The green story of Mila.Vert by designer Tina Logar Bauchmüller

Tina Logar Bauchmüller has always been interested in living a sustainable lifestyle, and over the years she has become increasingly aware that it is the duty of every individual to try to reduce one’s negative impact on the environment as much as possible. She also feels that it is hard to change one’s habits.

Her brand name,Mila.Vert, combines her daughter's nick name (Mila) and the French word for green (vert).

Green and eternal fashion

Her pieces of clothing look simple and have clear lines. The brand comprises garments made of high-quality eco-friendly materials manufactured in accordance with the strictest certification standards, such as GOTS (The Global Organic Textile Standard) and IVN Best. She cooperates with two Slovenian sewing companies, a knitting studio with a long tradition of manufacturing high-quality knitwear and a manufacturer of bags and accessories.

The clothes have a classic cut, but by adding details they can be made contemporary and brought into the present time.

Due to the high-quality materials and manufacturing process, sustainable clothing is priced slightly higher than conventional items.A lower price would simply not cover the costs of the manufacture of the clothing and other activities required for the management and development of the brand. "However, given that we do not need a pile of cheaply made clothing, but instead can buy a few quality-made pieces, the amount spent on the latter might not make a difference in the end,” says Tina Logar Bauchmüller.

The advantage of her clothes is that they fit all types of women. Tina has proved this with her campaign WomenWearingMilaVert, in which she presented the stories of women wearing her clothes.

Her products also hold the PETA Certificate, which confirms that she is dedicated to the protection of animal rights. Products awarded this certificate do not contain any elements of animal origin. "By using materials manufactured in accordance with strict standards (GOTS, IVN Best), we demonstrate that our fashion does not exploit people, because in addition to the high requirements regarding the reduced environmental impact, these certificates also ensure that everyone involved in the process of manufacturing the materials – from the producers of the raw materials, for example cotton, to the fabric manufacturers – is guaranteed good working conditions and fair pay for their work. We therefore make clothes in Slovenia and in cooperation with business partners whom we can trust to take good care of their employees," explains Tina.

Her products also hold the PETA Certificate, which confirms that she is dedicated to the protection of animal rights.

Products awarded this certificate do not contain any elements of animal origin. "By using materials manufactured in accordance with strict standards (GOTS, IVN Best), we demonstrate that our fashion does not exploit people, because in addition to the high requirements regarding the reduced environmental impact, these certificates also ensure that everyone involved in the process of manufacturing the materials – from the producers of the raw materials, for example cotton, to the fabric manufacturers – is guaranteed good working conditions and fair pay for their work. We therefore make clothes in Slovenia and in cooperation with business partners whom we can trust to take good care of their employees," explains Tina.

Twice a year Tina Logar Bauchmüller visits the Munich Fabric Trade Fair, because materials are her greatest inspiration. In her experience, this also makes the very process of making clothes from eco-friendly materials easier. This means that she first needs to look for materials, because there is still a lack of eco-friendly fabrics on the market. "For example, it has happened that I already had an idea for a collection design, but had to abandon it because I could not find the right fabrics," Tina explains. She visits her production partners after she has developed a conceptual design. The partners make a prototype of a given garment, which she and her colleagues try on to figure out which adjustments are needed. Then the final version of the garment is made.

People buy many pieces of clothing and also get rid of them quickly. Mainstream fashion brands are affordable and therefore encourage consumerism. Despite having a closet full of clothes, people often still feel that they do not have anything to wear.

That is because we usually buy without a vision and because we are fond of a certain piece of clothing at a given moment.

"My advice is that we should think about every purchase and ask ourselves whether we really need a particular piece of clothing. If we want to be sustainable, we should avoid buying clothes we do not really need. However, if we decide to buy a piece, we should choose from among sustainable clothing brands as there is already a big choice available on the market. We should also consider whether we can wear the garment together with another piece from our closet, and therefore ensure that we always have the possibility to combine various garments and create different styles with certain pieces, and thus dress beautifully and appropriately for different occasions," advises Tina Logar Bauchmüller.  

Her favourite material is knitwear. "In winter, I definitely prefer knitwear – our sweaters and dresses made of eco-friendly yarn. However, when it gets warmer, I can hardly wait to wear a lightweight dress made of Tencel – a material that, in addition to its elegant appearance, is comfortable for working from home," she explains.

Spring–Summer Collection

Tina Logar Bauchmüller is currently working on a new collection of leisurewear and work-from-home clothes. "We always listen to our customers and try to adjust to their needs as best as we can. Currently, these types of clothes are in the highest demand," says Tina.

And where will they present their collection this year? "To date, we have presented our products twice at the Neonyt international fair for sustainable fashion in Berlin. There, we addressed multi-brand stores regarding the concept of sustainable and ethical fashion. Due to the epidemic, the summer show has been cancelled and now we are devoting most of our time to improving our online store and other digital channels through which we can reach customers. We are optimistic and also want the epidemic to bring about something good – maybe we can now take more time to reflect on each potential purchase and also support smaller ethical fashion brands that focus most of their efforts on the local, fair, and sustainable manufacture of their own products."