María Bernad and STUDIO5: An Upcyclist’s Revert to Utopia
DECEMBER 20, 2022 → WORDS BENJAMIN K. JOHNSON
In her last interview with SICKY, Bernad spoke of the inspiration and motivation for Les Fleurs Studio, then a fast emerging, online collaborative project for upcyclists and the designers behind the movement. In the year since, Bernad has established her signature label, Les Fleurs, released her first collection ‘02 MOVEMENTS’ and held residence space at Printemps, Paris. Benjamin K. Johnson catches up with María on a brisk Parisian evening as she cuts the ribbon on STUDIO5, a sustainable and experimental Parisian concept store on 5 Rue Dante - 75005. Bernad continues to elevate her creative being while promoting her vision of a circular fashion utopia. Whetting the appetite of all those seeking an alternative approach to fashion, Bernad repeatedly calls for a focus on sustainability and the use of the natural to tackle the lasting effects of fast fashion and consumerism.
STUDIO5 presents itself as a physical emulation of Bernad’s beliefs, a store transcended from the depths of the designer’s mind and harnessed using a workforce of sustainable collaborators. The space features rails of upcycled, repurposed clothing and sculptured, ornamental homeware stands on display highlighting the breadth of Bernad’s romantic creativity.
STUDIO5 showcases the collections of Les Fleurs Studio (Bernad’s signature brand), a selection of vintage and upcycled products curated by STUDIO5 and María Bernad, alongside sustainable eyewear by Amaury Paris. As STUDIO5 progresses, it will welcome innovative, unique, and experimental designers to share not only the space, but also the sustainable ethos Bernad has become so well-known for. STUDIO5 currently features the artistic work of Martin Faure and Oussama Garti in collaboration with Darmo Gallery; it is clear that every corner, nook and display have been thought out extensively to offer the consumer the very best of what Bernad and her co-creators are capable of.
Possibly the most striking feature of the space is the open atelier at the back, used solely for the production of Les Fleurs. Here customers can alter their garments and witness the handcrafted creation process of Bernad and the team behind her. Humble in her approach, the atelier also educates on the alternative ways in which we can satisfy our own consumption. Moving away from the lingering choke-hold of fast-fashion, customers can observe the production of sustainable fashion and the ways in which this is a very real, easy-to-access solution to the many crises the industry has created. Alongside, ‘02 MOVEMENTS’ remains on display with new features from Bernad’s recent capsule collection. These collections embrace a yearned for neo-romantic disposition, embroidered with inspiration of the natural world and sewn with a calling for sustainable awareness. The garments have been birthed from an upcyclist’s dream with the intention of translating movement into action; a process whereby the consumer begins to question their own actions of consumption. Using organic and natural elements such as cotton and linen, alongside pickings of sea life, Bernad recreates, repurposes and produces with a zero waste ethos. The pieces do not only sit beautifully to sell, they stand to make us question: Is new fashion production, whether fast or digital, the only road for the industry to take? Surging the tides of a green awakening that began rippling throughout the pandemic, Bernad continues to pave a route for upcycling, one only recently trodden by larger fashion houses and influencers alike.
All of this remains fuelled by a curious desire for utopian fashion production - one where measured control of clothing is practised.
MB: “One of the main problems right now is overproduction and, as a consequence, the waste that fashion produces. To fight this, we need a better study of how we can find solutions for reproduction. I think there is so much to improve in terms of textile and its alternatives.”
Bernad continues to elaborate that the ideal would be an industry built on methods of specialism, where fashion and its back-end creative production hold space for specialists in individual trade working in unison. Bernad’s vision of this specialist circular utopia functions with a produce-on-demand ethos, where emphasis is placed on the rendering of the natural - sustainably using our environment while upcycling our current waste to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This re-births an age-old creativity and solidifies doorways for individualism. Entering the collaborative space that is STUDIO5, you will witness María Bernad’s specialist utopia and its very plausible nature as an alternative to fashion’s current trajectory.
As the industry chases dystopia in its pursuit of the digital, programmed ventures are diverting our attention from the lasting effects of fast-fashion and consumerism. Augmented reality, gamification, and NFTs may be a way of reducing our carbon footprint, but they should not be seen as our only escape from the customs of our current industry. The consequences of over production and its impact on our natural environment are growing more dire, and ignoring the issue is no longer an option. Bernad refuses to fit this mould in her determination to both educate, and provide alternative means of production - all the while utilising textile that would have otherwise been considered waste. Her work speaks without lips to aid and is a representation of both her mind and her understanding of beauty. María Bernad offers a breeze of fresh air in an industry otherwise polluted by its own habits.
