"Pleather" (plastic leather) has typically been derided by the fashion industry as a cheap substitute. Rebranded as "vegan leather," however, the material has become a popular choice for ethically conscious consumers. A 2017 vegan leather puffer jacket helped Nanushka become a globally recognized brand. Amid the churning tides of fashion, designers come and go in droves, all dreaming of inspiring the way we dress. The odds caution against it. I, for one, spent years attempting to forge an existence as a jewelry designer. “Many are called,” my father would warn me in his slowest, most ominous drawl; “few are chosen.” He was discouraging. He was also frustratingly correct. What buoys the winning designers to a place in our wardrobes? Sandra Sandor, founder of the audaciously successful Budapest-based brand Nanushka, was raised on a rallying message. Her mother had launched one of the first privately operated lines of children’s clothing in Communist Hungary, defying some fairly perilous odds under a regime that discouraged such aspirations. Sandra started her own women’s clothing line in 2005—immediately after graduating from the London College of Fashion, forgoing the customary internship with an This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Seven Buy Now Related Stories Design Issue 51 John Pawson From the king of minimalism: “I find the essential and get the design down to a point where you can’t add or subtract from it.” Design Interiors Issue 51 Axel Vervoordt Inside the world of Axel Vervoordt. Design Issue 51 Inga Sempé “Minimalism is boring as hell, and on top of that, it’s preachy.” Design Issue 51 Halleroed Meet the giants of Swedish retail design. Design Issue 51 Andrew Trotter The architect and designer on renewing traditional architecture. Design Issue 51 Kim Lenschow The architect who wants to show you how your house works.
Design Issue 51 John Pawson From the king of minimalism: “I find the essential and get the design down to a point where you can’t add or subtract from it.”