If you’re a regular reader of ours, I think it’s safe to assume that you dream in green. What I mean is: that you try to follow a relatively eco-friendly lifestyle. Maybe you shop at your local organic grocery store; perhaps you even choose to frequent our natural cosmetics shop. But being friendly to the environment shouldn’t just go skin deep. It should also cover whatever you use to cover up. Shopping ethically doesn’t mean you have to end up wearing a brown potato sack; sacrificing style for sustainability is a thing of the past, and in this series, we intend to show you just that. With each Guilt-Free Fashion article, we’ll try to offer you a greener solution that can help make a little more room in your conscience – featuring stylish pieces that’ll get you all the head-turning looks you so duly deserve ♥ Next up: Marin et Marine!

Marin et Marine was founded by two sisters, Caroline-Marine (right) and Valérie Hebel (left). Caroline-Marine studied graphic design in Wiesbaden, collecting professional experience by working for the Kauf dich glücklich online shop. Valérie similarly studied product design, and a year after her sister moved to Berlin, she decided to join her.

At some point, they had the idea to create their own business by combining their collective skills in 2D / 3D. They were inspired by a gift Caroline had given to family members one Christmas: a hand-sewn beach bag (because of which they were regularly complimented while out in the city). This gave them the idea to start the label Marin et Marine (Marin means ‘sailor’, while Marine is Caroline’s second name), and began professionally distributing these beautiful bags.

“We try to produce everything locally and keep the path from production to consumer as short as possible.” — Caroline-Marine

They decided in the very beginning that they definitely wanted the bags to be considered unisex – also making sure that they were produced from sustainable materials and under fair working conditions. The organic cotton used to make these sturdy beach bags is produced in German weaving mills, and the detailed elements (such as the eyelets & cords) are produced in a small Berlin-based workshop.

The leather for the bucket bags and small zipper bags is sourced from Italy and France and is (apart from the black version) colored using vegetable dyes and is completely free of toxic chemicals. Up until 2015 the sisters were working with a seamstress, but the demand for their bags has grown steadily over time, so they made the choice to forward production to small manufacturers.

“We take care of the design, the prototypes, the online shop, the packaging… Our approach is to do everything right. Therefore, we are growing slowly, but surely and continuously.” — Valérie

“It’s very difficult to produce everything using organic materials and in a sustainable way. It’s vital to remain aware of this every single day… Our credo will always be that we would rather stay small than to lose focus on what is important to us,” described Valérie about the philosophy behind Marin et Marine. Naturally, the sisters themselves also maintain a green lifestyle.

“It affects your whole outlook, on food, cosmetics, clothing. When you are conscious about one aspect of your life, you can’t completely ignore the other aspects,” says Caroline, with Valérie adding, “Everyday you have to weigh the decision of whether you should purchase regional or organic produce, this or that. You can’t simply decide that you’ll bring your own bags when shopping and consider that enough. That’s only the very beginning. This sentiment is also a problem of our generation.”

In their showroom on Reichenbergerstrasse in Berlin’s own Kreuzberg, you’ll be able to find their colorful canvas bags beautifully presented. “With our label we are trying to find the meeting point between sustainability and style, we want to show that organic & green products can also be really fashionable. Also, you won’t find any frills in our aesthetic,” the sisters proudly explain about their design approach.

“We’re trying to win over our Kiez. We know that there are many inequalities coexisting here. The Aesop shop is a bit of a provocation. With our shop, we try to remain accessible and affordable to the average earner.”

So far, the bags are available through their online shop and around Germany in about 200 different stores. Their summer collection included: a bucket bag as a backpack, a big beach bag in XXL size, and a duffel bag for travel… be sure to check out their newest wares, and perhaps you’ll come out even better prepared for next summer season ; )

Merci beaucoup, Caroline-Marine et Valérie!

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in September 2017 and was updated in September 2018 for accuracy.