Munich-based knitwear designer Barbara Klara Giandomenico is as passionate about unique design as she is about conscious fashion. Her label STUDIO 163 is known for the finest cashmere designs made in a small, family-run studio in Mongolia. We visited her at her Munich store on Jahnstrasse, where she also designs and edits her seasonal colour palette.
You can meet Barbara at our IRMAS X-Mas Market this week on the 6th and 7th of December at Rosewood Munich.
IRMA Can you tell us how you became a knitwear designer for your own brand in Munich?
BARBARA GIANDOMENICO: My passion for knitwear and the search for a well-cut sweater in the highest quality cashmere that didn’t cost a fortune was the beginning of this journey. I learned that there was a gap in the market.
When, in 2016, a sustainable cashmere connection emerged in Mongolia that mines, spins and processes cashmere to the highest quality standards, I seized the opportunity and founded STUDIO 163.
Since then, we have been working exclusively with this small family business for our knitwear, using only 100% of the finest wool from Mongolian cashmere goats living in good conditions.
IRMA: Could you please describe your fashion values for your brand?
BARBARA GIANDOMENICO: Since the beginning we have been committed to the finest cashmere and timeless design at a fair price. Our maxim is to offer our customers the highest quality, traditional craftsmanship, environmental and social sustainability, handmade in Mongolia.
Characterised by the brand’s straightforward yet understated signature design, our collections show great attention to detail. Refined with clean colour palettes and perfect fit. We hope that our creations will become lifelong companions
IRMA: For your collection you work with 100% finest wool from Mongolian cashmere goats. How did you find the supplier and how did you get there?
BARBARA GIANDOMENICO: You could say it was luck, or even fate. An old friend of mine found the workshop in Mongolia on a trip over 20 years ago. She had worked with them for many years, but had never built up a brand of her own and was looking for someone to continue this acquaintance with Mongolia. It felt like an uncut diamond and was the chance to realise my vision.
IRMA: For a few seasons now you have been adding leather goods and ready-to-wear in organza and silk to your knitwear, what is the idea behind this interesting mix?
BARBARA GIANDOMENICO: Over time, we realised that we wanted to complete our range and create a look that would develop the brand, so we slowly started to add new product categories and materials. To stay true to our values, we have focused on local production and natural and sustainable materials sourced in Germany with the highest Oeko-Tex standards, such as silk, tencel, organza, muslin and leather. Our pret-a-porter designs are all handmade in Munich in small quantities or sewn on demand to avoid overproduction and dead stock. The same goes for our leather goods – they are handmade in a small factory in Brandenburg from hides treated in accordance with the ‘reach and azo dye regulations’ and are free of chromium VI.
IRMA: Your shop on Jahnstrasse in Munich is becoming more and more of a concept store, how do you curate the products you add to your collection?
BARBARA GIANDOMENICO: We love the idea of complementing our collections with beautiful products from brands that we love and that match our values, offering our customers a curated selection. From time to time we introduce jewellery designers, but also tableware, such as a small collection by Ichendorf Glas, because we love the particular simplicity of their designs, which go perfectly with our products. So it’s more of an organic fit than the idea of building a concept store.
IRMA: You have an online shop and another one in Sendlinger Strasse in Munich, how do you plan to develop your business in the future?
BARBARA GIANDOMENICO: Our distribution strategy is based on direct sales. This allows us to offer our customers great quality at a fair price, as we have no intermediaries and there is no extra margin. We sell online at studio163.de and in two stores in Munich, where we are based. The stores are very important for us to get in touch with our customers, understand their needs and build our brand. We have many repeat customers in our stores and online. Some customers come from far away to visit our stores and try on the collection, especially before buying the first piece. In the long term, we would like to expand and open more stores in special locations.
