In the sweltering heat of summer, dressed in our bite-sized garments, many of us are probably wondering whether it’s worth it to blindly follow the latest trends and accumulate ever more clothes when the environmental impact of the clothing industry is so tangible. Fortunately for us, more and more ‘everyday heroes’ rise above fast fashion and the ever-evolving fashion world with their original thoughts and ideas—including Kinga Réta Vecsei and Katalin Lili Tasnádi’s brand Secondland, which presented its latest collection, The Renovation, in early July.
What is the most accurate way to describe the Secondland brand? Perhaps with terms like sustainable, reimagined, nostalgic yet charmingly chic. The ars poetic of the Budapest-based brand is centered around the idea of upcycling, or value-added recycling, as fashion and textile designer duo Réta and Kati dream of providing a viable alternative for those who value conscious consumption and objects that convey value, as well as to compete with the challenges dictated by the fashion industry, and reflect on the wasteful overproduction. In the hands of young creators, old clothes and industrial waste are brought back to life as true treasures: they are transformed into the language of preloved and vintage clothes, while deadstock materials evoking the past are fused into the present. Réta and Kati’s vision is a romantic and bold universe that responds to the outside world with playful creativity. Secondland is not only a clothing brand but also a brand of kindness and community, a brand that provides guidance on how to create a sustainable wardrobe by thinking outside the seasons. It’s like preserving the Earth’s volatile power through a layer of pink tulle. Their latest collection, The Renovation, conveys this unique visual expression, while naturally staying true to the brand’s message: creatively against pollution.
The collection, called The Renovation, is the brand’s usual offering of unique, upcycled pieces, spiced up by their collaboration with visual designer Sára Enyingi. The jointly dreamed-up campaign sees the Secondland brand as a utopian fairytale world, perfectly matched with a childlike, pastel-colored, 20th-century vibe. The collection conveys this sensual harmony while using storytelling and set design to illustrate the creators’ vision with a dollhouse: the inhabitants refurbishing the now slightly damaged but charming dollhouse symbolizes the Secondland community, who are renovating the crumbling walls of consumerism and fashion similar to the designers’ vision. In addition to the brand’s signature visual language and sweet, childlike cheekiness, humor is also part of the collaboration. There are parallels between the renovation of the real world, the purpose of the fashion brand, and the creation of upcycled clothes.
The Renovation includes pieces such as the brand’s iconic design, the Mara shirt, or reworked blazers, as well as a range of tops, skirts, bags, and dresses. The finishing touches represent Secondland’s unique taste, which includes the floral motif of the brand’s logo or the checkered pattern inspired by our grandmothers’ tablecloths. The collection is equally varied in terms of technique, with embroidery, painting, and beading, all of which are reminiscent of our childhood.
The collection was presented at a launch party hosted by the brand’s exclusive distribution partner, Spark Le Monde Store on Andrassy Avenue. Visitors were able to see the pieces of the collection and the campaign’s iconic symbol, the charming dollhouse, as well as András Ladocsi’s collection photos, and enjoy gin and tonics, courtesy of The Botanist Gin, in a fairytale setting, made truly authentic by Abel Telenko’s music.
Designers / Secondland: Kinga Réta Vecsei, Katalin Lili Tasnádi
Art Director: Sára Enyingi
Models: Csejdi Janka, Eifert Kata Nóra, Enyingi Franciska, Erős Mara, Hencz Polett, Horváth Míra, Iván Alekseev, Nyáry Luca (The Roster MGMT), Osiyemi Hazzanat / Inka (The Roster MGMT), Sue-Ann Jarrett, Szekeres Ákos, Tiszai Flóra
Photos: András Ladocsi | Web | Instagram
Secondland | Facebook | Instagram
Spark Le Monde | Web | Facebook | Instagram
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