If you’ve been keeping up with Paris Fashion Week, you’re most likely familiar with ATLEIN. Antonin Tron first showed in 2017 during PFW and has been making waves since. A year after showing his first collection, Tron was awarded the ANDAM fashion award in 2018. A lover of surfing, luxury, sustainability, and Extinction Rebellion, Tron is not your typical designer. Creating a brand that adheres to sustainable responsibilities can be challenging, but we’re betting on this Parisian maison. From collaborating with local french factories, local sourcing, and using innovative fabrics with a positive impact, Atlein shows that there is no need to sacrifice the planet when creating luxury fashion. Sit back and enjoy this interview with a designer we’re excited to learn more about.
You named your brand Atlein as an ode to the Atlantic Ocean. Can you tell us about your relationship with nature?
The brand is called Atlein because of the Atlantic Ocean. It refers to the oceanic feeling. I spend as much time close to the sea surfing and to nature in general. Surfing is like a remembrance of a primitive state, harmony with nature. I think it influences the way I make clothes, I design with a focus on the body, its energy and movement. I grew up in Paris and I wasn’t particularly interested in fashion, I started to study modern literature and was always very much into biology and zoology with a huge passion for primates. In particular, big apes (I used to travel a lot to support conservation projects with eco-tourism in countries such as Uganda, Indonesia, Cambodia). Now, I really try to reduce my flying hours.
Was living a sustainable lifestyle a mindful choice, or did it come organically through the way you grew up?
I founded ATLEIN because I truly believe you can build a fashion business with values and respect for humans and the earth. We do as much as we can to create without destroying. My work develops on the dichotomy of my traditional design training and my personal values and convictions. My mother was always extremely aware of environmental issues.
Can you tell us about your sustainable practices for your brand? Does this involve your staff and every choice in each step of the way?
ATLEIN works to create a positive industrial system, focusing on local sourcing and short-circuit
manufacturing. The collection employs a mix of traditional, upcycled, recycled and innovative fabrics, such as the vegan leather and the nylon twill made up of recycled plastic bottles. I am not saying we are a sustainable business as it is impossible to be today and so much of it is just Greenwashing. In terms of sourcing and manufacturing, we have tried our best for a solution since the beginning. We have an industrial system based mostly on the local sector made with a french family factory. It is such an amazing factory which I’ve known for years. The women can take some of their work home if they need to. It’s a great social program. Social responsibility is essential for me. It’s really about seeing that everyone in the chain of production gets treated and paid fairly. Everyone is talking about sustainability, but what is important to me is to create a virtuous and respectful economic system where independent businesses can survive and work locally.
When you hear about how cotton is organic, but a lot of it is picked by children in
Bangladesh—that’s just greenwashing. Today made in France is a strong statement for our brand. Sustainability will come with a fair economy and reduced transportation. 60% of the material we use are dead stocks. We ask exclusively for dormant dead stocks with sufficient quantities to make production. If there isn’t enough we try to offer a different quality to our customer. Upcycling has been a commitment of the brand since the beginning: it is a real struggle especially with color limitation. You have to be creative with what you find. 20% of our materials are made of recycled fibres. For instance a polyester with certification (Newlife: it’s a unique, complete and certified system of recycled polyester), 20% of our fabrics are printed or jacquards : we unfortunately haven’t found a better way to work with special designs. We do not ship hangers and use recycled materials for packaging. We limit our transportation as much as possible. We have been committed to these practices since the very first season.
What other sustainable designers or brands do you look up to?
Anybody who is trying to find solutions to create respectfully. But there is a lot of greenwashing around…
You’re a follower of Extinction Rebellion and have hosted meetings in your atelier studio. What does XR mean to you and why does it resonate with you? Do you think the younger generation is finally taking our planet more seriously?
I am profoundly revolted against the government’s inaction towards global warming, destruction of the ecosystems and social injustice in our world. I believe in a profound change in our societies for a more fair world and so that we can live in harmony with our environment. I think we are in a very hopeful moment. I think the climate crisis is, as we know by now, not just a climate crisis: It’s a sociopolitical and environmental crisis. We talk about a tipping point, and we are there now. What will we do with what little time we have left? This will make the difference forever (on a human scale). That’s why I am an activist and want to push for change right now because we’ve already ran out of time.
Are there any other organizations that you dedicate yourself to and are close to your heart?
On October the 5th 2019 Extinction Rebellion co-organised an occupation of the Italie 2 Mall in Paris with Comité Adama, Yellow Vest, Youth for Climate, Comité de Libération et Autonomie Queer, Radiaction, Terrestres, Cerveaux Non Disponibles, Désobéissances Écolo. This nonviolent civilian disobedience action with a convergence of anti-capitalist struggles was a first in the history of climate and environmental movement. I stand for all struggles against all oppressing systems and inequalities.
What is the most difficult part of creating luxury in a conscious way?
I think the textile part is the most complicated. It is a very polluting industry and we need to research more on how to create textiles that are harmless to the environment. But it’s always a matter of scale…
What part does upcycling play into your designing process?
It is the first step, finding dormant stocks and being able to be creative with what I find.
What is the Atlein ethos?
With ATLEIN, we aim to present an alternative proposition for women based on quality and integrity. My work is based on flow and the process of creation by hand, defined by the draping and shaping of the material around the body. This Human and physical approach to design is central to my practice.
What kind of women are you designing for?
I design for active independent women that want a different kind of luxury far away from logo and advertising. I drape a lot creating dresses that have an elaborate structure but often with no zippers and no restraining constructions.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
The artist Tomás Saraceno.
Many people are reassessing their choices and their lifestyles. How has this pandemic affected you and business for Atlein? Are there any changes you will be making? What do you miss the most? Is there anything you feel you took for granted?
I think this pandemic reinforced what I believe and how we have been doing things since the beginning.
What can other brands do to be more sustainable? How can the fashion industry change for the better?
I don’t think I hold the answers to these questions. I think we just need to make less and make it better.
How do you feel about the current political state and what can the fashion industry do to become more inclusive and supportive of equal rights when it comes to gender and race?
I think it is inevitable and an absolute necessity. I am so happy to see so much change!
How important is it for you to be part of LVRSustainable and why?
I think it’s great that LVR supports these values and promotes people who are trying to find solutions. I also believe it comes from an authentic desire to see the world change! So it’s great we need to join all forces!
A special thank you to Antonin Tron.
