GmbH
e always wanted
GmbH to be
something a bit
sexy,” says Benjamin A. Huseby,
who cofounded the Berlin-based
brand with his partner, Serhat
Isik, in 2016, “and sustainability
has never really been sexy.”
Huseby and Isik are changing
that, and sustainability has
never looked so good on the
dance floor. They launched
their brand as a response
to the big sociopolitical and
environmental issues of the
day, from plastic-filled oceans
to rising global temperatures.
The duo’s early collections were
made entirely from deadstock
and upcycled materials that
would have otherwise been
dumped in landfills, and soon
they found an enthusiastic
following for their slick take on
“sustainable clubwear.” Berlin’s
famous electronic-music–fueled
nightlife informed the clothes
as much as Huseby and Isik’s
utilitarian aesthetic did. Their
most recent collections add
another dimension, making
innovative use of sustainably
sourced materials: batting made
W
Benjamin A. Huseby
(left) and Serhat Isik
in the Berlin studio
of their label, GmbH.
from recycled plastic bottles,
vegan leather created from
apple cores, and laser-printed
denim that eschews bleach and
other toxic-chemical treatments.
All GmbH garments
come with a hangtag listing
specific information about
the materials used—whether
they are biodegradable,
recycled, or deadstock—and
where the fabric and piece were
made. Huseby and Isik keep
production local to minimize
shipping emissions and use
recycled and biodegradable
packaging. Isik adds that these
measures aren’t the result of
a plan. “It’s just something that
grew organically from our lived
lives,” he says.
To that end, each day they
prepare organic vegetarian
staff meals at the studio using
ingredients from local farms.
“It’s absurd that luxury fashion
companies didn’t take on
sustainability as a goal earlier,”
says Huseby. “If you think
about the best food, it’s organic
food, local food. It’s strange
that people don’t think about
fashion in the same way.”
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MAXIME BALLESTEROS
PRO
DUCTIO
N FO
R GM
BH
: ICO
NO
CLAST IM
AGE GERM
AN
Y
