ONES TO WATCH: TRUE TRIBE

Wild at heart is the moniker of this French brand – though that sentiment could be equally well applied to the brand’s founder, Paris-born Alexandre Sundberg.

“It all started in 2014 when I was working in sales for Saint Laurent and then later on in Monaco for a large multinational,” says Sundberg. “Tired of the corporate world, and hungry to escape I called it off to go hitchhiking in Western Australia. There, I had the opportunity to meet several tribes in the secluded Kimberley Region and learned about tribal aboriginal art whilst discovering what modern society had done to the Australian aboriginals.”

“When I returned to Paris, the experience in the Australian outback fueled a strong inspiration to create. In 2017, after 3 years of sourcing, product development, and consulting industry professionals I finally laid the foundation for True Tribe.”

True Tribe’s core product line are shorts. The prints, distinctive to the brand pay tribute to the aboriginals’ artistic heritage while following a “slow” fashion and sustainable method. The fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles or fishing nets is a way to express the brand’s closeness to nature. Last but not least the production: True Tribe runs its own atelier in Karachi, Pakistan, whereby working conditions differ drastically from the country’s usual standards.

“Never able to produce the level of quality desired in France or Portugal, I turned to my family in Pakistan,” adds Sundberg. “In February 2018, True Tribe opened its own workshop with the aim to transfer French know-how in textile craftsmanship to Pakistan and help the country diversify its textile economy dependent on Fast Fashion giants.”

With the collection now firmly planted in retailers such as Merci in Paris, Antonioli in Milan, and Four Seasons Hotels, Sundberg is now looking to expand in the United States. Retail prices range from $165 up to $330.