Label: KARINFRAIDENRAIJ
Designer: Karin Fraidenraij
Year of foundation: 2009
Gründungsort: München
Karin Fraidenraij designs fantastic knitwear for her sustainable knitwear label
The story of KARINFRAIDENRAIJ
In the breast of the Argentine, two hearts beat – one for Munich and one for her South American home. With the founding of her sustainable KARNFRAIDENRAIJ knitting label in Munich and her production in the South American Andes, she was able to fulfill two wishes. But now in turn: born in Buenos Aires, Karin Fraidenraij completed an education at the local dance theater. Some performances later followed a multi-year trip to the modelbusiness (among others for Escada, Ungaro, Badgley Mischka).
From model to fashion business – KARINFRAIDENRAIJ
After the birth of her son, however, she decided to hang up the model career and study fashion at the AMD in Munich. Her enthusiasm for knitting fashion came through her diploma thesis – during the research she got to know the advantages of alpaca wool and loved and developed her own knitting collection in her living room. Since 2009, the designer has been working in her own studio at Wagnerstrasse in Munich.
Clean Chic knit – KARINFRAIDENRAIJ
At KARINFRAIDENRAIJ, Zeitgeist meets tradition.
Karin Fraidenraij relies on camelid wool. This is a wonderfull “intelligent” natural product made of fine lama, alpaca and (all new) Cashlama wool, which cools wonderfully in summer and warms in winter. Another plus: Contrary to cashmere, the material does not pill, is very durable and hypoallergenic. Her collections are now partially machine-made – the final processing and the details are still done by hand. If you take one of the collection pieces in your hand, her attention to details immediately catches your eye: dreamlike South American patterns, Asian embellishments, ornaments and playful hems make every single piece a favorite piece. Cuddly soft ponchos are just as missing in the collection of the native Argentine as casually oversized cardigans and sweaters, soft knit dresses, floor-length marlene pants, knee long culottes and relaxed wests. The high-end knitting collections of the Munich designer are so timelessly beautiful that they never go out of style. This alone is quite sustainable.
Favorite Layering: Delicate berry tones are combined in many layers
KARINFRAIDENRAIJ is now coming home – as a living collection
Speaking about the favorite piece, who cant get enough of the dreamy knitwear – since 2016 Karin Fraidenraij also has a small, very fine living collection with cozy pillows and blankets made of lama and alpaca wool.
Pillows and blankets made from alpaca and lama wool
Sustainability at KARINFRAIDENRAIJ Knitwear
The complex production process of yarns and textiles from lama and alpaca wool requires a large number of specialists. By making a decision from the shearing to the finished product in South America, Karin Fraidenraij can secure jobs in South America. The entire collection is made in carefully selected production sites in the Andes, which strictly ensure that the local knitters can work under fair conditions and their local habits are respected. A fair working environment is created with the payment of allowance wages, regular working hours, insurance protection and retirement provisions.
Social fairness and ecological awareness as the basis for business
Karin Fraidenraij also receives the fantastic wool in South America. It has opted for small-scale farmers in the Andes, which ensure that the animals are kept traditionally and species-appropriate. Good to know: In contrast to sheep and goats, lamas and alpacas do not destroy grasses or lichens, since they do not destroy the root system when eating.
Zeitgeist meets tradition – KARINFRAIDENRAIJ
And this is how the yarn is produced: from the sheer to the finished yarn it is a long process. When the wool is hand sorted by color and quality, the raw wool is cleaned mechanically by coarse dirt. This is followed by an elaborate cleaning process. For this, Karin Fraidenraij uses biodegradable soap substances. Plus: The wastewater is recycled and returned to the circuit in a clean state, in order not to stress the scarce drinking water reserves in the Andes. Finally the cleaned wool is spun, wrapped and packaged.
Favorite piece: sweater “Isaura” Stripes, around 189 Euro. Available here
Price example: scarf about 75 euro, sweater about 189 euro, poncho about 489 euro
For further information please contact KARINFRAIDENRAIJ
The collection is available at Green Window.
