Since its conception in 2006, the namesake brand of Danish fashion designer Stine Goya has produced several womenswear collections that combine colour and print in an elegant yet joyously playful fashion. Now, the brand is focussed on sustainability and social responsibility, with the launch of their first sustainable capsule collection for AW19.
To celebrate the launch, Copenhagen-based digital artist Yilmaz Sen — who has previously collaborated with Balenciaga on their trippy SS19 campaign vids — has created a mesmerising short film showcasing the collection in all its frilled, floral and glittering glory — see the full video above, choreographed by Kiani del Valle. In its honour, SLEEK caught up with Stine Goya to talk nurturing an ethical, sustainable ethos without forsaking style.
Film Still. Courtesy of Stine Goya.
What are some of the sustainable and ethical elements to the collection?
For our AW19 Collection, we wanted to create something that was in keeping with our aesthetic vision and high quality product, but challenged our team in focusing on using 100 percent sustainable materials. Contrary to our beliefs, what we discovered was how diverse this category was and how many opportunities it gave our designers. The Janika Dress, is a particularly strong example of the breadth of innovation we employed within the collection. The fabrication is made with using 100 percent GOTS certified Peace Silk, which is made using non-violent and natural harvesting techniques, where breeding grounds are chemical-free and the means of production is slower but ultimately does not affect the natural life-cycle of the silkworm. The colour / pattern of this style is created using an entirely water-free engineered digital printing process with GOTS certified ink, and adorned with recycled and recyclable PET sequin film.
What are some of the challenges of balancing sustainability, ethics and fashion?
I think one of the main challenges for us as a brand is balancing the impetus to initiate profound changes with our existing commitment to our partners and our team. After being a household name in Denmark for the last 10 years — in recent seasons, Stine Goya has experienced such amazing growth internationally that we now have to consider. We are creating, manufacturing and selling product – and we don’t want to stop. We don’t want to stop creating – we just need to adjust our business structure to ensure that we are mitigating our impact on the planet.
How does one source recycled sequins and what is the difference between waterless printing and regular methods?
Recycled sequins, like the PET variety used as part of our AW19 capsule, are sourced from one of the most common plastic wastes – the water bottle. Waterless Engineered Digital Printing has been a gamechanger for the industry that is recognised as the second biggest consumer and polluter of fresh water after agriculture. There are no screens or colourant baths used in the process and fabric does not need to go through multiple wash/print cycles to achieve the desired result.
Film Still. Courtesy of Stine Goya.
What are some of the influences behind the collection — pieces of it feel a bit reminiscent of French pantomime, for example? What was the inspiration behind the choreography by Kiani del Valle and how does it interact with the collection?
The collection was inspired by Truman Capote’s Black and White ball and his “swans” — the group of diverse high profile women who inspired him and made up his social set. This forms the root choreographer and artist Kiani del Valle’s vision with queer performer Bendik Giske. From here, the distinct group of dancers, our “swans”, revisit different ways in which women were portrayed in history, combining pedestrian movement with how women act and behave, both alone and together. Infused with their female energy, Bendik is triggered to play his mastery of the circular breathing technique. Bendik and Kianí create a relationship between sound and body for the viewer that transport us onto the deep essence of Stine Goya’s collection.
What was the inspiration behind the digital surrealism used in the campaign? Is it just as important in the modern age to place clothes digitally as well as physically?
Definitely. We buy our clothes online. We interact with our peers online. We have online personalities. This fusion of digital and physical is not even the next step, we are already there. With our entire lives existing in a digital framework, clothes must too. Yilmaz Sen’s work explores this — abstracting reality to manipulate something real and tangible – into something you aren’t quite able to be a part of. Movement, sound and space take on a different character through Yilmaz’s vision. It’s not about the clothes, it’s about what is possible through the clothes and the feeling that evokes.
Film Still. Courtesy of Stine Goya.