Teamwear goes Freestyle

TEAM SPIRIT IS A SIGN OF CHARACTER

Inspired by Julia Quante Teamwear is not what it used to be either. At least not when it's left to HAKRO and Julia Quante. We invited the sought-after fashion stylist on board for our Inspirations shoot in a move to bring teamwear, workwear and corporate wear right up to the here and now, and asked her to help us give them a new look. Trendier. Fresher. Bolder. Detached from conventions and mind-sets. Without any visual "conformity pressure". With plenty of personal freedom. But always with an overriding, clearly identifiable common thread. No easy task, but an incredibly exciting one. The result, we think, is absolutely great, producing some really inspiring "team photos"!

Think Big

The uncomplicated oversized look, which takes up the current street style elements of the 2010 youth culture: jogging pants, oversize sweaters and jackets, hoodies and superlong T-shirts that can easily be worn as dresses. Plus cycling shorts, which were the absolute trend at all the recent shows for summer 2019, or dungarees, now enjoying a 90s revival.

TONE IN TONE

The world is a colourful place, varied and exciting, and today we can all do as we please. Never before have we had so much freedom in life, and it is precisely for this reason that fashion is paying tribute to the rainbow colour palette, the symbol of this positive world movement. Entire catwalks were coloured in rainbow pattern, roads across the globe painted with rainbow-coloured road markings. A positive movement that brings joy and, even in teamwear, also combines individuality with a group collective.

BUSINESS CHIC

The androgynous dandy style is and remains the No. 1 for a classic, chic appearance for women and men. Black and white, a white shirt, a polo neck or a smart blazer combined with timeless elements, like braces or berets. A unisex look that really works for everyone, always leaving a well-dressed impression and easy to achieve.

CORPORATE POETRY

Why shouldn't a team boldly show what it actually does? This is the fundamental idea behind this look. A florist's shop or plant nursery that demonstrates its passion with heart and soul from head to toe, wearing flowers in an all-over look, combined with red and violet tones, a recognisable team. A team that remains present in customers' minds.

CASUAL SPIRIT

Who said that basics should be boring? Little is more popular and more essential for our modern-day look. That is why the most basic elements were brought together for this team: stripes, jeans and nude shades. Because those with the knack of creating something striking from the ordinary and, in fact, "dreary" are very often the most creative of minds – just think of Steve Jobs who always wore the same simple pullover and yet still cut an impressive figure.

LINE UP

Think of a team lookand at some point you'll automatically have a very uniform team picture in your mind's eye. I like to think of Olympic teams entering the arena in a uniform look when their country is being introduced before the start of the Games. A nostalgic, proud and important moment to show they are working on something together. Which is why, for me, this type of teamwear was essential here as a source of inspiration. Because as old as this tradition may be, it is still always delightful to see a team all dressed the same from head to toe, as a way of uniting so many different individuals.

INTERVIEW WITH JULIA QUANTE

Our working world is undergoing a fundamental change. The popular fashion stylist has answers about how, in future, team spirit will be reflected in corporate fashion that is anything but uniform.

Julia, how did you prepare for the HAKRO shoot?

Just like any other shoot, really. There were several meetings before the event which gave me the opportunity to get a better idea of the HAKRO brand, the products and the people behind it all. We were able to talk about everything in detail. We discussed wishes and initial ideas. And, together, mapped out the general direction. The working relationship throughout the project was always very close, professional and, above all: very pleasurable.

Your HAKRO mission in a few sentences?

Above all, it was important to breathe new inspiration into the collection, look at it in a different way and give the spirit of the age more space. I tried to incorporate my experience from the classic fashion business, reflect the latest trends and open up new perspectives. In my mind, I had teams from all sorts of different segments and fields of work. The main idea was to give individual team members a high degree of flexibility to express their personality while at the same time maintaining team spirit. I think the result is living proof that teamwear and corporate fashion provide plenty of scope for individuality if they are interpreted with sufficient imagination. It just takes a little courage!

What exactly can only teamwear do?

When I hear the word teamwear, my inner eye automatically at some point always sees the image of a team in a uniform look. For instance, I think of Olympic teams as they parade in at the opening ceremony. A very emotional and important moment, signalising they are all working together on something big and significant. Pursuing a common goal hand in hand. It is always lovely to see how teamwear brings together all sorts of different individuals to create a unit. And it is precisely this that only teamwear can do.

Corporate fashion in ten years – your prediction?

Just like so many other things, I think this market is changing too. We live in an age where the boundaries between work and private life are merging. The working world is changing. Everyday life is changing. People are changing. And the looks are too, of course. There will always be teamwork, that's for sure. It's just that it will become more agile. But team spirit and loyalty can't be measured by the degree of uniformity. For this reason, I think that more individuality will also make its way into workwear in future. In a way that better expresses the personalities of the team members. So, for me, teamwear and corporate fashion will continue to convey identity in future, but at the same time also permit greater leeway. HAKRO shows how this can be done.