ABOUT
Kernemilk was founded in 2019 by Creative Director Marie Mark within the spaces of her apartment in Nørrebro, Copenhagen. Inspired by the contours of the human body, Kernemilk was created from a desire to creatively express and articulate uncensored femininity through the physical objects of clothing.
Today, all of our creations are designed in our atelier in Copenhagen, where we persistently engage with our initial design ethos. Our signature overlock and coverlock sewing techniques are emblematic of our distinctive design methodology, and we continue to be inspired by organic elements, experimental shapes, and interpretations.
OUR APPROACH
We aim to offer a thoughtful approach to fashion, with efforts that influence our design and production strategies. We focus on creating pieces with a timeless aesthetic, crafted from high-quality materials and produced at carefully selected production sites.
At Kernemilk, we strive to design collections in limited quantities to ensure we meet demand without excess, emphasising the design of those pieces that can be worn through multiple seasons as core items in the wardrope.
We are committed to minimising waste throughout the life cycle of our collections, upcycling unsold clothing and design samples. Once a year, we introduce a 'Scrap' collection, which transforms left-over material into one-of-a-kind garments made from fabric offcuts.
PRODUCTION
Kernemilk aims to prioritise thoughtful practices as an emerging clothing brand within the global industry. We consciously choose to work with production sites in Europe.
Kernemilk has two lines of production: Cut Make Trim production in Romania where Kernemilk source all fabrics primarily from deadstock materials and Full Package Production in Egypt, where the supplier sources fabric locally in Egypt mainly working with 100% Egyptian organic cotton.
For accessories, we also strive to reduce our environmental impact as for our new line of sunglasses - made of 100% certified recycled plastic from food containers and plastic bottles.
Furthermore we work with our local production ‘Huset Venture’, which is a social non-profit enterprise who creates jobs for people with reduced workabilities. They manufacture approximately 15% of our garments focusing on our custom designed pieces and limited collections.
MARIE MARK
Marie Mark created Kernemilk in 2019 while pursuing her studies at fashion school. Her background in the dance scene in Copenhagen profoundly influenced her approach, placing the human body at the core of her designs. A year after launching Kernemilk, Marie created her debut collection, JELLY.
The name "Kernemilk" derives from the Danish word "kærnemælk", meaning "buttermilk". Marie recounts that the name came to her during a moment of reflection with her mother while drinking buttermilk. The color and texture of the drink inspired her to design a white set featuring an organic pattern and white overlock, giving the garment a liquid-like appearance. These organic and fluid forms continue to inspire her designs to this day.
COMMUNITY
We are fortunate to have a strong community of customers and friends both locally in Copenhagen and globally.
To interact with our community, we organise Flea Markets and Sample Sales, where we upcycle samples and offer items from our own wardrope, promoting the core mindset of Kernemilk - finding inspiration in what's already around us.
Our atelier in Copenhagen is home to a dedicated team of skilled young women who work closely together. Female Empowerment is a core value at kernemilk, and we actively pursue design collaborations with other female-owned businesses in Copenhagen to forster a vibrant and supportive creative environment.