K∆IGERH∆RDT

About the practice

Kai Gerhardt’s practice centres on clothing as a space for human complexity rather than classification. His label challenges the tendency to categorise people by gender, origin, identity or style, proposing 'Humanity' as the category large enough to include everyone. A predominantly black-and-white palette gives the work visual continuity while leaving room for contrasting textures, shapes and constructions. Textile development is central to this approach. Gerhardt creates fabrics by hand, knitting or weaving discarded materials into new surfaces. Reclaimed cotton and wool, event-industry fabrics, sewing waste and even VHS tape become starting points for garments that combine sculptural experimentation with wearable forms. Not every piece is described as reclaimed, so the label is best characterized as incorporating upcycling rather than using exclusively recovered materials. A graduate of the Berlin University of the Arts, Gerhardt developed his practice through the weaving-focused collection put your lights on in 2015, his first commercial collection black and white are not grey in 2017, and the experimental knitwear of LET THE FUTURE BE HUMAN in 2019. Alongside his design work, he teaches and mentors emerging designers.