Sustainable children's fashion: community, craft, family
Kristin Maurer produces high-quality and unusual products that work well, last a long time and can be repaired. Handmade in her studio in Amsterdam, these products embody Kristin's values, community, craftsmanship and family. In this interview, she explains how these values define her work with sustainable children's fashion.
Community
How does the production of fair trade children's clothing create community?
In the beginning I only had the children's lederhosen as a product. The community came about because all three of my children wore these pants at some point and grew out of them. Then I first passed the trousers around the family and everyone realized: hey, what a good pair of trousers. When these children grew up, they passed the pants on again. That's how we realized that they last a long time and that everyone is really happy when they get such old, used leather trousers.
At the Waldorf School, it then became a constant passing on. The mothers asked each other: is it okay if I pass the pants on to the other mother? And I said: yes, of course! So the lederhosen went around the school and a community developed that actually had nothing to do with money. The pants are an exception, there are so many wonderful childhood stories in them. For me, this is "fair trade children's clothing" in the truest sense of the word.
Pre-owned community through sustainable children's fashion
Based on this experience, I also sell used pants that customers send back to me after a long time. For example, ten years ago, in 2014 or 2015, a woman bought a pair of trousers that a few children had already worn. She has now sent these trousers back and received 50% of the original purchase price back from me. She used it to buy a handbag from the webshop. Since I started offering the pants pre-owned, I've noticed that these pants are the first to sell again. Because they are naturally cheaper and still look great, even after five years. The pants in particular have shown that it really works and that people don't mind if the pants are a little worn, or that they even think it's cool.
Forest kindergarten mom and expert Kristin Wichter (waldkindergarten-tipps.de) has written a great article about our leather pants in the long-term test.
Does your offer of free repairs also create a community?
Funnily enough, I only have very few repairs. I think the products just don't break. I've been offering free repairs for two years now and have received maybe three requests in that time. But there are some nice stories: For example, a girl recently came to me whose father had bought a rucksack. The daughter took the backpack because she thought it was so great. She lives near Amsterdam and came to me on her bike to ask if I could repair the rucksack, which was a bit torn. It really was her everything, she lived with it, wore it every day throughout her school years. But now the backpack was broken, there was really nothing she could do. So she turned the backpack into a laptop bag and sent me photos. Really cool.
Craft
All your products are handmade. How did you learn the craft of sewing?
Maybe it's a bit in my blood. My grandma, Luzie, was a dressmaker and also had her own studio. She earned her money with it and fed the family. During the war, she always traded clothes for food. Her studio was on the first floor of her house, just like mine. I inherited sewing machines with leather needles from my grandmothers.
I' ve always sewn myself, all my life, since I was about twelve. Sofa covers, curtains, anything that could fit under the machine. I had an interest in interior design and was always redecorating my room. It was actually all DIY, I've never attended a sewing course in my life. I went on to study completely different things, but I always sewed on the side. As a balance to everything else, all the mental work.
Sewing with sustainable leather
When I made my first pair of leather trousers by hand, using a sewing machine and leather needle, I quickly realized that the seams didn't look so good. So I went to the shoemaker here in Pretoriusstraat and asked him what I could do, whether he had any tips for me. He said I should buy a professional sewing machine. And he offered to spend an evening showing me how his leather sewing machine works. That was my only course, once after work at the Turkish shoemaker. We sewed a pair of leather trousers together and he explained the ins and outs of sewing with leather. That you have to burn off the threads after cutting them. And that, unlike fabric, you can pull leather up to 2 cm if a piece is too short so that it always fits in the end. A few tricks that were totally worth their weight in gold. I still use them.
What is important to you as a craftswoman when it comes to materials?
The material has to suit me. The thicker, the better. I like leather and thick cotton, coarser fabrics that are more three-dimensional. Leather is a reliable and high-quality fabric, it doesn't tear, it always looks the same, it looks good straight away. I only work with natural materials, fabrics that feel good - quality is very important to me.