María Bernad
and STUDIO5:
An Upcyclist’s Revert to Utopia
DECEMBER 20, 2022 → WORDS BENJAMIN K. JOHNSON
In her last interview with SICKY, Bernad spoke of the inspiration and motivation for Les Fleurs Studio, then a fast emerging, online collaborative project for upcyclists and the designers behind the movement. In the year since, Bernad has established her signature label, Les Fleurs, released her first collection ‘02 MOVEMENTS’ and held residence space at Printemps, Paris. Benjamin K. Johnson catches up with María on a brisk Parisian evening as she cuts the ribbon on STUDIO5, a sustainable and experimental Parisian concept store on 5 Rue Dante - 75005. Bernad continues to elevate her creative being while promoting her vision of a circular fashion utopia. Whetting the appetite of all those seeking an alternative approach to fashion, Bernad repeatedly calls for a focus on sustainability and the use of the natural to tackle the lasting effects of fast fashion and consumerism.
STUDIO5 presents itself as a physical emulation of Bernad’s beliefs, a store transcended from the depths of the designer’s mind and harnessed using a workforce of sustainable collaborators. The space features rails of upcycled, repurposed clothing and sculptured, ornamental homeware stands on display highlighting the breadth of Bernad’s romantic creativity.
STUDIO5 showcases the collections of Les Fleurs Studio (Bernad’s signature brand), a selection of vintage and upcycled products curated by STUDIO5 and María Bernad, alongside sustainable eyewear by Amaury Paris. As STUDIO5 progresses, it will welcome innovative, unique, and experimental designers to share not only the space, but also the sustainable ethos Bernad has become so well-known for. STUDIO5 currently features the artistic work of Martin Faure and Oussama Garti in collaboration with Darmo Gallery; it is clear that every corner, nook and display have been thought out extensively to offer the consumer the very best of what Bernad and her co-creators are capable of.
Possibly the most striking feature of the space is the open atelier at the back, used solely for the production of Les Fleurs. Here customers can alter their garments and witness the handcrafted creation process of Bernad and the team behind her. Humble in her approach, the atelier also educates on the alternative ways in which we can satisfy our own consumption. Moving away from the lingering choke-hold of fast-fashion, customers can observe the production of sustainable fashion and the ways in which this is a very real, easy-to-access solution to the many crises the industry has created. Alongside, ‘02 MOVEMENTS’ remains on display with new features from Bernad’s recent capsule collection. These collections embrace a yearned for neo-romantic disposition, embroidered with inspiration of the natural world and sewn with a calling for sustainable awareness. The garments have been birthed from an upcyclist’s dream with the intention of translating movement into action; a process whereby the consumer begins to question their own actions of consumption. Using organic and natural elements such as cotton and linen, alongside pickings of sea life, Bernad recreates, repurposes and produces with a zero waste ethos. The pieces do not only sit beautifully to sell, they stand to make us question: Is new fashion production, whether fast or digital, the only road for the industry to take? Surging the tides of a green awakening that began rippling throughout the pandemic, Bernad continues to pave a route for upcycling, one only recently trodden by larger fashion houses and influencers alike.
All of this remains fuelled by a curious desire for utopian fashion production - one where measured control of clothing is practised. MB: “One of the main problems right now is overproduction and, as a consequence, the waste that fashion produces. To fight this, we need a better study of how we can find solutions for reproduction. I think there is so much to improve in terms of textile and its alternatives.” Bernad continues to elaborate that the ideal would be an industry built on methods of specialism, where fashion and its back-end creative production hold space for specialists in individual trade working in unison. Bernad’s vision of this specialist circular utopia functions with a produce-on-demand ethos, where emphasis is placed on the rendering of the natural - sustainably using our environment while upcycling our current waste to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This re-births an age-old creativity and solidifies doorways for individualism. Entering the collaborative space that is STUDIO5, you will witness María Bernad’s specialist utopia and its very plausible nature as an alternative to fashion’s current trajectory.
As the industry chases dystopia in its pursuit of the digital, programmed ventures are diverting our attention from the lasting effects of fast-fashion and consumerism. Augmented reality, gamification, and NFTs may be a way of reducing our carbon footprint, but they should not be seen as our only escape from the customs of our current industry. The consequences of over production and its impact on our natural environment are growing more dire, and ignoring the issue is no longer an option. Bernad refuses to fit this mould in her determination to both educate, and provide alternative means of production - all the while utilising textile that would have otherwise been considered waste. Her work speaks without lips to aid and is a representation of both her mind and her understanding of beauty. María Bernad offers a breeze of fresh air in an industry otherwise polluted by its own habits.