SUSTAINABLE SYMPOSIUM
MOJA ROWA
by Melania Musci
After years in London alongside Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler, Yelena and Benedikt sought a slower rhythm. In Mexico’s isolation, Moja Rowa was born. A brand rooted in instinct, craftsmanship, and emotional freedom.
Yelena and Benedikt, you took your first steps in the fashion system in London, alongside Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler. It was during that unexpected isolation that the idea for Moja Rowaeive a collection?
B: Everythingfollowinstincte in Milan, when the Vivienne Westwood menswear was still showing there. I worked backstage at the Vivienne show for two or three seasons, and tcolourwhere I met her, and consequently Andreas too, who then asked me to move to London to be his assistant. I held that role for five and a half years and found myself working next to Yelena, who at that time was the senior designer for Vivienne Westwood.
Y: I still feel Vivienne’s influence very strongly in my work. For her, it was essential to always followinstinct over commercial rules. ‘I have to educate the people’, she always said. And she meant the customer, the buyer. For her, sales departments weren’t supposed to interfere with creation; she wasn’t interested in how much a piece would sell while she was designing it. I genuinely believe she was right. Especially now, when it seems all collections look alike, more anonymous and more oriented towards the commercial side rather than the narrative. Her approach to craftsmanship has also stayed with me. Working with hands, the experimentation with prints and colour; a design philosophy that I don’t think will ever leave me.
Moja Rowa was born in Mexico. What prompted you to leave London to explore a reality so different from the one you were living in? Was it a search for new challenges?
B: Initially, we simply needed a break from London’s fashion frenzy. We envisioned a small adventure in Mexico, exploring a new country, seeking a different pace, and maybe learning a new language. But we left London in January 2020, and a few weeks later, the pandemic hit, trapping us there for three years. It was during that unexpected isolation that the idea for Moja Rowa emerged, fueled by the environment that sparked our creative fire.
After starting in a Tulum villa, you chose to move to a much more isolated jungle home. Was that extreme level of solitude necessary for the brand’s creation? And was there ever a fear that being that alone would be overwhelming?
B: At first, we lived in a complex with some friends we’d met in Mexico a year prior during a small vacation. After a while, we found a small house in the jungle and decided to move there for an even more immersive experience.
Y: To be honest, our first week in the house began with a shocking intrusion. I was very worried, also because of the stories our neighbours told us. However, I truly valued being able to live alongside nature, even when it was harsh. For example, there were violent floods that knocked
down trees and caused power outages that lasted up to a week. It was an experience we could never have had in the city and it made us feel like we had truly escaped the world. I don’t think I’d do it again, though (Laughs, E.D.).
How did you manage to maintain the continuity of a brand born in unspoiled nature by moving to Gabicce Monte, a small Italian village?
Y: I’m from Cattolica, so for me, it was a bit like returning home. The initial idea was to move to Milan, to find a studio there. We’d like to do it eventually, but we need space, both for living and working, and here in Gabicce Monte, we have so much of it that it’s hard to imagine
compromising. (Smiles, E.D.). Plus, in the summer months, it’s wonderful here; we have the beautiful nature of Parco San Bartolo and an incredible sea which just looking at calms me down. A big city like London or Milan certainly offers many possibilities, creative stimuli, museums, and things to do, but at the same time, everything is always quite distant. I’m not sure exactly where we’ll go next. We’re always looking for a new place, but we never have the time to delve deeper. For now, here is where we feel balanced.
You defined your last collection as ‘a dance hall built from childhood games and daydreams.’ How important is music as a source of inspiration for you?
B: We’ve always been drawn to the scene, a little bit of ravers at heart (Smiles, E.D.) It’s more than just loving to dance; it’s about that electric feeling of being utterly free, completely tuned into your own emotions, yet deeply connected to everyone moving around you. I wouldn’t say the music was the ultimate inspiration, it was the pure, uninhibited act of movement itself, the profound power of letting go.
Sticking to the theme of music, this summer you hosted your first Moja Rowa dream club. How did the idea of creating a place where your guests could experiment with colors, learn how to tie-dye, and also dance come about?
B: It was amazing! The first day, we all had dinner together and then enjoyed karaoke. The next day, we held workshops where we taught our friends different artisanal garment printing techniques like screen-printing and tie-dye.
Y: It was also a way to practice upcycling. All our guests brought old clothes to experiment with. There were so many of us, and everyone came from a different background. We wanted to do something for our community, which we consider very important. The finale was marvelous: a
party where everyone was dancing in Moja Rowa pieces, wearing the garments they had printed during the dream club. We offered our guests an event that was unconventional, playful, and fun, where new friendships and romances blossomed. We’d love for this to become an annual event, even though the organization is genuinely complicated. But beautiful things need time, energy, heart, and soul.
Your mentor, Vivienne Westwood, was one of the first influential fashion personalities to take an interest in sustainability. In what ways has the fashion industry’s commitment to sustainability developed since then?
B: I always remember a story Yelena tells. Do you mind sharing it?
Y: Sure. I was working with Vivienne, and we went to Milano Unica, a very important textile fair. She was always looking for sustainable materials, and the suppliers didn’t take her seriously. It seemed like just another trend that was destined to fade. Today, the situation has evolved significantly, yet the road ahead is long. I think the state should intervene at this point; we need a regulation of processes, which is still lacking in many production phases.
Do you think more could be done to educate the new generations of designers on a sustainable mindset?
Y: Too often, young designers lack the foundational knowledge to begin. Universities urgently need to introduce more specialized courses focused on material studies and the development of sustainable alternatives to harmful substances like plastic. While I’m not a scientist, and this is a complex, long-term issue, I firmly believe the fundamental step is greater investment in research.
The CNMI Fashion Trust Grant 2025 is a massive win. What are the first major goals you plan to tackle with this award in hand?
B: The presentation in Milan during February Fashion Week was already a great milestone; being there again next year would be fantastic. So yes, the award will definitely help us with pushing forward this collection and the next ones.
Y: Another big step will be our first sales campaign. We’ve never done one, and we don’t know what to expect from the meetings with the buyers. We’ll face the business side of things for the first time, and we hope to learn a lot. Fingers crossed (Smiles. E.D.)!
Your garments are defined by their manual, artisanal techniques. Since your work is so connected to the art of making, which visual artist do you dream of collaborating with to create a limited-edition capsule?
B: Wow, it would be wonderful to work with an artist. Considering how much we love collaborating with our creative friends, partnering with an artist would be a huge inspiration for us.
Y: If I can also mention past artists, the first one that comes to mind is definitely Duchamp. But it would also be wonderful to be able to work with Alexander Calder or Hilma af Klint. The latter, in particular, is perhaps my favourite artist of all time. The Moja Rowa logo draws a lot of inspiration from her works. However, to stay within the contemporary sphere, I think it would be interesting to work with Petra Collins. Creating something with her would definitely give us a wealth of new ideas.
Credits: Pictures by Kevin Rashid Giaquinto