We spoke with Julie Bourgeois, the founder and designer of Tata Christiane, a Berlin-based slow fashion brand celebrated for its avant-garde, upcycled, and vibrant designs. Tata Christiane seamlessly blends street costume with deconstructed couture, crafting unique pieces that champion individuality and sustainable practices.
How did the idea for Tata Christiane come about? What was your inspiration?
The idea for Tata Christiane came about organically, born from both necessity and my self-taught practice. While the concept of sustainability wasn’t part of my vocabulary when I started in 2007, my approach was fundamentally sustainable from the beginning.
The name itself has a fun backstory. As a teenager in the ’90s, I was all about second-hand and vintage flea market finds. Back then, it wasn’t trendy—people often thought it was a bit quirky, maybe even a little out there. But for me, those clothes were treasures! By the time I was 17, I’d become a serious collector of vintage pieces. I was captivated by the patterns, the cuts, the memories, and the stories hidden in the stitching and repairs.
One morning, while I was out searching with my best friend and Tata Christiane co-founder, Gabriel, and his 7-year-old sister, she suddenly said, “Everything you buy looks like what Tata Christiane wears!” Tata Christiane was her grandmother’s sister, known for her fabulously colorful and unique style. Gabriel and I just looked at each other and said, “If we ever start a clothing project, we have to name it after her.” And that’s how it happened. The name just stuck because, honestly, who doesn’t have a Tata Christiane in their life?
When I first wrote about our label in 2007, I described it as a “vision of street costume, an absurd and unsettling take on beauty marked by decline, maladjustment, extravagance, and immoderation.” It was all about pushing the boundaries of elegance, digging up old memories, recycling civilization’s waste, and creating something both monstrous and sublime. And honestly, I’m still digging into the same obsession today.
Can you share some specific sustainable practices Tata Christiane implements in the design and production process to minimize environmental impact?
I produce most of the pieces myself in my Berlin studio. For collections, I use deadstock or fabric remnants. Today, many stores offer these options as fashion sourcing has become more aware of sustainability. When I started, I could only find these materials at physical street markets or flea markets. Additionally, as a small brand, I couldn’t afford to buy new fabric at textile fairs due to the high minimum order quantities, which also posed a risk of waste.
To minimize waste, I employ cutting techniques based on squares, rectangles, and bands, which reduces leftovers significantly. Over time, I’ve almost eliminated waste, and the few scraps that remain are used in unique pieces. For basics, I use a print-on-demand service, which, while more costly, helps avoid overproduction. These on-demand productions are based in Europe and increasingly offer sustainable materials like recycled polyester and organic cotton.
In addition to seasonal collections, I produce unique pieces throughout the year, upcycling vintage scarves, clothes, and knits mixed with leftover fabrics from collections. I love experimenting with different shapes and materials, finding upcycling to be a maximalist affair, given the unpredictable nature of vintage items.
Each collection is an opportunity to try a new approach; for example, my recent “Pilzreliq80” collection was inspired by mushrooms. Just as fungi decompose and transform dead wood into new forms of life, this collection revitalizes abandoned garments, creating unique and innovative pieces.
The concept of a circular fashion economy is gaining traction in the industry. How does Tata Christiane contribute to this movement, and what initiatives have you implemented to promote the recycling or upcycling of your garments?
I’ve been practicing circular fashion since the beginning back in 2007 because, for me, it was the only way to survive and exist as a small label. I’m thrilled that more designers are now able to thrive on a human scale, which ensures authenticity, creativity, and diversity. Every city now has its own small designers, which was not the case when I was starting out. I remember my first visit to Vienna, expecting to discover unique fashion, only to find the same global fast-fashion stores I’d seen in France. I was disappointed until I found a beautiful cocktail dress at a flea market.
For me, the key to a rich and sustainable world lies in small projects that create jobs, utilize each country’s specific culture and techniques, and foster creativity.
Sustainability often involves collaboration and community engagement. Can you discuss any partnerships or community projects Tata Christiane is involved in that promote sustainable fashion or environmental awareness?
Since the pandemic, I’ve been republishing my work on my website, sharing the stories behind each collection. I realized that memory and storytelling are vital for raising awareness and understanding. As niche designers, we contribute to these stories that help people change their consumption habits. Fashion must be reborn as a cultural exchange, not just a synonym for mountains of trash.
Additionally, we plan to start offering workshops to share what we’ve learned as self-taught fashion and graphic designers. We hope to launch these workshops in the autumn. The few workshops I’ve conducted so far have been invaluable in fostering exchanges and raising awareness.
Most recently, I’ve joined forces with three other sustainable labels from Berlin to open our own store called Rare Berlin and share our vision.
Looking forward, what are your future goals or plans to enhance your brand’s sustainability efforts?
To be honest, the past two years have been challenging as I’ve had to reduce my workload due to pregnancy and maternity. This is a significant challenge for self-employed women in fashion because you can’t completely “pause” your business without risking everything you’ve built over the years. It’s been tough to manage everything simultaneously, even with my husband’s incredible support.
I’m looking forward to returning to full-time work and developing the projects that are already on my plate. New ideas will always follow.
