über IW

The aim of International Wardrobe is to give traditional and ethnic home textiles a prospering plattform. With the worldwide aquisition and sale of particularly beautiful, antique and vintage ethnic textiles, clothings telling more about the history and cultural background, International Wardrobe is to nourish a contemporary approach towards clothing for people as well as for furniture. Our principal interest, and the focus on our research is in the field of folk costumes and other textiles, which traditionally tend to be hand-made. We work together with artisans in different countrys like Romania, India, Bangladesh and Laos. Often we acquire individual garments locally, some of them decades old, and all with a real-world history, having truly belonged to someone, having been made for and duly worn by that individual person, and indeed showing all the signs of wear. While in some cases a garment may undergo slight modification, in principle all vintage pieces are preserved as originals. The textiles and costumes from our collection were always meant for everyday use. Usually we don´t sell cermeonial clothing or pieces with huge personal significance. In each case the description of the individual item outlines its context and explains its significance in the cultural history of its country of origin, so that one is not simply buying a jacket or a scarf, but rather a piece of cultural identity complete with historical context. Clothing is an important instrument of our nonverbal communication. Its many layers of meaning have existed long before its commercialization. They are inspired by the deep longing for identity, differentiation, and integration. We believe in the beauty, the elegance and authenticity of these ethnic textiles and artefacts. We don´t believe in the merry-go-round of the fashion industry. We take a bow before these individual pieces of clothing and the beauty and love that went into making them.  

International Wardrobe was founded 2009 by the art historian, ethnologist and stylist Katharina Koppenwallner. 

International Wardrobe 

Almstadtstrasse 50, 10119 Berlin.

opening hours: Wed-Sa 12-7pm

Tel. +49 (0) 30 50177671

info@internationalwardrobe.com