By Crownbranch
In a recent Dagens Næringsliv article titled “Nytt norsk motemerke tar opp kampen mot klesindustrien” Kontrast Project owner Kine Komelien discusses her different ideas and motivations for founding the company and implementing sustainability and change as some of the fashion studio’s key philosophies.
One of the most difficult challenges for an organization who rely on design is creating value based on said design. It is also something that is hard to identify. According to Borja de Mozota there are four sources in an organization in which design creates value. One of these sources is differentiation which involves setting your own product’s design apart from the rest of the competitors in the market. Kontrast Project does this by making aesthetic sustainability, change and renewal the focal point of the company.
Their clothing is produced almost 100 percent locally in Nepal from natural hemp material. The intent of the design is that the material will mould and shape to your body over time and naturally change colour every time the product is washed. This in sharp contrast to the mainstream fashion philosophy where yesteryears designs are out of fashion and are either discarded or seldom see use. The designers at Konstrast Project keeps this in mind and focuses on simple, timeless design which is meant to last.
Kine Komelien worked as an intern for the charity Mountain People in Nepal for a couple years. In the wake of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Kine founded Kontrast Project and started making jewelry out of old bicycle tires to raise funds for Mountain People. She explains further in the article that her time in Nepal helped her realize how big of a social impact design can possess. The company have close relationships with craftsmen and entrepreneurs in Nepal which Kine built up during her time there with Mountain People.
Making sense of art and design industries 