8 min.
April 4, 2022
Natural female bodies must pull on our sustainable clothing
Text:
Casper Hindse
Photo:
Copenhagen Cartel - Lasse Jacobsen
- It was the dream of surfing that sent me to Bali in 2016, but the dream was filled with plastic, says the now 35-year-old entrepreneur with a mischievous grin in Copenhagen Cartel's offices in central Copenhagen.
When Katrine Lee Larsen traveled to Bali after graduating with a Master's degree, hoping to surf and experience the laid-back life, she was shocked by the amount of plastic on the beaches. Although she and a group of volunteers spent entire afternoons making the beaches look like the travel catalogs, new trash washed up the next day. Her frustration with plastic pollution was the start of an entrepreneurial success she hadn't seen coming at the time.
- I traveled to Bali with a one-way ticket in one hand and a to-go coffee in the other. I didn't give climate and plastic a second thought, but was deeply affected by the ravages of plastic.
Since she became nationally known in the DR program 'Løvens hule' in early 2021, things have gone fast. Copenhagen Cartel produces clothes from plastic from the world's oceans - and it sells.
In 2017, most people said it was impossible to sell swimwear in Denmark. Especially swimwear made from fishing nets. But I guess I'm the kind of person who thinks I should show them.
Plastic bag on the body
- The idea for Copenhagen Cartel came about when I myself needed swimwear with a better fit. The fibers often become limp. I saw an opportunity to combine my own needs with a climate-friendly initiative," she says.
Today, she uses regenerated fishing nets spun in Portugal for clothing production.
- People liked the idea, but didn't understand why you had to wear a fishing net or a plastic bag," she says smiling.
In 2017, most people thought fishing net swimwear was impossible to sell in Denmark, but Katrine Lee Larsen worked around the clock to prove otherwise.
- I'm not trained in textiles, but my communication is clear. Maybe this has been an advantage, because I quickly questioned the way things were done.
- The idea for Copenhagen Cartel came about when I myself needed swimwear with a better fit. The fibers often become limp. I saw an opportunity to combine my own needs with a climate-friendly initiative," she says.
Today, she uses regenerated fishing nets spun in Portugal for clothing production.
- People liked the idea, but didn't understand why you had to wear a fishing net or a plastic bag," she says smiling.
In 2017, most people thought fishing net swimwear was impossible to sell in Denmark, but Katrine Lee Larsen worked around the clock to prove otherwise.
- I'm not trained in textiles, but my communication is clear. Maybe this has been an advantage, because I quickly questioned the way things were done.
Bikinis over flats
To counter skeptics, Katrine Lee Larsen sought knowledge from the Danish Technological Institute to understand what sustainable clothing requires. If she was well prepared, she would succeed, was her mantra.
- I decided to be brave. Resistance and skepticism motivated me, but passion was the foundation," she says.
She invested her apartment savings in 500 bikinis - and people freaked out. Three days after launching in 2019, Copenhagen Fashion Week contacted her because her sustainable concept fit into the new fashion scene.
Today, Copenhagen Cartel also sells sunglasses, workout clothes and jogging suits. Everything is developed with the idea that if you really go for it, it's possible to drag the rest of the world with you.
- I like to challenge the notion that worlds work in a certain way, says Katrine Lee Larsen.
Pushing the boundaries
Katrine Lee Larsen never stands still. She works every day and rarely gets home before dark. Among other things, this has led to a new collection where cotton has been rethought.
- We have developed a fabric that incorporates seaweed into T-shirts. Cotton requires huge amounts of water - up to 2,700 liters for a single cotton T-shirt - and water is becoming scarce. We as a society have become dependent on cotton," she says.
Copenhagen Cartel has created a T-shirt, hoodie and sweatshirt with 30 percent seaweed, and the goal is to increase the proportion. Seaweed does not need water at all.
Seaweed is a magical fiber that can be used in everything from food to skincare products - and now also in clothing.
Her passion for the project is clear, but she also appreciates help:
- I drive a lot of Copenhagen Cartel myself. Therefore, I also appreciate when there are good conditions for entrepreneurs. Barcodes help us to certify faster with dealers around the world, and it's a great help to be properly trade and value registered.
The sustainable female body
After four years home from Bali, it's no longer Katrine Lee Larsen's own wanderlust that drives her - it's the vision of bringing Copenhagen Cartel to the world.
- As an entrepreneur, you encounter new things every day. I had never worked with barcodes before and suddenly I had to figure out how it worked. You have to have clear goals. Our strategy is to open new stores and expand beyond Denmark's borders. 2022 will be the year we showcase ourselves globally," she says.
It's important to run in rhythm, but also to stay true to yourself. In the office, honesty and emotion are important. Soon, 30 women from the customer group will take a surf trip to Morocco to strengthen the community.
Copenhagen Cartel has just signed an agreement with the Club La Santa sports resort in Lanzarote. It matches the brand's sustainable philosophy.
- It has to be natural female bodies pulling on our clothes. In the beginning, I asked my friends to pose in it, just like I did. Swimwear advertising is often demotivating because everything is retouched. We have received many happy inquiries from women who can now see themselves reflected in us. Copenhagen Cartel is a result of our world, and it needs to be future-proofed - both climate-wise and mentally.
