Article: Interview with Founder Eva
Interview with Founder Eva
"For us, art is a fundamental need for every human being. We are made to express ourselves creatively, to make an impact, to create something."
Eva Philipp co-founded the fashion label 1C1Y with her husband nearly five years ago. Today, we have a conversation about clothing as a second skin, dying crafts, and the question of why beauty and responsibility are not a contradiction.
There are founders who talk about brands. And there are founders who talk about people. Eva Philipp belongs to the latter. When she talks about 1C1Y, you quickly realize: this isn't just about the dress, the trousers, or the shirt. It’s about what clothing can mean and what a purchase quietly achieves.
"We are not out for profit."
That sounds provocative at first – but Eva means exactly that.
"Primarily, we are a fashion label that is not out for profit. It has to pay off, like any company – but our major focus is that we want to make beautiful clothing while simultaneously helping children who grow up in less fortunate circumstances."
1C1Y's partner organization is ARTHELPS – an NGO that supports children in crisis situations through art workshops. Not with material donations, but with something Eva considers more fundamental: the feeling of being able to make an impact oneself. "Humans are wonderfully made, with everything they can do, with their hands, their senses. Many children grow up in situations that are simply without perspective. They don't have that horizon. And that’s why this work is so important to us."
Clothing as a Second Skin
Why a fashion label of all things? Eva laughs briefly, then the answer comes without hesitation. "Clothing is actually something totally beautiful. It is my second skin. I want to express my personality through clothing. Clothes protect me, adorn me – I can make statements with them."
What drives her is also what bothers her: that clothing has long since become a mass-produced commodity. "Everyone basically walks around looking the same. It’s such a shame that in our time, clothing has become a mass-market item." 1C1Y is an attempt to counter this – with pieces that you don't wear twice and then forget, but that become favorite items.
"We want to make fashion that truly dresses you, that makes you even more beautiful as a personality. Pieces that are worn for a long time, not just hanging in the closet. That’s why quality is absolutely vital to us: good fabrics, good design, good craftsmanship. Only then do I enjoy a piece for a long time."
The Atelier: Where Craftsmanship, Fashion, and Art Converge
Then Eva brings up the project that is particularly close to her heart right now: 1C1Y's Atelier line. And you immediately notice – this is where it gets personal. "Atelier 1C1Y is a major passion project. It has three pillars that we brought together with this project: beautiful fashion, craftsmanship, and art. These are three areas that have been close to our hearts for a long time."
The craftsmanship pillar is particularly meaningful. Eva and her husband come from a family of craftsmen – 15 generations can be traced back. What she observes in Germany worries her.
"When we look around in Germany, craftsmanship has totally lost its significance in recent decades. Many production sites were moved abroad, many craft professions have completely died out. Knowledge is being lost that has been passed down through generations."
"Especially in the apparel sector, we have seen how entire regions have died out that used to produce cloth or had sewing workshops. All gone. Luckily, there are still a few individuals who have survived these storms of time."
Eva and her team found one of these ateliers in Southern Germany. They were there in person, watching how the garments are sewn. What she experienced there left a lasting impression on her. "It fascinated me how many individual steps are necessary to finish a pair of trousers. How much expertise, how many manual tasks – the hand simply has to have done it 10,000 times. That totally inspired me and made me proud that we managed to produce this collection in Germany."
Art as a Basic Need
The third pillar of the Atelier is art – and here, too, Eva has a clear stance.
"For us, art is a fundamental need for every human being. We are made to express ourselves creatively, to make an impact, to create something. We are not made to sit in front of a screen for twelve hours – but to use our hands, our senses, our skills."
Atelier · Detail
The Atelier shirt – designed by designer Lasse Kruschwitz – features a hidden artwork by Berlin artist Jade Cassidy in its inner layer. A series of vibrant floral drawings created with just a few real brushstrokes. "The flowers talk to each other," says Eva. "They are like small personalities interacting, moving." The piece is often discovered only during the second or third wear. It is this thinking in layers, both literally and figuratively, that distinguishes 1C1Y from other labels. A garment that doesn't just fit, but has something to tell. It carries craftsmanship, hides art, and supports a child with every purchase.
Perhaps that is the most honest summary of what drives Eva: the belief that beauty and responsibility do not have to be mutually exclusive. That you can dress well and do something good at the same time. That clothing is allowed to be more than just consumption.
The Atelier Collection – handcrafted in Germany, in limited quantities.
