Romina CardilloFounder and Creative Director of NOUS ETUDIONS
Buenos Aires, Argentina. March 30th, 2021
Interviewed by Alexei Key
Romina Cardillo, the Buenos Aires-based designer of Nous Etudions was shortlisted for the LVMH Prize for her commitment to ushering in a new era of sustainability and style.
I think the only path the fashion industry and young designers can take these days involves sustainability and veganism. More and more, we need to be the ones who ask and demand that animals are no longer used in fashion. I would like to believe that this path, which started so strong in 2020, is the new destiny of fashion.
I would describe Nous Etudions as anti-speciesist. My work has forced me to always seek new sustainable paths and lifestyle that are in line with this philosophy. It’s a challenge I’ve always liked to have.
My universe in the brand is always related to nature, while the images I create of animals always reveal quality. Fans of the brand understand that it’s also related to the idea that using animals in the fashion industry can no longer happen.
Developing textures and silhouettes, as well as the use of a strong color palette, have helped me to create I style I really like. To evolve in this way, I had to really know what I like to do and what I don’t like.
Researching handcraft techniques definitely falls into the elements of my work that I enjoy—the handcraft technique of capitoné, for example, to create garments that almost look three-dimensional. I like to work with textures that generate sensations when you’re looking at them.
This is true of all Latin American countries, but growing up in Argentina, I know it can offer an authentic look at the development of handmade products, and of collaborative work as a workforce. Always betting on local work is also key.
I haven’t found the pandemic to be isolating—it’s actually helped me to focus more on the brand, and to find new uses for the garments I’m creating. I always look for inspiration in nature, and since that in itself is so immense, it never ceases to surprise and inspire me. I’m currently working on something that is inspired by nature, but via microcopy forms.
Ultimately, I hope my work represents an idea that started with inspiring me to change the way I make clothes, but from there it evolved into thinking about a fashion industry that’s more just and considers all living beings on the planet.
Perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned is that having perseverance and a clear philosophy can be difficult at first; but if it’s genuine, you can help others to be encouraged as well.