Resi Bender: Interview about sustainability in fashion design

Central Image: Chloé Royer wearing SAWRA bodysuit, patchwork shirt made from silk, raw silk and viscose and orange denim shorts with dark satin blue applications, photographed by Alexandra Masmanidi at Kyan Athens

Resi Bender is a designer from Berlin. She graduated from the University of Art in Weissensee and immediately started practicing the art of clothing manufacturing with an emphasis on creative tailoring. The speed and pressure under which we produce clothing and accessories today convinced her to explore a non-industrial form of production. The concept of human exploitation with the sole aim of profit, the simultaneous urgent condition of the planet and the disappointing lack of quality materials for the production of clothes, which ultimately can not appeal to all genders, made her experiment with handmade clothing. The core of her work is the design of sustainable, affordable and timeless pieces made from good, eco-friendly materials, i.e. collections that express aesthetically and practically the person who wears them. The non-binary/unisex approach, both in the design and study and in the implementation, is characteristic of her clothes. Alongside her own brand, she also runs half of the studio "NMRB" with visual artist Natacha Mankowski. Since 2017, she has been living and working in Athens. We talked with her about what it's like to be a fashion designer in Greece and the corresponding market’s response and trajectory.

How is the situation here in Greece regarding Design and experimental fabrication particularly?

I produce all of my pieces by myself in my studio in the center of Athens. I compose patchwork pieces from leftover fabrics I have been collecting over the years from other productions, as well as from vintage clothing and over- or dead-stock fabrics I source from trusted fabric shops in the center of Athens. The silks, rayons, cotton, wool, etc. I am finding in these shops are incredible and often have a much higher quality than new ones one can find on the market. I don’t need large amounts of fabrics which allows me the freedom to source fabrics in this way — a kind of treasure hunt. I do really love fabrics and they continue to be a vital source of inspiration.

My patchwork pieces, which span from large installations like curtains to custom-made clothing, are one of a kind, reproducible but always slightly different. I play with different combinations of textures, transparencies and shades of colors. The compositions and arrangements of the patchwork are key to each piece and make each of them unique. The way I work makes it impossible to outsource my production and in this way, my pieces will always be limited and never overproduced.

Petros Kazantzidis wearing a full NMRB suit plus NMRB kimono, styled by Philippe G. Missas, makeup Sissi Petropoulou, shot by Reto Schmid

Why did you choose Greece, what is the main difficulty that confronts a foreign artist like you and what are some positive factors to living and working here? 

My husband and I moved to Greece in October 2017. We lost our apartment in Berlin and we were ready to leave the city and explore another one. We fell in love with Athens. We found an amazing space where we combine working and living. Having a large studio space opened up the possibility to expand my exploration in garment making and also allowed us to venture out into gardening, fermentations and other projects. 

So far Greece has been treating me well. I can’t complain. There is maybe one thing I would wish for the future, to find local shops which would carry my garment lines.

There are so many positive factors to living and working here. The surrounding nature, mountains and sea, the food, the laiki, the people, our friends, our home and studio, the big second-hand market by Eleonas, the sun, our cat and the vitality of the Athens community. I love living here!

From photo series 'In Stereo’, Resi Bender wearing full patchwork suit plus patchwork kimono all made from silk, raw silk and viscose, photographed by Cynthia Ortu

Where do you draw inspiration from and which "qualities" do you want every piece of yours to "contain" or "promote"? 

I am drawing my inspiration from the craft of tailoring and pattern making as well as from fabrics. In movement-related projects the people I work with, what they want to express in their performance, their movements, their medium or their set inspires me. In my work as a personal tailor, my clients and their bodies and their perception of their bodies are my inspiration. As one half of NMRB, a collaboration with my dear friend and incredibly talented painter Natacha Mankowski, her paintings, the mesmerizing landscape of Greece which inspire her works, my sensibility for garment making and sustainability are qualities we want to express. 

In my work, I usually start from the given functionalities or limitations. Design and form follows function. My work celebrates materiality, colors and craftsmanship. I have the desire to create eco-friendly, easy-to-wear and one-of-a-kind pieces. I wish that every garment I create will empower its wearer in their everyday life or in their performative acts. 

Patchwork curtain from silk, viscose, cotton, linen, cotton-silk blends and wool