07 APR 2020 My Name is Ylenia. I studied Fashion Design in Berlin. Since 2019 I have shared a Shopspace Studio with other creatives at Schönleinstr 26.

Usually when we don't have to social distance ourselves from the rest of the world, I hold fashion and sewing classes 3 times a week under the name Softskill.berlin. I also work as a Fashion Designer for myself and for others, making one-off pieces and customised clothing.

I work a lot with 2livefashion and do some customisation recycling designs for them. Another fun project I did this year was with Peppermint Group, designing a 100% Biodegradable Jacket that is fully compostable.

COVID made me realize what the most essential part of my profession is in times of uncertainty. Having a skill like sewing makes you flexible. When I started realizing that I won’t be able to hold my classes anymore, I started to look into options. Making masks was probably the most obvious idea a fashion designer in crisis mode could have. (:

I did some research about the material and different types of masks. Then I gathered some patterns and material to create something that is a bit safer than just a cotton mask.

This was all before the government decided to close restaurants and officially mandate social distancing, so I was not sure if making a mask was more a joke than serious.

As it turned out a lot of people have been happy to get one. I make them on demand and people can choose from my fabric scraps from former projects, so everyone gets their own customized mask.

I am very lucky that I have my studio and that I can still go and work there. I actually feel as if this is my second home. I don't meet up with people, but I do have the opportunity to say hi to the people who stop by to pick up their masks, which helps me not feel so distanced and isolated.

Ah! It's hard to give any tips. For me it helps to not plan more than one day ahead because you don’t know what will happen next anyways. So that relaxes me quite a bit. Also I want to look at this new unknown situation as an opportunity to rethink a lot of our patterns. Most of us have a lot more time to just stare holes in the air and think. That is something we usually don’t have much time for.

What inspired me is how the community all of a sudden became much stronger and closer. A lot of people show their support and share their knowledge, platform etc. I am really enjoying how local everything got.

Follow and remember me after the crisis (: Stay in touch and come by our shop.