DHL, Mykke Hofmann launch sustainable capsule collection

Courier service DHL and Munich-based ethical-sustainable label Mykke Hofmann have joined forces to launch a fashion collection called ‘Forever Pieces’. The collection consists of items whose evergreen style will make them always enjoyable to wear, and is available on Mykke Hofmann’s e-shop from May 16 2022.

The ‘Forever Pieces’ collection was created via a design competition which DHL and Mykke Hofmann staged last autumn on social media, with 848 fashion enthusiasts from 80 countries participating. Among the 2,375 items entered, six were selected for the collection: a trench coat, a blouse, a pair of trousers, a dress and a twin set.

“Forever Pieces represents everything we associate with a vision for positive fashion,” said Arjan Sissing, global head of brand marketing at DHL, adding that “the competition is synonymous with sustainability, and made it possible to associate themes like sustainable sourcing, circularity and equitable working conditions with a durable fashion industry.”

“The competition has resonated beyond all expectations, both quantitatively and qualitatively,” said Jelena Hofmann, founder and CEO of Mykke Hofmann. “The level of participation showed how deeply the notion of sustainability is rooted in the emerging talent community,” she added.

The competition’s winners were awarded a €1,000 cash prize, and had the satisfaction of seeing the garment they designed be included in the ‘Forever Pieces’ collection. “It’s important for me to design environmentally friendly fashion, and this competition gave me the opportunity to do so,” said winner Marta Soloducha, explaining why she decided to participate. Soloducha, a fashion student from Warsaw, designed a trench coat that becomes a ‘forever piece’ because of the way in which it can be transformed. It can be worn not only as a coat, but also, unbuttoned, as a skirt or blazer. Micaela Clubourg, a young Argentine designer who lives in Spain, contributed a twin set to the ‘Forever Pieces’ collection. The trousers are designed so as not to generate any excess fabric. The other winners were Gaia Stollo, from Italy, who produced a classic pair of trousers; Yolanda Patricia Cabarcas, a Colombian who works freelance in Milan and presented an evergreen blouse; and Camilla Pane from Italy, who designed the archetypal little black dress.

Like every Mykke Hofmann collection, ‘Forever Pieces’ is made in a factory in Serbia where women have secure employment and enjoy equitable working conditions. All employees are paid 50% more than the normal average salary. Health protection and safety are a top priority, and the workshop is equipped with top-grade machinery.

The items in the ‘Forever Pieces’ collection are designed to be timeless, outlasting current trends and staying with customers for a long time. Upon purchasing an item from the collection, customers receive a warranty certificate in the form of a carbon-neutral NFT, so that they can extend the garment’s life by making any alteration needed. Each NFT is stored in a digital wallet on a blockchain, so the warranty may not be lost or inadvertently deleted.

All profits from the sale of ‘Forever Pieces’ will be donated to SOS Children's Villages, the world's largest charity helping children who grow up without parental support or whose families live in underprivileged conditions. DHL is part of the Deutsche Post DHL Group, which has been a charity partner of SOS Children's Villages since 2010.