Pundits posited that the COVID era would shut down the industry for good or at least force it to reckon with its wasteful ways but, really, the necessity of consumer demand just bred innovative ways to produce more and more clothing. Ultrafast fashion can't be stopped.
So, Borre Akkersdijk is pulling BYBORRE, the thoughtful knit-obsessed company he co-founded, further away from fashion's fickle calendar on the occasion of his brand's 12th anniversary.
Edition 11 will be the only BYBORRE collection released in 2022, eschewing the typical two-season system for a single modular movement.
As Akkersdijk laid out in an open letter, he and his team looked inwards to reassess their own production and carbon impact. "We want to lead by example and show that it is a necessity to make less but better," he says, laying out plans to minimize textile waste and condense collections because "the industry must do better, for the sake of the planet and ourselves."
Less but better. It's the cornerstone of good design but easier said than done. Still, now that BYBORRE's well and truly established, it's more than capable of flipping the script.
"The last six years, we've been building with the industry, sharing innovations, starting dialogues with yarn suppliers and machine suppliers. Learning and exploring," Akkersdijk explained to Highsnobiety.
"The first six years was me just diving into the supply chain, seeing how hard it is to control all steps along the way."
Akkersdijk and team have the mostly steps under their thumb by now, allowing them to streamline their process to create a cohesive, compact collection of reliable staples.
But just because Edition 11 is intended to encompass the entirety of 2022, it's some kind of stylistic Swiss army knife designed to handle every climate and every season. Instead, Edition 11 is more of a highlight reel for BYBORRE's evolved process.
"Edition 11 showcases what we can do with textile using our Create platform," continues Akkersdijk. "We want to inspire other creators to take control of their creative freedom in the textile design process, designing with an innovative and sustainable eco-system."
"There is a lot of thought behind the making of the patterns how can we respect the textiles made and waist less and how do we respect the movement of the wearer. We respect every step along the way of the garment creation."
The resulting capsule, which launches Autumn 2022 on BYBORRE's website, is classic BYBORRE but also not quite.
Vivid pastel hues, created by translating the brushstrokes of guest artist BUTTERFINGAZ into a unique knit textile, interrupt a mostly muted palette, given life less by flashy color and more by the rich texture of BYBORRE's intricate garment construction.
Here, weighty hoodies, pullover sweaters, collarless jackets, and cropped trousers put the intricate fabrication to work, highlighting particularly clever bits of anatomical pattern-making with panels of tonal color.
The shapes are familiar but refined. If you've followed BYBORRE's output, you'll recognize the easy appeal of the brand's layering pieces and slouchy trousers but they've been reigned in, further aligning with the human form but no less comfortable.
And the particularly attentive will notice BYBORRE's new blankets and plush characters, the brand's first proper step into homeware.
"We want to show the tactile world around us and that reaches way beyond clothing," Akkersdijk said. "Homegoods and plush are just the door opening to interiors and automotive and all products that have textiles surfaces." BYBORRE car seat covers when?
Of course, all of this is grounded by an eco-conscious creative spirit, one that extends beyond a mere clothing collection.
"Edition 11 is about looking at the industry and seeing where we can make the difference and sharing that [attitude] with the creators of the industry," said Akkersdijk.
"It showcases how all creators could make better and more responsible textiles with their own DNA while making sure that this transparent story will educate the future generations of consumers."
