Greta Czermak - Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin

Don’t waste it – A fashion collection inspired by concepts for intergenerational sustainability in fashion – Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin

The “Don’t waste it” collection explores how a mindful approach to clothing can be instilled from an early age. It stems from the observation that, whilst sustainability is increasingly being addressed in educational settings, practical skills such as mending or reusing are often neglected.

As part of the project, I worked with people of all ages, from children to baby boomers. Through workshops, project days, sewing classes, repair cafés and a clothes swap, an open dialogue emerged about consumption, appreciation and creative ways of taking action. Children, in particular, played a central role. Their drawings, ideas and creative contributions were incorporated directly into the collection and shape its visual language.

A key element is a participatory painting survey on birch bark on the theme of ‘Don’t waste it’, which gave rise, among other things, to the centrepiece of the collection: a dress made of birch bark, whose silhouette evokes the earth. The collection combines upcycling of existing garments with hand-painted birch bark, nature-inspired appliqués and repair-oriented techniques. Visible mending is deliberately used as a design element. “Don’t waste it” understands sustainability not as deprivation, but as a creative, collaborative process.

The collection embodies intergenerational solidarity and collective responsibility, encourages us to rethink our consumption habits, and is presented across generations.

Greta Czermak studied fashion design at HTW Berlin and completed her Bachelor of Arts under Prof. Hussein Chalayan. Prior to this, she had already completed an apprenticeship as a fashion designer and obtained her journeyman’s certificate in ladies’ tailoring. Her work focuses on sustainability, upcycling and experimental materials. An earlier project gave her the idea of working with birch bark, a material that was already in use in the Stone Age and can still be found in our forests today. Her work is characterised by detailed, colourful and, in some cases, childlike designs.

Fotograph*in
Emilia von Heiseler @milli.on.pixel
Niko Pipia @_abrukka_

Esther Reichard @estherreichard

Models
Anna von Rueden @annavonrueden

Johanna Michel

Athena Macke @athena.macke

Hermine von Rueden

HuM

Karla Vargas @karlaromeromakeup

Asia Luberti @lubmua