What is macarons?
Veit: macarons is a sustainable luxury baby and kids wear label with great design made in Germany.
What is special about macarons?
Veit: The core values of macarons children’s wear and accessories are pure natural and fair trade luxurious materials in combination with a unique design that embraces traditional workmanship and modern sophistication.
Julie: We design clothes that really work for children: giving them enough space and comfort to be “real” kids not dolls. At the same time they give parents the security of having their babies perfectly dressed for all weather conditions. We individually develop and produce each garment, from fiber to finished piece, exclusively in Germany.
Against the industry trend you produce everything in Germany – why did you make that decision?
Veit: The region of the Swabian Alps in South Germany is a great spot where you can still find some amazing craftsmen talent in textile manufacturing. It is the generations of knowledge hidden in these companies that made our fabric designs possible. Short logistic distances to our manufacturers not only ensure close teamwork for our innovative product development but also support our commitment to an environmentally conscious supply chain. The decision to produce in Germany is based on our promise to provide our customers with sophisticated top-quality products.
What materials do you use for your collections?
Julie: We use only the finest organic and fair-trade materials that are certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Our intelligent textile, IQ-Fabric, which we have developed ourselves, is made from organic merino wool and organic cotton. It is incredibly soft and suitable for everyday use. We collaborate with specialized manufacturers based in Swabia, one of Germany’s traditional textile regions, as part of our commitment to promoting regional textile manufacturing.
What is your IQ-Fabric exactly?
Veit: In long and intensive work with our partners, we have developed a unique textile that suits our vision for winter outdoor classics. IQ-Fabric is a boiled double-knitted textile that allows the baby body to breath, while at the same time protects it from both wind and rain, keeping the baby’s skin warm and dry – even when it is freezing. Both sides of the IQ-Fabric are durably interlaced with its cozy organic cotton on the inside and the warming merino wool outside. The two sides come in great contrasting colors.
What was the inspiration for the name macarons?
Julie: Amazing colors, refinement, a unique texture and shape – I just love macarons! They certainly are the most divine pâtisserie in the world. As a French-German I have been indulging macarons since my early childhood. My favorites are the pale rose-colored ones, with a subtle raspberry flavor.
We believe in the same qualities for our designs: durable outside, tender inside and always a treat!
What is the idea behind your first collection?
Julie: Our first collection is dedicated to our roots in Germany. You can find so many astounding small fabric manufactures that make inspiring products. We discovered boiled wool fabrics and are so excited about their properties – so flexible, warming and versatile, with an interesting history. The outdoor overalls made from our own version of boiled fabric quickly became the key item of our first collection.
What was your motivation to found macarons?
Julie: The fundamental idea of macarons really grew when our first child Cléo Valentine was born. We were looking for a great one-piece overall that would keep her warm and protected when going outside (we were baby-wearing her). I was completely shocked that all I could find out there was made out of synthetic fibers, thick and stiff, that a baby can’t even move and breathe anymore. On the other hand I found some organic ones, but with unfashionable design. I said to my husband Veit: Why is there not one great overall out there, which has it all: great design, great natural, certified fabrics, and manufactured with great respect for the people and the environment? That’s how the idea for macarons was born!
Veit: I never liked to work for someone or something I could not believe in or support 100%. With macarons we can realize our own ideas and vision. Fortunately we have been able to enthuse the people that work with us and surround us with the macarons feeling!
In what way do you think will your work influence the world your kids grow up in?
Veit: The deeper I look into textile production methods and their ecological and economic issues, the more opposed I become to irresponsible mass production and its consequences. For the sake of our kids I wish for a development back to business ethics, quality and culture. I am very glad that we can make a contribution to this with macarons.
Is macarons made for a specific type of parents?
Julie: Our garments are made for everyone who enjoys high quality, refined workmanship and great, innovative design. For our fans ecological, fair fashion is way more than just a nice-to-have – it is their standard.
When will we find macarons products in stores?
Veit: We are launching our brand in January on the fairs in Amsterdam at kleine fabriek, followed by playtime Paris and CPH Kids Copenhagen for the industry professionals.
Julie: The first collection will be in stores in the fall of 2012.
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This interview was held by Nina-Oana Constantinescu, Creative Director at design agency Super Collective an published on modebewust.nu – an online platform about the development of sustainable fashion.
