Boessert/Schorn is a fashion label designed and owned by Sonia Boessert. The label is based in Berlin, Germany.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do. I am Sonia, the fashion designer and owner of the label Boessert/Schorn for the past four years. I started the label together with Brigitte Schorn in 2006, but now I run the label on my own. I have lived in Berlin since 2003 . I study fashion design in Halle; it is near Leipzig. Since 2008, I have presented the collections in showrooms in Paris and Tokyo.
What are some recent, upcoming or current projects you are working on? At the moment I am designing the Summer 2015 collection, and there is the production control of the Winter 14/15 collection. I also do a lot of office work.
What is one of the bigger challenges you and/or other designers are struggling with these days and how do you see it developing? It is hard to be both the designer and the business manager. The designer says I need time for experimentation, and I need nice materials and craftsmanship, and the manager says I need everything fast and cheap; this is a real balancing act.
If you had one wish what would it be? I wish I had more time! Here is another balancing act: I have two babies! There is my daughter Lumen and there is my fashion label, and both need time! If I am with one, I can not be with the other! That’s always hard.
How did your interest in art or fashion begin? Oh, I think it’s that I love to do things on my own. Craftsmanship on my own. I am really a fan of nice, authentic materials.
How has living in Berlin affected your practice? Living in Berlin is not very expensive and you can find nice work spaces. It is the most interesting city in Germany. Germany is not a country for fashion, but the situation in Berlin has changed the last few years, so a network is developing.
If you had to explain your work or brand to a stranger, what would you say? I make comfortable, airy clothes for women.
What materials do you use in your work and what is your process like? I really like easy, natural materials, like plain weaving with structure and also rough knit with melange structure—in cotton or wool.
How has your work developed within the past year? In the design of items, my focus changed with my experience. Some seasons, the concept of an item was really in my focus, but at the moment I like to be smarter and relaxed with my concepts, and I want to make comfortable, easy to wear clothes.
What’s your favorite thing about your city? The trees and the parks; there is a lot of green. That is important if you live in a city.
What are your thoughts about the fashion scene in Berlin? It is German-like. Purist and pragmatic. Everything is good to wear; nothing that you do not need.
What is your snack/beverage of choice when working in your studio? Coffee and gummy bears.
