Dream label Nanushka have recently joined the HURR family. Combining femininity with function, the Budapest-born brand presents a collection of day-to-night pieces for the modern woman.
Here's what happened when we caught up with the brand's co-founders Sandra Sandor and Peter Baldaszti.
As I'm the Founder and Creative Director of Nanushka it's really a part of my life. I have been building and developing the brand for the past 15 years and our past and present is very much intertwined. I can't believe my life without it, Nanushka has come a long way and was able to achieve things I only dreamt of, I'm very proud of the brand and also of the whole team at Nanushka.
There has always been a debate about vegan leather and real leather and their impact on our environment and it's a grey area, both of them have pros and cons. Our leather is a plastic based material, and it is not without environmental concerns - however there is reasonable ground to state that the environmental impact of producing vegan leather is lower than real leather due to agricultural land usage and the tanning process. Nanushka's commitment to sustainability is to try to find ways that will have the least amount of impact on the environment while not compromising on our aesthetic and quality, for that reason we are always looking for new and innovative procedures and materials; in fact we are working on a new vegan leather that is more environmentally friendly choice. Currently we use a combination of leather, vegan leather and regenerated leather in our collections.
Sustainability is a driving force at Nanushka. We look at every project and design through the lenses of sustainability and we are working on constantly improving in it. The sustainability of our collections is increasing from season to season and we plan to make every item from responsibly sourced materials by 2025. Our sustainability team supports us in material selection but also works on supply chain transparency, ensuring ethical working conditions at our suppliers, measuring our impact to track and trace our improvement and also, on developing circular business models and making our communication more transparent about our status and progress in sustainability.
The Foundation plays an essential role in catalyzing the circular transformation of our industry. Bringing together key stakeholders from all parts of the supply chain, it’s a real think tank setting the path with guidelines and mutually aligned best practices. We participate in their annual workshops that the Foundation processes through further research and publishes in guidelines and frameworks that we can implement in practice. One example is the Jeans Redesign Guide which sets rules for making recyclable denim items. At these workshops we also work on circular business models like rental, which are key to changing how fashion is consumed.
I would say the Cleto jumper as I adore knitwear, it's my go to piece and Joy, which is made of our buttersoft vegan leather and can be worn as a dress or overcoat. And also the Lenox jacket, which is our updated quilted vegan leather puffer, with an additional hood and waist tie which brings a desirable finish to the oversized style.
We are constantly working on new and exciting projects, and not just on new category launches, but also on programs that can help and support the Nanushka community. We have just launched the Design for Life mentorship program to support talents from diverse and BAME backgrounds. We are also opening our flagship store in London in the heart of Mayfair, which is a dream come true for me.
The reality of keeping your business clothes sharp when money is tight and your conscience is Earth-loving is a real dilemma – news just in tells us that the issue even affects the most powerhouse of females.
As if we couldn't love them more, five US Democratic congresswomen – affectionally known as 'The Squad' – are advising each other (and us, in turn) on the best ways to keep your smart wardrobe fresh and sustainable.