Valentin's Letter
Pre Fall 2023
Dear Friends,
I love talking with my hands. Perhaps the lost Italian in me, despite living in Rome only for a year. I quite like that: writing figuratively, with words that you can see, or even better, feel. Just like you should close your eyes when you try on a sweater: how does it feel? How do I feel right now? Sometimes I can make a much better decision that way, than looking at myself in the mirror. I’ll find something that bothers me there anyway.
A few weeks ago, we received a handwritten letter from a customer, 4 pages long. She wanted to say thank you, told her story with Iris von Arnim and what pleasure she has with our collections: “All I have to do in the morning is consider the weather and my schedule, find out which colour suits my mood, and then I can easily put together the right outfit. Ever since I do that, I leave the house with a smile every day” – I think everyone can imagine how much I loved reading those lines. Of course, one should look good in Iris von Arnim, stylish in every moment. But imagine the outfit made you a bit lighter and put a smile on your face…?
Sometimes we have real discussions in the studio. The standards are high, very high. Every centimeter, every seam, every colour nuance matters. Iris has set that example for all of us for over 45 years. Cashmere is a natural material, slightly different every year, depending on the climate, the winter, and the goat. It’s not always easy to achieve our standards. In these heated moments, I think about this lady and how she is walking out the door every morning. Or about a friend of mine, who just sent me a picture of himself wearing an Iris von Arnim jumper, saying: “feels damn good to me.” And then it’s all fun again what we do here every day.
