SUSTAINABLE SYMPOSIUM
SF1OG
by Oliver Dahle
When you hear the name SF1OG, what comes to mind could be something from the periodic table or an offspring from Elon Musk. However, it’s the name of what could be one of the hottest fashion brands in Berlin. Founded by the designer, Rosa Marga Dahl. SF1OG is characterised by its unique approach to repurposing materials and garments, blending childhood memories with modern design sensibilities. Together with Jacob Langemeyer, the duo have in a short period gained a cult following among Berlin’s youth, by breaking new ground and changing the interpretation of what sustainable fashion could be.
Rosa, could you tell us how you got into fashion?
Rosa: It started when I was very young. When I grew up I used to do these projects with my dad making artworks that were mostly crafted out of wood, wool and stuff that we had in the house. Then, when I was ten years old, my mom taught me how to sew. From then, I started to watch YouTube and I tried to learn how I could make my garments. As a kid, I never had a lot of money so instead, I just created what I wanted. I was very particular about what I was wearing, so it became a tool for me to make my own thing.
What made you pursue the path of creating your brand?
Rosa: I founded SF1OG while studying fashion design in Berlin. I didn’t like uni that much, because it felt like I wasn’t having enough creative freedom. In the beginning, SF1OG became a way of having a creative outlet for everything I had learned and liked doing. I wanted the name to be disconnected from me, and one day I saw this label on a package; SF1OG. Which was where my small student apartment was located. It just felt perfect. Some friends then started supporting it, which became other people and then it grew naturally. At one point, I had my first intern, which was Jacob. He had the idea to get the project to the next level and think about how we can make it a business and not just a hobby project. Since that point, we’ve been doing this together.
It sounds like what you’re doing today, Rosa, is what you used to do when you were growing up. Would you say your upbringing has shaped your work today?
Rosa: I think your whole personality and way of thinking, and creating, is being formed when you’re growing up. Our second collection was based on things that I used to do when I was a kid with my father. The latest collection was inspired by equestrian sports. Something I used to do with my grandpa who was a horse breeder and a big part of my life growing up.
Rosa: Psychologically, everything that you do as a kid will shape your life and I’m always referring to what I was taught. Many people ask how I could work sustainably and to me, it’s just logic. That’s what I used to do with my dad; using materials that were lying around in the house. These materials have value and you can use them to create something with even more value.
Jacob: Her father is an artist and I always say that Rosa is an artist doing fashion because she really has the mind of an artist. She has a very unique way of thinking.
How would you say that SF1OG contribute to the world of fashion?
Jacob: We always try to offer something new. But from an ecological perspective, is of course our way of producing things and of working. We’re not just contributing by offering our products, but also drawing attention to the way we’re working and making it popular. I think that is probably the biggest contribution we can offer.
What does the design process look like?
Rosa: I start the design process by finding materials and these tell me the direction to go. If you use old linen, which is something we use a lot in our most recent collection, then you can’t just do any kind of pattern. The fabric has to tell you how to work with it. First, we do material research and then we do more general research, which, for example in my latest collection could be looking into the equestrian world, how was it like 100 or 200 years ago? How is it now? And then merge all of these things come together.
You use a lot of sturdier fabrics like leather, linen and denim. What would you say are your favourite techniques or materials to work with?
Rosa: My favourite materials are leather and linen. For the leather, we always use recycled leather that’s shown on the runway. This could be challenging because you are very limited in what you can do. At the same time, it’s inspiring because the fabric tells its own story — it’s aged, it has stains, it might have imperfections, even rips that we kind of still use. Then, for me, the pattern cutting is a very intense and nice process and it’s all inspiring the final piece.
Rosa: We use our hands to uplift the value of old materials, which is, for example, what I told you about the leather and its imperfections. We are taking it and making it into art and showcasing the imperfections. In our latest collection, one jacket was another jacket before we took it apart and sewed it all together by hand. This is for me the most appreciation you can give to a material or a garment.
You’ve earlier said that you don’t like labelling yourself as a 100% sustainable brand. Today, sustainability is one of the most important things for a young designer to think of. What are your thoughts on sustainability?
Rosa: I think no one can say they are 100% sustainable, being fully sustainable would mean not doing anything, basically. But you can’t do everything, especially in trying to find a better way to make business, to make a product, or develop your brand, as sustainable as possible. This is also the thing when brands are saying that they’re sustainable, What does it mean? Sustainability has so many aspects, there is the whole side of production, human capital, shipping, fabrics, materials, machines, and CO2 emissions, there’s so much that it’s impossible to focus on everything. We just try to be as conscious as we can.
Obviously, you’re working a lot with repurposing. Besides that, what would you say are your most important aspects, when it comes to sustainability?
Rosa: Something that’s important to us is the production and human resource part. We always work with production that we know is managing and paying people right.
Jacob: Another one is to offer a product that has a long life cycle and can be used as much as possible. We want to offer products that are well-made and could be repaired. That’s also part of our aesthetic, that there are imperfections. So new imperfection would be part of the design, so you can integrate repairs and wear it as long as possible.
Credits: Pictures by Shauna Summers, Interview by Oliver Dahle