Trés chig with upcycling

Dressing smartly and fashionably without putting too much strain on your wallet: In the university town of Kleve, it’s not just students who enjoy Christoph Gebhardt’s centrally located Très Chig Studio. It offers unique pieces that are awaiting a second life. With his shop for vintage and second-hand clothing, the trained visual merchandiser with a passion for creativity wants to make a statement against fast fashion and establish sustainable consumption. “In fast fashion, large quantities of clothing are produced cheaply and sold cheaply. Whether it’s really cheap is a question of definition,” reflects Christoph Gebhardt. He is keen to establish sustainability in the mainstream.

Sustainable consumption

“Second-hand clothing is sustainable in itself, as the products don’t have to be produced a second time,” he explains. In his shop, he not only sells second-hand clothing, but also fashion from his “Reworked Collection”. “Rework means that I change the look of items of clothing, for example by cutting off parts, cutting them in or adding colour.”

Upcycling workshops

Many customers ask him for advice when it comes to reworking garments. Not everyone dares to simply reach for the scissors, as Christoph Gebhardt does from the heart. This gave rise to the idea of offering upcycling workshops at Très Chig Studio.

There is currently a table in the back of the shop that seats up to 12 people. However, Christoph Gebhardt would like to expand his range of services and needs the space currently occupied by the workshop area. In future, workshops are to be offered in the basement, which is currently used as a storage area and needs to be remodelled and technically equipped for this purpose. In the shop, Christoph Gebhardt is planning a small coffee corner next to the existing children’s play area. He has a cosy meeting place with sustainable snacks and drinks in mind.

Join in and design yourself

The basement room offers more space for further creative activities: In future, up to 20 people will have a place to work artistically here. Christoph Gebhardt applied to Klever Birne 2024 with the idea of converting the basement into a workshop area. With extended technical equipment, more ideas for DIY workshops could be realised. “With my activities, I enliven the city centre and strengthen social interaction, the community of people who find a meeting place for creative work here,” he says. “The workshops can increase awareness of sustainable living and offer practical suggestions for everyday life.” His courses are not only aimed at individuals. In future, he would also like to offer suitable programmes to school classes and kindergartens to show that living sustainably is fun. And he emphasises: “As the topic of inclusion is very important to me, my workshops are open to everyone.”

He is convinced that he will find the right ideas: “I am close to my customers and exchange thoughts with them via social media. I also find inspiration online and by talking to similarly positioned concept stores across Germany.”