Upcycling fashion
In order to be able to enjoy museum exhibitions in the future as well, the Karlsruhe designer Muriel Nauschütz creates tear-resistant, lightweight and practical bags from exhibition flags. Corona is even playing something into your cards.
The Karlsruhe designer Muriel Nauschütz with a selection of her bags, which she conceived and designed primarily for museums.
Photo: Rake Hora / BNN
The museums are currently closed due to the lockdown. With the bags by the Karlsruhe designer Muriel Nauschütz, those interested in culture can still take a piece of art home as a souvenir – in the form of bags from museum and exhibition banners, for example with motifs by Keith Haring from the Museum Folkwang in Essen. The ZKM and the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt am Main are also among their customers.
The Frankfurt start-up “StitchbyStitch” has been sewing its collections since October. “I still sew special customer requests and unusual things at home,” emphasizes the Karlsruhe native.
Because the museum shops are also closed, the individual items are ordered via their online shop and in the tailoring sewing bar in Karlsruhe’s Weststadt. “True to Christiane Riedel’s motto, ‘Globally networked, locally anchored’, I want to revive Germany as a business location – and appeal to everyone: stop using plastic bags,” says the designer.
The 44-year-old from Karlsruhe lives with her husband and little son in the south-west of the city. There, in her bag manufacture, she has been designing and producing upcycling bags for many years. The corona crisis and the current global situation of the switch to online retail play into her hands. Nauschütz also supplies selected boutiques and museum shops throughout Germany.
Upcycling fashion: the designer Muriel Nauschütz creates new objects such as bags and baskets from expired exhibition flags from museums.
Photo: Rake Hora / BNN
The name of their label “Mu & Du” can be interpreted as “Muriel and you”, but also as “Museum and you”. “Addressing customers directly is very important to me. Whoever carries one of my bags stands behind the philosophy: think sustainably, live consciously, ”says Nauschütz. So that all companies can participate, the fashion designer has developed a further service division with “Mu & Deine Firma”.
Functional, practical bags
Her passion for sewing began about 20 years ago when she attended the fashion school in Bruchsal. This was followed by a degree in business administration and communication design in Mainz. During this time she was already sewing bags from banners as motifs for analog photography.
She lives out the well-known Bauhaus design principle “form follows function” in the simple design language of her collections. “No frills, no decorative seams. Practical, washable, light and, above all, tear-resistant, ”is how she sums up the features.
“When I went shopping on Gutenbergplatz at the weekend, I had to put up with several plastic bags – such as for lettuce or mushrooms – despite the cloth bag. I wanted to change that, ”says Nauschütz.
“Mu & Du” is the name of Muriel Nauschütz’s label for bags from past museum flags
Photo: Rake Hora / BNN
“The usual cotton bags were often too small for me. I lacked the depth. The risers too short or uncomfortable. When it rains, the entire bag is dripping wet, ”the Karlsruhe native describes the problem. She almost only rides her bike in Karlsruhe. For this she needed practical bags.
In addition to the normal market bag, a larger market bag was created that can also be used on the beach. As a balance to sewing, she does sports. A sports line was also created here. “Damp sports clothing can ventilate well through the mesh material,” she says. Clutches for the opera and baskets complete their product range.
Muriel Nauschütz has been sewing since she attended fashion school in Bruchsal.
Photo: Rake Hora / BNN
The 44-year-old presents all bags on her social media channels in various applications and models for them herself. Followers and interested parties receive many insights and practical application examples and many insights into the everyday life of the nature-loving woman who likes gardening and everything rides a cargo bike.
Nauschütz also likes to travel to big cities. “Unfortunately, this is currently not possible. Especially in my second home, Munich, I like to be because of the art and museums, ”says the Karlsruhe native.
The “M4” is so big and stable that a tired child can fit in there
Photo: Rake Hora / BNN
Many purchases are made based on personal recommendations.
Muriel Nauschütz, designer from Karlsruhe
When asked about her target group, she laughs and replies: “That is actually everyone. I make bags for young and old – all unique. ”She has already received orders from New York, London, Greece and France.
“Many purchases are made on the basis of personal recommendations,” says the designer.