PROJECTS       ABOUT       SHOP

In my mind: A body reduced to its graphic shapes, searching for a new aesthetic beyond gendered identities.

A key note of Treches' collections is the balancing of loud elements: –The way I see it, you can create balance two ways: either by keeping as close to the middle as possible, or by spending more effort keeping the balance further out to the sides of the scale. I prefer the latter. I like to put strong contrasts against each other, finding harmony in the balance of extremities.

Committed to finding the most sustainable approach

Treches has been an ethically responsible company ever since the first collection in 2008. No people will suffer for the creation of our products!
We follow our vision of a fair fashion industry where human rights and well-being are accounted for at every step of the development and manufacturing process.

Our fabrics are always sustainable and certified GOTS, IVN Best, Fairwear or KbT. We use organic cotton from Turkey and Portugal as well as hemp, linen, silk, wool and recycled materials.

All our products are made in our (currently: home-)studio in Berlin. We do not keep a large stock of products but practice 'made to order'; items ordered through our webshop are mostly sewn after the order comes in.
Additional notes on ethics and sustainability ↓

Microplastic
Ever since watching Story of Stuff's video on microfibers in our oceans and the harm it does, I've been feeling bad about implementing (industry standard) polyester thread. That's why I'm now rather using the natural lyocell thread, but as it comes in very few colours the thread will not always match the fabric. For topstitching I still use polyester if there's no matching lyocell thread available, but the embroideries are always in lyocell.

Traceability
Because Treches has no organic certification itself we are open about our fabric sources. Each article in our webshop has info on the materials used and from which producer it came, with a link to follow to learn more about their company and sometimes even the possibility of buying the fabric yourself.

Transparancy
Our products are creative goods and often made-to-order, so there are no exact calculations of material cost and production time. The prices are set to reflect how much time has gone into design and creation of the items. The aim is to have materials and production each amount to about 25% of selling price, although pieces with a specialised fabric (such as felted wool or digital prints) may have higher fabric costs and lower assembly times.
Each piece of clothing has a tag telling the customer when and by who it was made.
See work in progress at Instagram

Treches Headquarter &
at-home-studio:
Elsenstrasse 78,
12059 Berlin, Neukölln.

☎ Jeanette Bruneau Rossow — info@treches.com

The Story

"Treches started as a DIY project in a feminist house in Berlin. In 2008 I ordered some rolls of organic fabric and cut the first few pieces on my bedroom floor. Not long after a friend and I decided to open a small shop with adjoining studio.

By working with other designers I learned pattern making, sewing and how to run a fashion label. I got talented co-workers on board and we exhibited at Berlin Fashion Week and delivered pre-order collections to organic fashion stores all over Germany and in Europe.

After years of hard work and trying to do everything right I felt drained and lost focus. I thought quitting Treches would give me more creative leeway. Instead I ended up doing nothing because everything felt pointless. It's clear to me now, that my passions are making clothes and working to make the world a better place.. At least I can try to show how fashion can be done in harmony with nature, people and ethics.
I don't want to try to fit into traditional gender roles, so I will aim to create clothes that go beyond them. I will no longer get distracted by how people think things should be done, or how it has "always" been done, but rather create clothes that me and my friends love and want to wear."

Jei Bruneau Rossow — October 2016