Claudia Cherki combines her two loves, fashion and the sea, to offer a range of high-quality, tailored garments made from recycled waste found in the Mediterranean.
With approximately 1.2 billion tons of GHG emitted each year by the consumption of clothing, the textile industry represents 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. It has currently become one of the most polluting industries in the world.
After an MBA at the University of Monaco, coupled with training in fashion at Aline Buffet in Cannes, Claudia Cherki knows that she wants to make her contribution to the preservation of the ecosystem. Ocean pollution has become her key focus. Every year, more than 600,000 tonnes of plastic waste are dumped into the Mediterranean Sea, according to the NGO WWF. With these horrific numbers in mind, the fashion designer hopes, in the long term, to use this recycled waste to make clothes.
Claudia says: “Now people are beginning to understand, but at the time, people I proposed my ideas to would say, “What’s all this plastic waste?” But that’s going to change, the laws are getting stricter and stricter to preserve the environment. Everyone will have to comply with the new regulations”.
The designer is nevertheless launching her own brand Claudia Signature. For her, Monaco is the perfect place to innovate and look to the future. She specialises in tailor-made linens, shirts, suits and even sailor uniforms.
The designer is very meticulous when it comes to the quality of the fabric and a 100% European manufacturing process. The yarns used to make the fibres are made from waste collected by fishermen and NGOs. They are then sorted and transformed into polymers and are ultimately more resistant and durable than traditional yarns.
Claudia assures the price of her garments remains affordable: “I remain very reasonable, I take it upon myself to encourage people to take this step”.
The fashion designer also wants to address future young designers who also have ambitions to link the industry with ecology: “You have to be patient, but also passionate about fashion”. At the same time, Claudia Cherki hopes to raise awareness of the environmental cause among young people.
In partnership with the artist Lassegue, she has also prepared a collection of eco-responsible t-shirts on the theme of rugby. She hopes that through sport and art, her messages of environmental preservation can be conveyed.
