Lobbyist for fair fashion: “We have lost the value of clothing”

KURIER: You are a fan of upcycling. What is that?

Nun Kaller: New things are created from old items of clothing.

You have also just founded a new club: “Uplift now”.

I have been working on the topic of fair and ecological fashion production for a very long time because the fast fashion industry is the second dirtiest industry in the world in terms of CO₂-Emission concerns. There are an incredible number of alternatives, including local ones. We want to shine the spotlight on this with our club. Austria once had a very well-functioning textile industry – the oldest linen weaving mill in Europe is in Upper Austria.

What do you want your activity to achieve?

We are aiming to network producers and also want to organize a conference on textiles.

And how do you make money with it yourself?

We are looking for sponsors, which is really not easy at the moment. In the long term there should also be stable financing from members, but that is not the initial goal. During the pandemic, I founded a platform so that not everyone orders from Amazon and no added value remains in Austria. Back then, I created a list of local companies that could send contact-free. That went through the roof. Looking back, I was a bit socially romantic.

How come?

Because there was a lot of cheating with Corona funding.

You have organized upcycling fashion shows twice at Vienna Fashion Week with Caritas and Volkshilfe. But now you lack sponsors for it. Does this have anything to do with the economic crisis?

Yes. I’ve been a freelancer for six years and I’ve noticed that everyone’s budgets have become very tight at the moment.

Are ecological issues losing importance in the face of the crisis?

Unfortunately yes. Sustainability is slipping further back. I think this is a complete wrong decision. For example, if we had invested more in renewable energies, we would have fewer problems now. We only have this one planet! The current backlash is really making me sick to my stomach.

What do you want?

More protectionism in the EU for its own production. At the beginning of the pandemic, we didn’t even have our own disposable surgical gowns because they were sewn somewhere in China.

You even walked the catwalk yourself at your part of Fashion Week.

At my show there were only amateur models of every age group, every size, every skin color. I’m 1.80 and have never been quiet. So I don’t have to imagine not standing out. So I’m making the most of it!

Did it take effort?

You can put me on any stage and I won’t stop talking until you stop me. But those stupid 30 meter catwalks gave me nightmares. I was so nervous! But the moment was also the reward for a lot of work and was very beautiful.

You and your mother were also plus-size models for sustainable fashion. Why?

I have often heard that there is no fair fashion for plus sizes. And there is really little. That’s why I teamed up with the Viennese designer Maria Fürnkranz-Fielhauer to develop a small collection.

Social media is your PR tool?

Yes definitely. I learned the trade of press, and PR without social media is no longer possible. I’m mostly on Instagram and Facebook. I deleted X, which was very good for my psyche.

Weil?

Because things are often quite aggressive there.

You also occasionally share on social media when something in your life isn’t working out. Doesn’t that attract trolls?

Credibility is very important to me; I don’t just want to read success stories myself. I’ve had three shit storms in 15 years. Most recently one because I wrote about the US Secretary of Health and Human Services – and, huh, that made it clear to me that chemtrails are real. But I don’t take myself seriously in a pretty radical way. And if someone feels like they have to be hurtful towards me, I open the door and let them run into the wall behind it.

“We have way too much stuff,” you say. Right – now what?

I’m not too optimistic that this will change any time soon. But minimalism and decluttering are always a trend. It’s good to have control over what you own. When I know where everything is, I feel calmer.

Are you neat yourself?

Phased.

You didn’t buy an outfit for a year and published a book about it in 2013: “I’m not buying anything.” How was that?

This started as a defiant reaction to my boyfriend at the time, who said that I bought too much myself and was therefore not consistent. Unfortunately he wasn’t wrong. The intention was actually not missionary. In dealing with it, I then found my personal life theme. I am very interested in fashion, but on the other hand I am a justice person – since my childhood with two brothers.

Isn’t there something democratic about cheap fashion because it means everyone can afford fashionable clothes?

Nope. For those who produce them, it is not democratic at all. But you don’t see the human rights violations and environmental damage in the finished garment. We have totally lost the value of clothing. I’ll never forget the moment I watched a friend throw away a t-shirt because of a tiny hole. She said, “That piece is cheaper than the cocktail we’re going to drink later.”

Why is there such a fascination with brands and logos?

We want to convey something – and this is the easiest way to show: “I am someone.” I personally don’t like being an advertising column for brands.

What do you think of vegan fashion?

It’s good if they are natural fibers, such as cotton or linen. However, you could write “vegan” on any cheap shoe store because everything is made of plastic.

How do you feel about fur – there is a lot of upcycling fashion there?

Newly produced fur is a no-go. But “second hand” there are tons of unsaleable furs. The animal has been dead for decades, the function is there, the stuff warms – let’s use it!

Aren’t you the typical Vienna Neubau Bobo representative?

Yes, I don’t deny that, although I don’t just surround myself with the same class. And I live in “Rudolfscrime” (laughs).

Why do you love the word “Oida”?

It has always been in my language, much to the annoyance of my parents. You can express anything with it.

First they had a pug from the animal shelter, now a mixed breed. The difference?

Both totally different, both indispensable for me.