aesthetize: Minimalism Meets Streetwear
Besides Berlin the Ruhr region is one of the most populated urban areas in Germany. After the golden years of industry, the region has transformed into a melting pot of different cultures, designers and interesting startups.
Benjamin Leysing, Michael Pietrek and Jens Peters from Duisburg are part of this new industry of DIY-Crafters and proudly present their fashion label “aesthetize” which stands for authentic homeprinted shirts and clean, minimalistic designs.
We talked to Benjamin, who runs the aesthetize pop-up shop at Brunnenstraße in Berlin-Mitte.
Hi Ben, so tell me who are you and what are you doing?
We are aesthetize, a young fashion label originally founded in Duisburg by three guys who met years ago at the university. We always shared the same passion for design and streetwear which was the foundation of considering starting our own brand. The concept is to establish simple and minimalistic designs as well as good quality and a sustainable production. Being part of the world we love was a great boost to start.
So, how did you start?
We’ve started creating a lean concept based on smart investing and doing most of the tasks by ourself, like designing, finance stuff and production. A first range of products was shown to a selected crowd to estimate the chances on the real market. It just took us a few more improvements and then we started officially.
Who came up with the idea of launching an own pop-up shop?
The idea of launching our own pop-up shop was very spontaneous and a really generous offer from Go—PopUp. As part of my internship, Go—PopUp gave me the chance to spread our product in an own pop-up space near Rosenthaler Platz right in the busy centre of Berlin. This was the perfect test how our collection will perform on the offline retail market.
How does it feel to finally sell your products in your own shop?
Standing in our very own retail space was an amazing feeling. It just makes a huge difference to see your collection on real hangers in real closets instead of just stocking them for shipping. It was the perfect chance to get in touch with our customers, talking to them in personal about our products or just to have a little chat. Launching the pop-up shop was a great experience, it helped us spreading our product to the real world and was a huge success for our little company.
Which advice can you give newcomer brands who are struggling with the decision to open an own pop-up shop?
I think every newcomer brand should consider starting a small pop-up shop, to check how their product performs and to get direct feedback from customers. Furthermore it improves your selling techniques, your authenticity and strengthens the connection to your own brand.
Thank you Ben!
Channels
Where to find us
