Fair, minimalistic and social: an interview with Hanna from upcycling brand Dzaino

Upcycling is usually defined as ​“creative reuse”. This concept has been around for a while and is becoming extremely popular worldwide. But how is it developing here in Berlin? We chatted with Hanna, one of the founders of the Berlin-based upcycling label for bags and accessories, Dzaino.

Could you explain the concept of upcycling? How do you define it in your business model?

Upcycling is a part of circular design. So far, it’s not as well known as, for instance, recycling. Recycling is converting waste into a new product with the same value. Recycling works on one level only, while upcycling is a process of transforming waste material or an unwanted item into a product of higher value. There is also such a thing as downcycling, which is the opposite. It’s a process where unused products and waste are used to produce new items of less quality.

In our production, we try to create non-typical upcycling designs; that’s one of our main goals and what makes us unique. Unlike many other brands, we upcycle in a very minimalistic way, so you can’t see any details from the original product. We have some special tricks like, for instance, turning the fabric inside out so all the damages it got from the previous usage are invisible. Looking at our bags or backpacks, you can hardly tell what they were beforehand. A clean look is our USP.

In our production, we try to create non-typical upcycling designs. That’s one of our main goals and what makes us unique. Unlike many other brands, we upcycle in a very minimalistic way, so you can’t see any details from the original product.

Why did you decide to start with upcycling? Could you tell me your founding story?

Me and my co-founder Julia and I have been friends since forever. We both studied fashion, graphic and product design. We always had some shared interests, one of them is bag sewing. In 2015, we moved to Berlin and started to sew together for our friends just for fun. For both of us, it was nothing more than a hobby. Back in time, Julia used to work in a yoga studio, so that’s how we came up with this idea to make our first simple yoga mat bag. And there was an actual demand for it! We also decided to work with unused materials and waste from the very beginning. Inspiration came from my previous work experience at a Korean re-design label, where I discovered my passion for high-quality upcycling design.

Somehow our production was growing quite rapidly and smoothly so we thought it would be nice to build a webshop and find a name, of course. That’s how it all started.

What does your label name mean?

It comes from the Italian word ​“zaino”, which means backpack. Julia used to study in Italy. We decided to put ​“d” in front because we thought here in Germany, we could be misspelt. I also personally think it looks very interesting. People are always getting confused with pronunciation. Sometimes they call us ​“dezaino” (from the word ​“design”). There are also Korean letters right under the name. It is not an actual word. It reads ​“dzaino”. It is a reference to the Korean brand I used to work for. It was a great source of inspiration for our own business.

Let’s talk a bit about the process of production. Where are the bags made?

We produce locally. We have our own small studio and showroom in Berlin, Mitte (Heinrich-Heine-Str. 36). That’s our main workspace where our two larger industrial sewing machines are, as well. Part of the preparation and manufacturing occurs at Delphinwerkstätten and faktura – two Berlin-based workshops for people with disabilities. They mainly help us with pre-production: washing and cutting the fabric and taking out the details. Sometimes, they also do sewing work when we have too many orders and really need a helping hand. Also, we feel a firm environmental responsibility and try to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible by using bike messengers only for all our internal processes and delivering orders.

Who usually orders your bags? Who are your clients?

We mainly sell our products online, and people rarely visit our shop just like that, without prior knowledge about us from Facebook or Instagram. We work a lot with bloggers, and it brings positive results. Our range of clients can be very diverse. For instance, we meet many people from Berlin’s spiritual scene because of our yoga mat bags and essential oil bags.

Where do you get the material from to make your bags?

We buy our denim from Berliner Stadtmission, a charitable organisation serving people in need. We found this partner thanks to some friends from Future Fashion Forward. It is a nonprofit association behind Fashion Revolution Germany. I believe networking with other brands and organisations in our field is essential, and that’s why platforms such as Future Fashion Forward are essential to us. They help break down barriers, share information and get support from others. Sustainable fashion is not about competition.

Do you collaborate with other brands as well?

We just made our first official collaboration with APA, a European raincoat brand. They had some leftover waterproof material, and they asked if we would like to use it somehow. You can check the results of our collaboration online.

Another special edition of bags is made from puffer fabric that we got from our friend Lena, the founder of Kleiderei. She has kept it for years and simply didn’t know what to do with it, so we sort of helped her out. By the way, one of the models we made in collaboration with iplusm, Dr. Bronner, Hydrophil, Einhorn Berlin, your loving nature and Studio Botanic, the washbag is filled with natural cosmetic products. We initially had 30 pieces of these in stock, and now only four are left. We donate 10 euros per sold bag to Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe, a Berlin-based association helping homeless people.

We only produce unique items. The fabric we use is never the same. It is a huge opportunity. Each bag is one of a kind, and each bag has its own story. Moreover, every item has its original number printed inside, and people love it!

On the other hand, making such products is very challenging. The production takes a long time, from finding the proper material, washing it, and removing accessories. Only after that can we actually start to sew, and that is not easy either. Sometimes, we have to combine pieces of fabric like a puzzle. Finally, we have to take pictures of every single bag for the online shop pictures of every single bag for the online shop as all our products are different.

And, of course, the amount of work impacts the final price of our products. If people would like to know how we determine the prices, we have to explain it. We are 100% transparent with our customers.