054 Kevin Germanier - The Designer Making Sustainable Fashion Glamorous

In the fashion world, there are a handful of times that you run across an up and coming designer that is so earnest, articulate, and talented that you make a secret wish in your heart that you hope they’ll make it big. That is exactly how I felt after talking with the 28-year-old designer Kevin Germanier for this podcast. I had seen his work before first hand at press day presentations in Paris. And Kevin’s vibrant, beaded, and bold designs always stood out. But what also made them stand out in my mind was when I discovered that his garments were of the luxury upcycled variety. Kevin’s made to measure and limited edition collections are as far away from the hippy hemp and organic cotton, Birkenstock wearing image - that sustainable fashion is still strongly associated with- as you could get. This Swiss-born designer, who graduated from Central Saint Martins and launched his signature line in 2018 while still a junior designer at Louis Vuitton, found a way to make sustainable fashion look sexy. Look feminine. And look fun. His sculptural silhouettes and love of embellishments firmly place his work in the “statement dressing” category. But isn’t it nice to know that his commitment to conscious design sees his garments covered in shimmering upcycled crystals from Swarovski and the fabric comes from offshoots that are getting a second lease on life.Not surprisingly Kevin’s vivid designs have already been worn by the likes of Lady Gaga, Björk, and K-pop star Sunmi. He was also sho