How did you develop the designs for your products?
I developed the design myself and perfected the outdoor pants over the years. I always had new prototypes for my own children because I knew it wasn't quite right yet. I then gave them away: try the pants on and give me feedback after a while. That's how I noticed what could be improved: The width, an extra pocket or a longer or shorter strap... From 2012 to 2015, I was still improving the design. But then it was really good for once. Since then, the design has remained unchanged and I've never received any criticism about the cut or anything else. They fit. Now I'm really happy that I designed them that way.
With the punching bag it went a bit faster. I sometimes have creative nights where it comes over me and I think: now I'm developing a product. That's actually the best thing about the whole process. I get an inspiration and then I keep thinking: how could I put the zipper in a different place? Or make another seam invisible or visible? Then I work with trial and error. I don't draw, but always sew in the same way, cut it open again and sew another piece. With the punching bag it was one night, and at the end of the night I was totally happy. I thought: that's it. I haven't changed anything since then.
The leather trousers had to fit, the children had to be happy. With the punching bag, it was important for me to find the golden ratio between minimalist and beautiful. No overly complicated work steps. That's an important aspect of my products. I simplify the products more and more to the point where they can't be simplified any further but still have the same look. As a result, there are no vulnerable seams. They are designed to work well and last a long time.
Family
How have your sustainable products and your family developed together and influenced each other?
My products were created to meet the needs of my family. It always came from the need to have a product for my children that wasn't available in the stores. A practical product, I am very practical.
Outdoor pants for children
When the children were small, I thought we were going outside every day and there were no decent pants. I had three babies, twins - you have so much laundry and you have to wash cotton pants again after half an hour. Leather pants never really do. You can just rub them off. And if something really bad happens to the pants, well, then you can rinse them in the shower or just soak them completely under water. The nursery manager told me enthusiastically that my three children were always the quickest and longest outside in their leather pants. Other children had to put on rain pants or come in between when it was wet outside...
My children actually became "outdoor kids" because they wore lederhosen. We also became different as a family because we were actually always outside and had fun doing it. That somehow came from the lederhosen. If I hadn't had a product that allowed me to be outside all day with the children, because it was cold or wet or something, then our lives might have been a bit different.
The backpacks
Then later, when the children turned four, they started school and needed another new product, namely a rucksack. For the lunch box and drinking bottle. And I looked again and thought, there are probably no good children's rucksacks that can be thrown on the floor and get dirty and last a long time. That's when I bought the first children's backpack made of leather for my eldest daughter. To match the pants. And then at some point I thought: hey, my child has such a funny rucksack, I want a rucksack like that too. So for the very first time, I came up with the idea of making something for adults too. So I started with handmade leather backpacks for adults, and later also other sustainable leather bags.
The punching bags
Later, during the coronavirus pandemic, my children were a bit older. Then the punching bag came along because the children were at home and not at school, and there was a bit of stress at home. I had leather anyway from all the other stuff and came up with the idea of making a punching bag. We already had a wall bars and a swing inside, and that's how the punching bag came about. Funnily enough, it was used less by the children and more by all the friends who came over. But now, since my daughter is 14, she's been boxing at the boxing club.
I have also always tried to integrate the children into the business. I let them sew on the sewing machine from a very early age and I still give them simple tasks now. They don't always feel like it, but I think it's part of the job if their mother has a craft or business at home. After dinner on Sunday, we make the first shoes, the sandals, that's a lot of steps - cutting off the elastic, threading... the children can actually do everything except sewing. Sometimes under protest, but sometimes with pleasure, and they can also earn money with it. At the moment, my daughter sometimes fills the punching bags. One of my daughters loves sewing and wants to take over the business later on. She is allowed to sew on my old leather sewing machine. It makes me happy to see that the children know how to handle materials well. It's logical, they grow up in the studio and do everything with it.
