KSENIASCHNAIDER is a Kyiv-based brand which led by Ksenia and Anton Schnaider. The brand was established in 2011, but gained a worldwide recognition in 2016 with the invention of demi-denims. The model was created as a combination of the

culottes Culottes are an item of clothing worn on the lower half of the body. The term can refer to either split skirts, historical men's breeches, or women's under-pants; this is an example of fashion-industry words taken from designs across history, l ...

and the

skinny jeans Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans (when made of denim) are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style includ ...

History

Ksenia Schnaider started to create the first pair of jeans from

second-hand Used goods mean any item of personal property offered for sale not as new, including metals in any form except coins that are legal tender, but excluding books, magazines, and postage stamps. Risks Furniture, in particular bedding or upholstere ...

denim Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. While a denim predecessor known as dungaree has been pr ...

, which led the designers to develop this into an ongoing project.

Upcycling Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value ...

has proved to be a great tool for the designers. At the moment Ksenia Schnaider has 3 re-worked lines — denim, sport and knits and the Denim Fur Technology. Out of 1000-2500 items made each season, around a third are upcycled. Each year they upcycle 5.3 tonnes worth of denim jeans, which is up to 7000 pairs, to make about 5000 of new garments. On average 550-700 jeans are upcycled each month.

Demi-denims

The most famous design by the duo is

demi-denims Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and pate ...

. A combined

silhouette A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...

pants Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and dr ...

which appear to be made out of two separate garments. Demi-denims look just like slim fit jeans from behind, like a skirt or culottes worn on top of slim fit jeans – from the front. After its debut in 2016 it has instantly gained a success online and among celebrities. Among the latter were

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

and

Bella Hadid Isabella Khairiah Hadid (born October 9, 1996) is an American model. In 2016, she was voted "Model of the Year" by industry professionals for Models.com. Over the span of four years, Hadid has made twenty-seven appearances on international '' ...

Collaborations

In March 2019, the brand announces the launch of ISKO x KSENIASCHNAIDER, an eco-denim capsule collection made of ISKO Earth FitTM responsible fabrics. The designers decided to experiment with KSENIASCHNAIDER statement pieces to see how they would perform if made with a completely different fabric. This collection is inspired by KSENIASCHNAIDER best-selling items from the last three years. It features the brand's signature demi-denims, flared jeans, denim shorts, skirts, and cropped jackets. Together, both brands believe in producing responsible fashion that has a low impact on the environment. For the spring-summer 2020, KSENIASCHNAIDER collaborated with Belgium-based shoe label MOROBÉ. Together they have produced mules and boots made from leftover denim. This year, KSENIASCHNAIDER has also created 'anti-easy' capsule line for

Isetan ( unlisted on March 26, 2008, ) is a Japanese department store. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Isetan has branches throughout Japan and South East Asia, including in Jinan, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Shanghai, Singapore and Tianjin, and formerly in Ba ...

Tokyo out of leftover materials in the KSENIASCHNAIDER studio.

Awards

In 2019 label took place in the Vogue Green Talent shortlist for upcycling an estimated 500 pairs of jeans, or five tonnes of textile and denim per year.

External links

Official website

References