The Closet Of Johanna Schneider

Designer based in Berlin

Name a few of your favorite things
Being outside in the nature, extensive rich breakfast, being in good company, travelling, craftsmanship, objects in various ways and sports.

Yourself in 3 words
Determined, passionate and calm.

What role does sport & design play in your life?
Sports has always played a big role in my life. It helps me to stay balanced in life and also inspires my work a lot. I grew up in a crafting and art oriented family, surrounded by my fathers carpenter tools and my mothers passion for art, history and handwork.

My sense of aesthetics and culture combined with my sports experiences created my design language over the years. The aspect of performance naturally injected my approach on products and affects the way I design clothing. Having the chance to combine my two passions is very exciting. Is it deeply connected with my every day life, so it would be very hard for me to let go.

Could you share with us the creative process you go through when designing a collection?
There are different starting points in my way of designing garments. Sometimes I start with a detail, which leads me into the overall story or I start with a volume or movement of the garment. With the next step I go more and more into detail.

I call myself a problem solver. Situations in my every day life, travelling or doing my exercises inspire me the most.

What was one of the most exciting projects you have worked on so far?

My experiences while working for Kostas Murkudis was definitely a very important period in my life. Kostas’ grasp of exceptional materials aligned with his sense for traditional tailoring was a big influence. Especially his vision of femininity, how he creates unexpected volumes and dialogues between the garment and the woman’s body. I still find this very fascinating.

ACRONYM has been the second important project for me. Working with Errolson Hugh on the Acronym collection, Stone Island Shadow project and Herno Laminar etc. was the source to connect my two passions of fashion design and performance. It helped me to manifest my own design language.

In addition to that I was working on a Nike Woman’s Training collaboration, called NikeLab x JFS. This collection envisions my passion for sports and shows my interpretation of how to build feminine performance wear as an exercising person myself. This was a very fulfilling project, since it is deeply connected with my personality.

Tell us something about your latest project? And what can we look forward to?
We just launched the second drop of the NikeLab x JFS Summer collection. This collection is a complement of the first launch in February ‘15. The collection unifies the technical approach of the garments (materials & pattern work), while respecting sensual aspects like comfort and wellbeing. Clothing to me is like entering a room. I’m creating environments, and the ideal environment has to be modular. For some occasions, I want to be more covered up or I need more support. On other occasions, I want my clothing to breathe; I want it to open up.

The collection provides a set of modular pieces, which you can combine based on your performance needs. 

All garments of the collection are build to move and interact with the women’s body. My idea of feminin silhouettes is a balance of hiding and revealing parts of the body. I don’t want the athlete/women to think about the garment while she is working out. The combination of pattern work and materials emphasize a rotation of hiding and revealing parts of the body in a very sensual way.

Returning theme that runs through your life or work?
Modularity. Modularity for me stands for flexibility and versatility. These words follow us in our every day life permanently.

I don’t want my clothing to distract me on what I’m doing, but still I want it to ‘follow’ my needs, which do chance within our daily journeys.

Who or what is your source of inspiration?
I love watching people, what and how they use garments and how they combine it. Products, tools and architecture also play a big role in my inspirational process.

Ultimate dream?
Actually, I am very grateful to live my passion within my career. I just go with the flow! : )

In my next life I will be a dancer or athlete.

A brand you personally love?
3M Tape

You and fashion?
Always present, a love and hate relationship. It could be fun, really touching me but also rejecting at the same time, by the affected world around it.

How do you define your style?
My style signifies my roots in street and sportswear combined with more grown up classics (love good outerwear) and more object like fashion pieces.

Who is your favorite fashion designer?
Undercover, Dries, Phoebe, Sacai, Helmut Lang.

If you shop offline in Berlin, which store do you go to?
I go to the second hand stores in West Berlin, where the well dressed older ladies hand off their nice pieces.
Murkudis. Schwarzhogerzeil. Wald.

If you could steal someone’s closet, who would it be?
Gaia Repossi + Jayne Min

Who would you pass The Next Closet shoot on to?
I would pass The Next Closet shoot to Anna Wendt. Film producer, artist, muse and good friend from Berlin.

SHOP THE CLOSET OF JOHANNA SCHNEIDER HERE

Starring: Johanna Schneider
By TNC Creative: Kim Erich