  regarding your brand?
Our next project is a clothing item - samples are made as we speak! We would love to offer a small collection of well-curated, timeless, sizeless pieces. A “wardrobe core”, so to speak. But we’re taking it slow. One step at a time!

Who inspires you the most when it comes to style?
I love women with a strong sense of style, not necessarily sharing my minimal, all-black aesthetic. @tubavalon, @c_commited, @alinabrane are three Instagram favourites. 

How would you describe your own style?
Well-curated. Minimalistic. I’m very picky and think about style and my wardrobe a lot - I mean A LOT. Aesthetic wise, it’s 99% black. At the same time my style is a bit “maximalistic” - I love big, voluminous pieces with a lot of drama. 

Any favorite items in your closet?
My full, wide, black skirt by Tibi! I wear it all the time. I would love to create a similar skirt for ÛNE. 

What is sustainable fashion for you?
Fashion can never be sustainable, as there’s trends in fashion. Fashion changes, it’s meant to change. However - we still need to wear clothes and it happens to be a great way to tell the world about who we are and who we want to be. I think clothes can be sustainable when they’re made to love and to last. When we wear them time and time again. When they’re made with more intention, less impact.

What do you think about the fashion industry, and what do you believe needs to change within the industry?
In these times of fast fashion, for sustainability to become reality I believe there needs to be a big system change, bigger than just the fashion industry. Maybe it would be going back to a more traditional way of making and buying clothes. As in owning a few pieces and taking well care of them, making them last for a long time, passing them on to the next generation. Basically - it needs to slow down. A lot. 

“In these times of fast fashion, for sustainability to become reality I believe there needs to be a big system change, bigger than just the fashion industry.”

What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?
The first step is to quit buying new stuff and wearing what you already own. Let’s say, for a year. Make it into a challenge! A few months down the road, you’ve hopefully figured out your signature style and which of the already existing pieces you love the most. When the time has come to buy something new - invest in timeless, high-quality versions of your favorite items. This is your wardrobe “core”. If you ever feel the urge to shop, swap with friends, rent and shop second hand. Reduce, re-use, recycle!

Follow Karin on Instagram - @stilbloggen!