Cherie: What is something people always assume about you which is not true?
Karina: Some people assumed that I could not afford buying clothes in usual shops, and that was why I turned to second-hand shops and later to collecting clothes from give away boxes. But in my case – quite privileged frankly – it was never about my financial abilities. It was a conscious decision to extract myself from consuming new things & trying to use mostly second-or-third-or-whatever-hand. It was a revelation for some people to learn, that one can choose to have such a lifestyle and even so – to enjoy it.
Cherie: You are known for bringing new life to clothes you found on the street, but do you really only wear clothes you find on the street? When do you make exceptions and why?
Karina: I try to only buy anything when I really need it and cannot borrow it, for example, underwear. Found on the street works great for me, even with special occasion clothes. This summer, I was taking part in the performance with the Grey Voice Ensemble, and helped to style the costumes. We had very specific colour requirements, still I managed to find at least 4 pieces for my choir colleagues. Not for myself though. So I bought an extravagant red dress in a second-hand shop – I think it was my only purchase in the last 6 months.
Cherie: Do you have a project you are working on you would like to share?
Karina: After a three month break, my friend Anna and I come back to post regularly in our Instagram blog @found_on_the_street. This season we decided to focus on photo shoots, and I have some ideas that I’d like to pursue. I see fashion as an art space, yet another form to tell a story. I also hope to start doing more upcycling: to repair & readjust clothes, and implement them into upcoming photo shoots.
Cherie: What are your 3 must follow Instagram accounts and why?
Karina: To be honest, I struggle with my online activities and still do not fully control my social media life, it takes me hours to make a post – regardless, personal or related to work, and even when I do not post anything I can get consumed by the amount of information. I follow many Berlin based designers, upcycle initiatives, creative people, but I am not sure that there is a “must” to follow someone. I feel like nowadays attention is our biggest resource. That is why I will recommend a book that is focused on being in charge of what we consume information wise: “How to do nothing” by Jenny Odell. Let me allow just one quote: “Let’s not forget that, in a time of increasing climate-related events, those who help you will likely not be your Twitter followers; they will be your neighbors”. And it was published before Corona!
