Ksenia Schnaider is a Kyiv-based fashion label led by Ksenia and Anton Schnaider. Established in 2011, the brand gained recognition in 2016 with the design of demi-denims, combination of
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 underpants; this is an example of fashion-industry words taken from designs across history, ...
and
skinny jeans.
History
Ksenia Schnaider created her first pair of jeans from
second-hand
Used goods, also known as secondhand goods, are any item of personal property that have been previously owned by someone else and are offered for sale not as new, including metals in any form except coins that are legal tender. Used goods may ...
denim
Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more Warp (weaving), warp threads. This twill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. Denim, as it is recognized today, was f ...
, which led to the designers continuing this as an ongoing project. The brand has three
upcycled lines — denim, sport and knits, and denim fur technology.
Of 1000-2500 items made each season, around a third are upcycled. Each year the label upcycles 5.3 tonnes of denim jeans (up to 7000 pairs) to make about 5000 new garments. On average 550-700 jeans are upcycled each month.
Demi-denims
The duo's best known design is
demi-denims, 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 silhouett ...
of
pants
Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants (American English, American, Canadian English, Canadian and Australian English) are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separatel ...
which appear to be made of two separate garments. Demi-denims look like slim-fit jeans from behind, and like a skirt or culottes worn on top of slim-fit jeans – from the front.
After its debut in 2016, it has gained success online and among celebrities, including
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...
and
Bella Hadid
Isabella Khair Hadid ( ; born October 9, 1996) is an American model. Hadid has made 35 appearances on international ''Vogue'' covers. In 2022, she was named Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. ''Time'' magazine named her one ...
.
Collaborations
In March 2019, the brand announced the launch of a collaboration with denim producer
ISKO The collection features the brand's signature demi-denims, flared jeans, denim shorts, skirts, and cropped jackets.
For spring-summer 2020, the brand collaborated with Belgium-based shoe label Morobé to produce mules and boots made from leftover denim.
In 2021, the brand created an '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 Jakarta, Jinan, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Shanghai, Singapore, Surabaya and Tianjin, ...
Tokyo out of leftover materials in its studio.
Awards
In 2019, the label was placed 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
{{Reflist
Clothing brands of Ukraine