PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLAVIO KARRER

STYLING BY GUYA MARINI

WORDS BY PIERPAOLO LIPPOLIS

Ikou Tschüss is the brand co-founded by Guya Marini and Carmen D’Apollonio in 2006, based in Zurich where their their flagship store is located.

In 2006 the two friends have decided to create a new brand focused on meaningful craftmanship and sustainable fashion.

Ikou Tschüss is indeed a colourful and joyful perspective whose aim is to create beautiful timeless pieces with a minimum impact on the environment. Their ‘objects’ and clothes are passionately handcrafted, made with natural fibers or recycled materials.

Ikou Tschüss is also a serious way of thinking, an alternative ‘seeing through’ clothes -and fashion.

Friendship, uniqueness & slowness are the keywords to enter in their universe.

1) Where does the idea of Ikou Tschüss come from?

Two friends having fun with no plan but just a devotion for crafts, materials and beautiful surroundings.

2) Your fashion vision lives between clothes and handcrafted objects. Tell us about your inspirations.

Our inspirations come from recycled material interaction, coloured with a functional everyday elegance. The artisanal manifacturing makes these artifacts unique, each with its own peculiarities.

The ideas mostly come from life, friends and nature, that speak to our senses, we always try to feature such special moments to be remembered.

3) How could a brand that considers slowness and quality as its values live in a world that travels faster every day?

We strongly believe in slowing down everything, producing less and fair, sharing a long lasting taste again. It takes just time and love to make all these things!

4) Ikou Tschüss also provides a custome made section in which people can ask you about their wishes. Who is your ideal customer?

Once, a family in San Francisco proposed us to furnish a part of their home. They only gave us the measurements and the kind of colour directions. The rest was up to us.

It was genial: we were totally free to creste what we liked the most and they had faith in our vision. We loved it (Hi Alex, anytime again :-) )!

5) In a time of climate changes and eco-alarm, what’s your idea of sustainable fashion?

We strive to have a positive impact on the environment through strict sustainable standards: high quality for every single piece which you’ll never give up wearing, recycling of all materials, producing locally, colouring with natural essences.

6) What’s the piece that you would choose to represent the most your brand?

Our crocheted silk scarf with recycled yarn had the biggest impact internationally and became the signature of our brand.

7) Friendship seems like an important value of your atelier. Can you tell us about your collaborations?

Since we are both Italian, it is so significant to trust alternative perspectives and to share imageries with likeminded artists through this process and effectively creating together. Each collaboration gives birth to a new platform of experiments and takes us further in a new direction. It feels like a constantly bigger family!