The first Rambler studio opened in Amsterdam. Rambler Studios’ mission is to mentor young people, aged between 18 and 30, who are currently not in education or work and provide them with a platform for creative expression, skill development and personal exploration.
The young people are called Ramblers: walking, searching, but who will one day find their path in life. Young people who have faced many challenges and landed on this path are referred through the community. Some remain active at Rambler Studios for several years and others move on more quickly, for example to fashion training.
The studios are run in partnership with a social organisation and led by a team of Rambler Creative Coaches and Lifestyle Coaches with a focus on fashion design and youth social work. Among other things, they help the young people design and make the clothes. The young people themselves earn a design fee when the garments are sold.
The Ramblers select some of the fabrics themselves at markets in Amsterdam. They get help from sustainable fashion coaches. The rest of fabrics come from surplus and deadstock from other fashion companies. The Ramblers upcycle these materials in design challenges. You are also welcome to hand in your denim clothes or jumpers!
The materials from which the garments are made therefore vary. Examples of materials used by Rambler Studios are: nylon, cotton and skai (PVC-based artificial leather). Cotton is a natural material that is biodegradable, nylon and skai are both synthetic and therefore not biodegradable. However, all these materials are recyclable if the garments consist entirely of one such material.
Normally, COSH! always prefers natural materials over synthetics, and organic cotton over conventional cotton, but since Rambler Studios upcycles these materials, we still feel positively about this brand’s use of materials.
Rambler Studios is highly committed to circularity! Their clothes are pre-ordered, and made-to-order within 30 days of the order being placed. The collections are also only produced in small batches, to avoid surplus.
The brand is working on a offering a Rambler Rent collection where you can rent the clothes. You can also get repairs done at the Amsterdam studio (on Thursdays) for a small price. So you can get holes repaired, buttons fixed, clothes tailored and even upcycled! Extend the life of your beloved clothes!
As far as we know, Rambler Studios has a short chain. Although it is difficult to estimate exactly where the fabrics come from because it can vary by fabric from the market and fabric surplus from other brands. Rambler Studios does try to do everything as locally as possible, including by collecting denim to be reused in their collection. Design and production therefore takes place entirely in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Rambler Studios does not use any animal materials in its collections so it is basically a vegan brand!
Rambler Studios is a platform for edgy designs and although the clothes are mainly aimed at young people, everyone is encouraged to wear them! Their style can be defined as street style, reflecting the Ramblers’ story.
Not many new collections are released at the rhythm of the traditional fashion seasons but they are constantly replenishing their collections with new clothes and new Ramblers’ designs. Slow fashion, in other words!
Because the pieces are made-to-order, the sizes can also be adjusted to fit your body. As a result, you can enjoy your personalised clothes from Rambler Studios for a long time!
Rambler Studios is super transparent in the production process! The Ramblers’ stories are even highlighted on the website. The suppliers of the fabrics, however, are unknown but that is understandable as the Ramblers search markets themselves and the deadstock always comes from different factories or brands.
Conclusion
Looking for a unique item of clothing with a story? Keep a close eye on this Amsterdam-based upcycling brand! You can shop it at the places below:
