Carlien Helmink: making eco-chic sexy

Carlien Helmink is not your average Gen Y-er. Born and raised in Amsterdam, the internationally-minded entrepreneur, together with business partner Jitske Lundgren founded Studio JUX (‘JUX’ is a German word for fun) in 2006. Inspired by not only their strong sense of social justice, but also real fashion, beautiful fabrics and well, fun, the label is fast emerging as a one to watch at European fashion shows. What sets this label apart from others is that its tailors make the clothes and accessories by hand in fair conditions, and using certified organic cotton, linen and other natural products in the heart of Kathmandu, Nepal.

What is the inspiration behind the Studio JUX label?

Both Jitske and I have travelled a lot.  Jitske is a fashion designer and she went on a fashion research trip to India, where she saw a ‘purple’ Indian man. He was employed in a fabric dying factory and not only were the fabrics purple but his whole body was purple as well. When she started studying fashion she thought it would be about beautiful fabrics and designs. On that trip to India, she discovered that the fashion industry is not as ‘nice’ as she had thought. I have always had a passion for fashion- more than just the ‘glamour’. My background in communication sciences and my travels around the world raised my global and social awareness which made me choose more than ‘just’ clothing.For me, Studio JUX offers the perfect combination of being able to work in fashion and try to change the world.

Why did you choose Nepal as the country to source fabrics and employ local staff?

When Jitske was studying her fashion masters degree in Paris, one of the students from her graduating class started to work in Nepal. He told her that ‘You are going to be my first client in the factory in Kathmandu’ and she pretty much said ‘ok’. That is how we ended up there. When you go to a place and you start to meet the people and get to know the culture you don’t want to leave anymore, so we stayed. Jitske currently lives there and I have been to Nepal twice already and am going again in October.

Are we at the stage where is it possible to say that garments that are beautifully crafted can also be good for the people who make them and for our environment?

When we started out, it was very hard for us to create the fashion that we liked, even though we have always had a passion for fashion; not ‘eco-fashion’ per se. Luckily nowadays there is so much choice and innovation that we can actually make what we want without having to give up on our ideals. For our previous collections, we were faced with the situation where we didn’t have the choice and now we no longer have to work with materials that are not sustainable.

How are your designs changing the way mainstream fashion embraces ethical standards in the industry?

Just by showing our collection at the different fashion fairs, we reach out to so many key players in the fashion industry that we hope to at least inspire them to perhaps reconsider their choices. It is more of an indirect effect through the conversations we have with people or how people see JUX – this is where we have some influence. In general, with all of the small brands like ours combined, we send out a strong message. If you look at the industry over the years and how many people are there now, the big players cannot ignore it anymore. For example, H&M has introduced an organic cotton range. There is a change and we are a part of it.

From the Studio JUX AW2010 collection

What resonance does Studio JUX have outside Europe?

We exhibit at Paris Fashion Week, which is where all of the major international buyers come. We currently have a distributor in Japan and at the moment, we are focusing on the countries where we already have a presence. Of course we have dreams and bigger plans to expand to other parts of Asia, but that is something for the long term.

How did you get to where you are today and would you do anything differently?

Ha ha! Looking back to when were making our business plans and strategic forecasts, we were quite naïve, we weren’t aware of the practicalities! So when we were thinking that we would be exhibiting at fairs in Paris, Berlin and Copenhagen, we never thought about transport or logistics. On the other hand, I think that is one of our strengths, to just go for it and see what happens. Otherwise, we would have been afraid and not done things out of fear. I think we’ve done well and we’ve learned a lot since we started. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to trust my instincts and wait for a better opportunity.

Who helped you along the way?

There is a big group of people around us who like what we do and what we are trying to change. They support us so much, especially my parents who are always there. They drive me around everywhere and help out with transport at the fashion fairs. My boyfriend is a blogger and he helps us with our social and new media strategy. Jitske’s sister is a graphic designer and she does our graphics. Then we have friends who have worked for us as models or donated their time in some other way. There are so many volunteers involved! I am never alone in the office, there’s always someone around and everyone who helps us has so much energy, they really believe in us and want to help us get there.

