Midnight designer Can Demirezen unites fashion and community: "It's a shame that there's so little room for this community spirit in German culture."

He, on the other hand, makes his brand tangible, for example with workshops like "Print Your Own Shirt," where interested people can design their own favorite piece and at the same time learn how cool craftsmanship and local production can be – because all pieces are hand-printed by Demirezen in his studio. For the "Created by Youth" project, he provides young people with the resources to sew their own piece from Midnight fabrics; because, as he says, fashion should be for everyone. In addition to the social aspects, the topic of sustainability also creates shared values. "We produce everything on demand, so we don't really have any overproduction. We used to give things like second-hand stock to the homeless; today we use them to collect money that we can donate, most recently to aid organizations in Ukraine, for example." Ultimately, says Demirezen, he wants to offer prospects to people who start life from poor conditions.

Community in all its facets

But the community spirit doesn't end with support: Celebrating together also plays an important role, of course – Midnight also organizes parties, mainly in Mönchengladbach. "It's one of the poorest cities in North Rhine-Westphalia – the youth poverty rate is particularly high. We wanted to give young people the chance to see their stars live," says Demirezen. To this end, the designer brought musicians like Prinz Pi, whom he met through his fashion, to his hometown, where they give free concerts. The enthusiasm is great: "The city has little to offer, not just in terms of fashion, but also culturally – especially for people who want to be different. We've often heard that what we do is a kind of cultural work. That's great, of course, but at the same time, you can't lose sight of fashion." Because, in the end, fashion is what holds everything together.

How much the brand thrives on the people who support it is evident in the way he always speaks of "we" – even though he designs everything himself and only receives occasional support. What does he particularly value about his community? "Above all, the solidarity. We are people from so many different nations who support each other instead of discriminating against each other. But of course, also the loyalty to the brand: During the pandemic, for example, we bought extra to keep the brand alive; people travel to events to help. But it's also about promoting talent and growing the brand together, without losing sight of our values. I think that's what's missing in fashion right now: something that offers more than just the item you buy."