Hi everyone, it’s Justine.
This is a Q&A video, and I do this now every season, so four times a year.
I asked you for questions on YouTube and on Facebook, and I got in total over 240 (note:
actually:more!) questions back.
Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and your interest.
So I decided in order to keep this video short and digestible to go today with the questions
that are quicker to answer and got more likes from other viewers, because they seem to be
more interesting for more people.
And I’ve kept the more complex questions for dedicated videos later on, so stay tuned.
First question: How did your personal style change throughout the years?
It’s not like I always knew what suited me; I think it’s the same for most of us.
As a child, the only thing that mattered was to wear skirts and dresses that turned when
I turned, and in bright colors.
That’s all.
Then as a teenager, I got my feminine body very late.
So I was a tomboy until pretty late and dressing in sweatpants and things that allowed me to
do my sports.
I really started to get in to the meaning of clothing and putting outfits together when
I started to study, and then to work, because that’s when I realized that what I am wearing
gives an impression about me, and I was giving a not-so-professional, not-so-interesting,
and not-so attractive impression.
So when I started to work especially, first I went with what would be considered appropriate
office-wear, and then I realized that that does not all work for me, and that’s when
I really started to develop my own style.
And I’m not there yet.
I still feel like my style is changing every season or every couple of years, so it’s
an ongoing process, and I think it’s absolutely normal.
Have you faced criticism or have been ostracized as a designer for speaking about fast fashion?
Short answer, yes.
I’ve heard fashion designers telling me “Well, you shouldn’t spit on your industry
like that.
You’re making us have a bad reputation.
All of us.“ Who is us?
I’ve heard people saying “Oh, you produce in Europe.
Sweet.
Whenever you really want to have proper margins and make big money you’ll end up going to
Southeast Asia like everyone else.”
I produce in Europe.
It fits my values, and I will prove these people wrong by sticking to my values.
To be honest I think there is a market for every kind of brand.
Fast fashion brands sell huge volumes.
Clearly.
But there’s also a lot more…
many more options in the market for more nichey brands, for more high end brands.
There are customers for everything, and the interest that my channel has found among you
all watching here, proves that fast fashion is not the only way.
There are many people who wonder how to do it differently, how to be more ethical in
clothing shopping, etc.
So there is a spot for everyone.
I don’t have to go in to the obvious and easy path, and I don’t want to.
What are the top five items (clothing, accessories, beauty products, etc.) that take a wardrobe
from decent to noticeably on point?
Five items…
Shoes.
Several pairs.
But that counts as one.
Colorful, unique, statement shoes.
Have fun with your shoes.
Then, jewelry.
I like to keep my finger and hand jewelry quite constant.
You see that in many videos, because my hands are me, so I tend to stick to a certain style
of jewelry, instead of switching, unlike for the shoes.
So that’s two.
Then I would say a very well-cut, well-fitting leather jacket, or vegan leather jacket, because
you can wear it over anything.
Then I would say, item four: a perfect T-shirt.
A T-shirt that really fits well, falls nicely, in five different colors.
Counting as only one item.
It works with everything, and allows you to switch up your wardrobe a lot more, and create
many outfits.
Number five: a lipstick of course.
That fits you really, really well, and matches your undertone.
Next question.
How do you organize your daily routine so that you have enough time to work on your
craft, but also to feed your creativity and future ideas, by reading, watching movies,
other channels, going to museums, etc?
Seems like a really long list, and to be honest, I can’t do all of that every day.
I have two jobs, I have a fashion label.
I have a YouTube channel.
Everything else in between: I don’t have time for all of this.
But I do make sure that I do a bit of each thing you mentioned within one week.
This, yes.
And I do have a daily checklist to achieve and that contains learning something new,
every single day, seeing something pretty, and doing one thing that I don’t have to
do, but that I like and enjoy doing.
The rest is split and organized and shifted around within one week.
Next: Have you adopted any German fashion traits since moving to Germany?
So, I’m French, I live in Berlin.
I think Germans dress more casually than French people in general.
If you take the capital cities, Berlin is definitely more casual than Paris.
100%.
If anyone disagrees, let me know.
I’d be happy to discuss.
But I think that’s the way it is.
My style has gotten more casual since I’ve lived in Germany, I think.
It’s probably also due to the fact that now I work for myself, and I can decide when
to dress up or not.
But when I do dress up people notice, and I get a comment, in general.
Like “Do you have an interview today?”
Ha ha.
Yeah, I think overall, I’m more casual.
Hi Justine!
The last couple of years, the concept of “cultural appropriation” has been at the forefront
of a lot of fashion news.
What’s your opinion about it?
Do you think it is right when, for example, a white woman wears an African themed dress
as a fashion statement, or should it be reserved for cultural purposes only?
And the viewer commenting this is from South Africa, so that gives a bit of context, thank
you.
From my perspective, from where I’m standing here in Europe, I feel like this has become
more of a discussion topic recently.
Very much in America, because I can see and feel minorities feeling threatened, but I
also see other cultures where it’s less of an issue.
For example in India, people would wear sari-style clothing on one day and Western clothes the
other day and they have both wardrobes.
It’s more an issue for African cultures I think, as you pointed out, as it’s apparently
the case in your country as well, but when an Indian person wears one thing or another,
they just switch, and they appreciate the advantages of both.
If I’d go to India, I’d definitely try on a sari, and I would love it, because it
is just a beautiful piece of clothing.
So when somebody who is not from a certain culture likes to experiment or show respect
and appreciation by wearing these clothes, that are not stemming from their own culture,
I think it can also be a sign of open-mindedness and I don’t see a problem there.
How do you decide what clothes and bags and shoes to take when you go on holiday?
I always overpack!
Please give some tips.
First off, hey there.
I know exactly who you are, you bag lady.
You were one of my very early subscribers, so hi there.
I’m gonna skip the clothes because it really depends where you are on holiday and what
your style is, but in terms of bags and shoes, here is what I take with me.
Shoes: 3 things.
Flat sandals that are comfortable, but you can still wear in the evening when you style
yourself up a bit.
Sandals.
Then flip-flops, which I end up wearing the most, to be honest.
And a pair of sneakers.
Just so that you also have closed shoes to go on a hike, or uneven grounds, or if you’re
commuting between two places during the holiday.
So three pairs.
And then in terms of bags, I’d say one backpack in fabric.
Something that you can fold away and store in very little volume in your luggage when
you’re not using it, a tote that you can carry on your shoulder (a resistant solid
one to carry all the stuff you need during the day, put your towel in when you go to
the beach and whatnot).
And the third one would be a clutch format, something like this.
Cross-body with a chain so that you can carry that around when you’re going out and you
don’t have to worry about pickpockets or anything.
It’s safer cross-body.
So that’s what I take.
What is your fashion pet peeve?
I have a very straightforward answer to this.
I hate deconstructed denim.
I know many people like it.
Many designers do that because it works well commercially, but I hate it.
I like denim, but not deconstructed.
Like when people take old jeans and turn it in to a skirt and everything…
Ugh!
Yeah.
I won’t design deconstructed denim things anytime soon.
You know what, I feel that this video is getting very long so I’m going to stop it here,
and we’re going to do a part 2 on Wednesday.
What about that?
This way I can take more questions because there were so many good ones.
Thumbs up if you enjoyed the video, and when part two is online, it will show up here,
somewhere on the screen.
Ok?
Until then, have a great Sunday.
Take care.
Bye!