Tell us a bit about Studio JUX affiliation with international events such as thekey. to as part of Berlin Fashion Week

The eco fashion world is a small one, we have several mutual friends in the industry. I already knew the founders of thekey.to before they created this event, when they were sustainability consultants. It was logical to come on board  as they have the same goals as us and it was very inspiring to be there with from the beginning. They’re like friends, we have so much in common. Our entire lives are influenced by changing the fashion industry. It’s not an easy road we’re on, we do struggle. I like being a part of thekey.to and seeing this event grow and us growing with it.

What was the process involved to obtain accreditation with the Fair Wear Foundation?

It was a long process. We are actually a member of Clean & Unique, a foundation created by designers for designers. Studio JUX is a collective member of the Fair Wear Foundation, of which C & U is the member. FWF helps small brands to ensure that they comply with our protocols/rules/guidelines once they become a member. I am a board member of FWF, we had to set this up and got brands to join, then Studio JUX joined. Sudio JUX is unique as a member since most of the other members are large brands, such as Acme or Nudie. They like that we are small and trying to improve working conditions. We are seen as one of the emerging brands in the next ten years, that’s why they want to support us.

Who inspires you?

I don’t really have one person or thing that inspires me. It could be the people I meet in the street, trends I see or friends who try to change the world. I have seen so much. I am a very curious person and through my travels, I talk to people about their experiences about the world and where they have got to now. I draw my own conclusions from all these different perspectives and thoughts on life.

Creating Studio JUX garments

What is the most positive thing about being Dutch?

Of course our straightforwardness!

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I really a big fan of 07 and SIA.

What couldn’t you live without?

Friends and family I think.

Dream purchase?

A nice house somewhere in Italy where I can eat really good food and rest!

Favourite movie?

I have so many, it is difficult to say…

Favourite European city?

Berlin

The Dutch are known for being liberal, yet the country has had its fair share of political issues in the last few years. How is Dutch society dealing with this period of its history?

We just had elections and the results were a disaster for me. As I live in Amsterdam, I would not consider myself the average Dutch person. I have a higher level of education than the average Dutch man or woman. My circle of friends is not average. When I look at how our country is developing now, it is not how I would like it to be. A lot of Dutch people are extremist, right wing and their way of thinking seems to be so simplistic. They don’t question why things are the way they are- they don’t try to change anything. As an entrepreneur who has to earn my own living, I get quite frustrated with people who have a 9-5 office job and complain about not getting a pay rise or if their bus service is running late, then they vote for the right. I try to do what I think is best. Most of the people in Amsterdam and my group of friends in their own way try to change what they can change. It is good to be critical. We are part of the ‘network generation’: we have so many networks- social, professional, global. If we want, we can really try to make a change but we need a shared ideology or goal to make the ‘network revolution’ happen. Yet, our generation has been so spoilt, so that we don’t have a shared ideology, we are all our own little islands. We need to join together to find this common ideology to try to make a change. There’s still a lot of work to do.

How do you stay motivated?

It is difficult because we are on a road that not a lot of people are. So it’s really good to meet like-minded people and to talk about what we are doing and why we are doing it. Going to Nepal is the most important thing for our motivation, to see the actual changes that we’re making. When I was last in Nepal, we wanted to have a celebration with our tailors for all of their hard work. So we organised what was supposed to be a lunch. Since everyone there works so slowly, lunch ended up being dinner!

Desert island book?

The Bible. Not because I am religious, but so that I can finally read it and to be able to understand why people are religious.

Favourite bar?

Trouw in Amsterdam. It used to be the offices of one of Holland´s largest newspapers. It is in the area that is the equivalent of Old Bond Street in London- there used to be many printers and publishers in this area. Trouw is a large industrial hall with a great variety of events and cultural parties. The bar owners in their way also try to make their a difference.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope that JUX will be a more established brand. We want to become more of a lifestyle brand so every season we’re introducing a new line or collection. For example this year, we introduced the accessory line and in the future we plan to introduce JUX Home and tailor made suits. In five years we will have a sustainable lifestyle brand with lots of stockists in Western Europe and Japan.

Can you run in heels?

At fashion fairs, it’s the only thing I do!

Stylish picks from the Studio JUX collection for Autumn/Winter 2010