Simona Lampe is a self-taught woman in fashion design. She has a Master of Science in Economics. Ten years ago, the former banker who, as head of investor relations, regularly came into contact with international credit rating agencies, was stimulated by her passion for design and fashion into turning her hobby into a job, despite the initial uncertainty and doubt. In every woman, she wants to emphasise her youthfulness and maintain her elegance. She says that she wants to “design rational, glamorous business fashion and spread awareness about the rational use of clothes among businesswomen through recycling and multi-use.”

The designer Simona Lampe believes that environmental partnership is crucial for future of fashion. Her up-cycling initiative Clothes with Stories began in 2009 when she was pregnant with twins and is based on up-cycling clothes donated by influential people. She believes the twins brought to her the idea of protecting the world, since their coexistence in the uterus demands a strong synergy the same as earth, humans and all living creatures supposed to sustain.   

With her projects ‘Clothes with stories I, II, III’, Lampe wanted to show businesswomen the usefulness of recycling with a real example of their old clothes. The participating managers donated their old clothes, Lampe redesigned them and the managers could buy them back if they wanted. Through this type of creative process, the designer is building a new, sustainable aspect, rational couture fashion.

Simona tries to find inspiration for her work always, everywhere, in every person, and always wants to present her work through a concrete message or story. The recycling source has no limitations, like a Macedonian blanket with a big floral pattern which Lampe had noticed at her neighbour’s when it was drying on the balcony and turned it into a fashion piece of runway. 

It is primarily about spreading environmental awareness in the business world, but also about economising. “Redesign of clothes is very demanding and time-consuming, a real work of art, since the clothes are completely remade. But that is the point and fascination,” says Lampe. The collection of old/new clothes includes pieces which also observe the concept of rationality by being multifunctional. Lampe firmly believes that upcycled and multifunctional clothing will soon become prime fashion guidelines.