Kevin Germanier: Germanier

Upcycling. Mainstream. Luxury. Sustainability. Do all these words really go together?

Oui, oui (yes, yes) says Kevin Germanier, the Swiss-born designer and founder of the eponymous luxury upcycling label Germanier, launched in 2018 and now based in France. Known as the Upcycling King and Beads Master, Germanier is rewriting the fashion rulebook. In his world, discarded materials get a second life, a glamorous life, defying every stereotype around aesthetics, fashion, and what we consider “waste.” His label upcycles luxury fabrics into apparel and accessories that are anything but ordinary. Sometimes you find yourself wondering, Wait... they're made of WHAT?

One of Germanier’s bold and happiest obsessions? Discarded and defective beads. They’re his signature - flawed, shiny, unwanted by most, but for him, that’s where the magic begins.

It’s a full-on au revoir (goodbye) to new materials and a big, loud bonjour (hello) to existing resources. With a burst of colour, sculptural designs, and unapologetic glamour, Germanier brings upcycling to international runways, couture stages, and the mainstream. Oh and it’s a family affair, with Kevin working closely with his mom, grandmother, aunts, and of course, his team. One of his core approaches is to counter fast fashion and to see the beauty and value of secondhand materials.

Cutting Up Fashion Stereotypes – Literally

At the World Economic Forum, Germanier gave a talk titled "Cutting Up Fashion Stereotypes." He shared how his collections are built from fashion industry waste, quite literally trash. He spoke candidly about his time in London, when he was broke and had no choice but to shop secondhand and upcycle. But that necessity had actually turned into a bigger purpose. Then came his big break, when he moved to Hong Kong after winning the Redress Challenge award. That’s when he found his calling or as he puts it, he fell in love with shiny things and with discarded beads, and the rest became fashion history.

The Work, The Materials, The Madness

Germanier’s womenswear is made in Paris using upcycled fabric, often tie-dyed and hand-painted with metallic foil. The designer speaks passionately about how even a tiny, barely visible flaw is considered a defect and just thrown out. He found that shocking and unacceptable. Discarded for something so small and so common, that’s not a defect, that’s wasteful.

And if you already knew about Germanier, you’ve definitely seen those images. Another unconventional signature look - the faded spikes, those punk-metal like textures, are actually upcycled from flower bouquet designs. He believes sustainability doesn’t just come from materials alone. It’s about the people behind the product. Transparency, ethics, no greenwashing. He insists brands must show their factories, name their makers, and take accountability for what sustainability actually means.

As Seen On: Celebs, Couture &… Emily in Paris

Yes, that Emily in Paris. When Germanier’s pieces appeared on the hit Netflix show, the label exploded, reaching a wider and more diverse audience. You’ll spot his work in high fashion, on celebrities, on red carpets but there are also everyday pieces like upcycled bags and beaded denim, made from damaged jeans. And no, they don’t care about traditional “fashion seasons.”

Germanier x Paris Olympics 2024

If you watched the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, you saw those stunning upcycled outfits. Kevin Germanier designed the closing ceremony looks and they were next-level. The Golden Voyager dress, featured at the end, was made of 20,000 damaged sequins. The vertical piano performer wore an outfit made from 200+ upcycled VHS tapes from Germanier’s mom, filled with nostalgic, personal memories. And over 110 performers wore dresses made from deadstock fabric. Upcycled Olympics? Absolutely yes! And we love it.

Germanier is here to break stereotypes.

Upcycled = not glam? not pretty?
Only Paris-made or European-made = high quality?

Nope.
He’s saying a big, bold NO to all that.

He refuses to believe only Paris-made or European-made equals quality. He’s about working with artisans globally, giving value to makers across the world.  He wants people to stop thinking discarded means trash. It’s beautiful. It’s transformative. And if you think otherwise, maybe it’s time to look at it from another perspective. Most importantly, Kevin Germanier calls out the industry to stop greenwashing, to stop the fake “sustainability” taglines, and show us the truth. Who made your product? Where? How?

Transparency should be the bare minimum. Even with the brands they collaborate with or will collaborate with in the future, they ask hard questions. And want those same questions asked to them.

And before we wrap, two quotes from the man himself:

“I will not and cannot work with fast fashion. Money can’t buy value.”
“Saving the planet is now fashionable. Since when was saving the planet a trend? It should go without saying.”

So, can waste and discarded materials ever become luxury fashion?

Yes. It's called Germanier. It’s real. It’s upcycled. And it’s authentic.