Circular head of the month
Fair & stylish – challenging fast fashion
Tanja Klein and her fashion label kleinbasel show how the circular economy and design go hand in hand
“A T-shirt can’t cost 19 francs” – for Tanja Klein, this is not a marketing slogan, but a conviction. With her fashion label kleinbasel, she has been standing up to the fast pace of the fashion industry for over 25 years – with urban design, high-quality materials and a largely recyclable business model.
Why a garment must be more than just a product
Even as a child, Tanja Klein was taught the craft that was to become her profession: Her mother and grandmother were also dressmakers. When she later designed for a fast fashion company, she lost touch with what was actually important to her: “We faxed designs halfway around the world – and weeks later a box came back from Asia. Who sewed these clothes remained a black box.”
Material cycle instead of mass-produced goods
After many years with her own haute couture atelier – i.e. with bespoke one-offs – Tanja Klein founded her label kleinbasel. Today, two collections a year are created there – from the design to the cutting and sewing of the prototypes in the Basel studio. The small series are then sewn in a family business in Croatia, while her leather bags are also made in a small manufactory and family business in Ticino.
kleinbasel processes high-quality surplus fabric (dead stock / over stock) from major brands into limited edition favorites. Digital pattern optimization minimizes offcuts (i.e. fabric waste) and leather remnants are processed into accessories. Repair and alteration services directly in the studio extend the life of the clothing – a circular concept that goes far beyond buying clothes.
Value instead of advertising
Instead of spending a lot of money on advertising, Tanja Klein focuses on responsibility and local networking – for example in the Independent Stores Basel network. When it comes to production, kleinbasel pays attention to short distances, fair wages for the team and suppliers, transparent conditions in the production facilities and a low carbon footprint. For them, sustainability means: producing consistently instead of glossing over.
Telling stories
“Fashion tells stories,” says Tanja Klein. Hers is about quality, responsibility and the courage not to swim in the fast fashion stream. She proves it: Fair fashion can be stylish and economically viable if we move away from the short-sighted demands of the 19-franc T-shirt.
👉 Let yourself be inspired: Discover more makers on our website.
👉 The collections and further information about the kleinbasel fashion label can be found on the company website.
