About Jasmin Afschar

I love sewing and textiles and all that comes with it. Sewing has become an essential part of my life. It connects me to our history as human beings and to my own family ancestry. We have always needed clothes and the ability to join cloth with cloth or fur with fur for our very survival. That connection was initially my reason to do my training, a 3-year dual apprenticeship in bespoke dressmaking in Lübeck, Germany and a 1-year degree in patterncutting in Hamburg. The more I get into this world of sewing, which necessarily also includes fashion, design, culture, technology, craft, vision and so many more things, I personally feel more connected to my own ancestry. My grandmother and greataunt, two sisters who had come from Bohemia to the north of Germany in the late 1940s, started a business together in the 1950s in Hamburg. They had a shop where they designed, sewed and sold women's underwear, bras whose designs were inspired by Prague fashion at the time and before. They employed up to 12 seamstresses and organized fashion shows in which they themselves as well as professional models modelled their designs. These two women and what they did is a huge inspiration and source of connection for me. The other thing that truly moves me is the endeavour to lessen the amount of miles raw materials etc travel before they reach the consumer and to know where things come from. That makes materials such as Linen, wool and hemp very attractive. With my designs and sewing I want to create garments and items that are of such quality that they will last and stand the test of time. I want to invest thought and time, so that each item gets honoured and the raw materials that I use get imbued with the value they deserve.

May this website and what it has to offer inspire you, whether it is to buy something, take part in one of the courses or buy less and start creating yourself!

Jasmin