INDIVIDUAL HISTORIES.

The designers selected by MINI FASHION to create the BEYOND NATIVE Capsule Collection all share a common characteristic in that they are all now living and working in a different place from where they were born. Originally from Brazil, London-based designer Diego Vanassibara created a pair of British derbies with Brazilian lightness. Merging east and west, Chinese designers Yushan Li and Jun Zhou of the Milanese fashion label PRONOUNCE designed a hoodie in black and white. New York’s Post Imperial tapped into their Nigerian roots to design a colourful scarf featuring patterns based both on Yoruban traditions and “a strong sense of optimism for the future”. Austrian-born resident of Japan Edwina Hörl designed an all-weather navy blue coat that intermingles the structure of her home country with Asian themes. And the two designers of Perret Schaad, themselves from Vietnam and Germany, debuted a handcrafted, yet modern portable pouch donning two bright hues.

For its latest collection, MINI FASHION presented each of five designers with the challenge of creating an individual piece that expresses their own unique cultural histories. Inspired by wanderlust and focused on today’s urban traveller, MINI FASHION chose the international set of designers based on the ways they have chosen to work with the combination of their cultural backgrounds and their newfound homes. Each creative has incorporated their own unique transcultural perspective into the collection’s designs, resulting in a widely varied line that still maintains its cohesive theme. As Sabine Ringel, Creative Lead at MINI FASHION, explained, “the richness and depth of the work produced by these nomads only exist because of their decision to cross borders. We wanted to translate this into products for today's urban traveller—inspired by the city, MINI's native habitat”.

Experiencing different cultures affects an individual’s concept of home. When asked whether home is where you’re born or something that is developed later in life, Diego Vanassibara said, “I tend to think of home as wherever I am perfectly comfortable. Therefore, when I am in London I feel at home—but I also feel perfectly at home here, where I am surrounded by so many great people.” Edwina Hörl echoed this sentiment and even went so far as to reminisce on her lifelong desire to “flee” her Austrian town at a young age. “I live in a big city near Tokyo now. People often think that living in a metropolis will be tough or difficult, but it’s actually peaceful and easy.”