HOUSE MARTIN is totally right!
The name comes after a bird of the swallow family that has adapted to urban life. The brand’s co-owners, Svitlana Mays and Ludmila Krilla, believe that gender diversification is a stereotype and what really matters is style and the right size. This brand does not retouch its images!
House Martin is sustainable, vegan, urban without gender limits. This brand uses vegan and cruelty-free materials for ethical reasons. All pairs feature a water-repellent upper and are easy to be maintained.
Tell me about the story of your brand.
House Martin launched about year and a half ago as a urban shoe mono brand. We wanted to create pairs that would fit city lifestyle perfectly and be comfortable for everyday wear. House Martin is a bird of the swallow family that is best adapted to urban life, and that is why we came up with the name. We wanted to create a meaningful product and that is why the concept of sustainable production became crucial for us. We found a factory in Ukraine that has implemented waste-free production. The remains of materials are pressed and used for the factory heating and thus we know that there is no waste at all. It was important for us to be inclusive for anyone and that’s how gender fluidity came up.
Do you believe gender neutral is the future?
Gender fluidity has been embraced by culture's collective consciousness only in recent years. We at House Martin want to be supporting ‘self-definition’ and not the binary framework that everyone has to believe. What really matters is how you actually define yourself. We hope our brand would help change the stereotypes within fashion on all fronts.
Why did you decide to import all your materials from Italy?
It is impossible to argue that Italy has the most progressive shoe manufacturing in the world, and you can easily find any shoe components from local factories. House Martin follows principles of ecological production. The brand uses more sustainable packaging and low impact dyes, and it follows strict ethical standards for the factory it sources from. All the remained production materials are compressed and used for heating the factory during winter times.
What inspired your latest collection’s style?
We wanted to create an easy-to-wear style that can fit anything, from slouchy jeans to a formal suit. Slip-ons are great for spring and summer, simple to style and can definitely be worn by both boys and girls. Our color scheme is neutral: grey, black, khaki, and then we added olive as a pop of color. The slip-ons are made of water-repellent fabrics so they are breathable and easy to clean.
How can be improved sustainable fashion industry considering your experience?
Waste-free production, minimalism, absence of gender differences and comfort are what our customers value. The world is oversaturated with goods and an choice options. House Martin gives consumers the opportunity to be stylish, environmentally conscious and save time picking what to wear. We are a shoe brand of the future, they are in demand and it inspires.
What’s your next project?
We are currently adding a line of backpacks and belt-bags to complement the shoe line. We also had in mind a summer drop of gender neutral sandals, but will have to see if the global quarantine intervenes with our production.
