Havre Studio: Behind the zero-waste brand loved by fashion’s top personalities
For something that started as a hobby to fill time, Madeleine Frandsen’s Havre Studio is changing the lives of the people around her, one re-worked suit at a time.
Madeleine Frandsen interviewed by Sasha Wardrop
After moving to Mexico City in 2019, it was by chance that Madeleine stumbled upon the idea for Havre Studio, her suitcases had been lost in transit so she headed to the local flea market to fill her wardrobe. Originally from Copenhagen, Madeleine was in awe of all the beautiful vintage suits she found, so she began collecting them and working with seamstresses to make unique pieces for herself and her friends.
Fun Fact: Madeleine’s seamstresses originally thought she was mad for changing up the suits in the ways she did.
Two years later and those pieces she was making for her and friends are now lusted after by influencers and A-list celebrities alike. Think – Kendall Jenner, Elsa Hosk, Em Rata, Matilda Djerf, @endlesslyloveclub’s Jen Ceballos and our personal favourite Amy Julliette Lefevre. Her zero-waste brand Havre Studio – named after the street she lived on in Mexico – sells out of every drop within minutes, it’s safe to say people cannot get enough.
However, Havre Studio is so much more than just a brand loved by fashion’s elite. What Madeleine has built is a family amongst her seamstresses and suppliers, who she is helping to thrive in a way that never would have been possible.
When COVID hit, while Havre Studio was still a young brand, Madeleine saw many of her seamstresses/suppliers lose their jobs with no assistance from the government. Without a second thought she put her head down and got to work, hoping to increase Havre Studio’s output so she could support them and supplement their lost wages.
Now Frandsen has managed to increase her seamstress’ pay by four times the average wage in Mexico. This has led to her employee’s being able to do things they never would have been able to before. She spoke fondly of one seamstress, Koko, who has been able to afford to renovate her whole shop and hire 4 people underneath her. Another, Gladiola, who sells vintage clothes for film sets has been able to open her own studio instead of selling out of her apartment.
From speaking with her, I can confidently say that Madeleine’s key priority is to support and nurture the people she works with over everything else which is something so rare and special in modern fashion brands.
When asked about the future of the Havre Studio, Madeleine only wants to improve the brand further – “I want to have more diversity incorporated into the brand, something which is incredibly important to me and that I am working towards. Being in quarantine, most pictures are on me, which doesn’t give a nuanced picture of who I want to see in the clothes. Havre is for all bodies, ethnicities and sexualities”.
To support Havre Studio and the incredible work Madeleine is doing both for zero waste fashion and supporting local artisan workers check out Havre Studio’s Instagram and look out for the next drop.
