Carefree clothing. Anna-Lisa Harfst is not only a designer and founder of the slow fashion label HELENA HARFST. The graduate of the fashion design school in Mannheim is Hessian through and through. And that’s why her skirts, dresses, trousers, tops & Co. contain folkloric, traditional and handcrafted influences from her homeland. Production takes place – of course – in central Hesse, in our own studio. In the detached house where she lives with her husband, children and chickens.
The founding idea of the mother of four? Not having to exchange your demand for fashion and aesthetics in everyday life for a functional mom outfit. Your clothes should be practical, easy to wash and care for and yet elegant. A balancing act that is not easy to master, but that can succeed. And in the case of HELENA HARFST it was also successful.
Designed with passion and produced by hand in Hesse.
Anna-Lisa Harfst calls her designs carefree clothing, which are beautiful, timeless and indestructible and should accompany its wearer through all phases of life for a long time. The ingredients: (natural!) materials of the highest quality, straight cuts, perfect workmanship. Pastel versions of coral and yellow (preferably in combination with white and natural) allow the cuts to speak in a wonderfully reserved manner and the individual pieces to be combined with one another in an uncomplicated manner. The result is a seasonless capsule collection that Anna-Lisa is always carefully expanding with further slow fashion favourites. ‘Less is more’ means more for Anna-Lisa Harfst.
Carefree clothing. Made for the challenges of mom as well as everyday office life.
Together with her small team, Anna-Lisa produces her relaxed checkered, striped, plain-colored and patchwork companions in Hüttenberg near Giessen in Hesse. Handmade from cutting to finished product. In one operation. It may take longer, but it makes the seamstresses happy and supports the tailoring trade in their central Hessian homeland.
Her collection? A skilful mix of colors and folklore, femininity and subtle patterns.
Hessian traditions and customs provide her with inspiration. She actually dreams of traditional costumes. So it’s no wonder that the HELENA HARFST dresses, skirts and blouses have a touch of folklore. Embroideries, balloon sleeves, mini peplums on puff sleeve blouses… Or whole cuts, such as the Hessen smock, which as historical workwear for men is still an important part of the regional costume today. Anna-Lisa breathed a feminine touch into the “peasant shirt” and made it an everyday darling. your classics? The natural wrap jacket and the garden jeans (100 percent hemp), which – made in rich indigo – are the only color outliers. Her patchwork pieces, which she mostly makes to order, ensure that offcuts are used sensibly.
The hangtag reveals fashion “Made in Hessen”.
She gets her cotton, hemp, linen and wool from regional suppliers. Just like the cotton from one of the oldest GOTS-certified weaving mills in Austria. Or the hemp from Chinese production. The subject of transparency is very important to HELENA HARFST. Questions about the collection, production, suppliers or materials? These are answered on the website on the product.
And no, the clothes do not shrink when washed. Because all HELENA HARFST fabrics are pre-washed, ironed and steamed during production. All-round carefree clothing that stays as it is. Great.
More information about Helena Harfst. Click here >>>
