The Future of Fashion is Sustainable: Insights from Blue Nude's Founder
- Bethany Sharp
- Apr 28
- 6 min read
In this captivating interview, we delve into the creative mind of Katarina Protsack, the visionary behind Blue Nude, a brand that seamlessly blends art, nature, and fashion. Katarina shares the inspiring "aha!" moment that sparked her unique concept, her journey in staying true to her artistic vision in a competitive market, and the essential advice she offers to aspiring fashion entrepreneurs with a focus on art and sustainability. Before we dive into the details, let's explore the essence of Blue Nude: Blue Nude is a colour-forward emerging designer championing Made in London craftsmanship and environmental responsibility. Each season, the brand collaborates with a different visual artist to explore global intersections of culture, nature, and design.
The "Aha!" Moment: How did the idea of combining art, nature, and fashion come about? Was there a specific experience or realisation that sparked the concept?
There were quite a few moments, but the most significant ‘lightbulb moment’ was
when I wrapped a painted canvas around my leg by my friend Mitchell, who later
became my first collaborator under the pseudonym MET, and thought ‘this would
be so cool as a pant’. I then started noticing, despite loving colour, I could rarely
find prints or colourful fashion at an accessible price point that spoke to me.
When I started Blue Nude, I tried not to overthink my creative process or relate
too much to what others were doing. I relied on some great advice I received from
a high school English teacher while discussing my essay results – ‘write about
what you know’. I instinctively isolated what gives me the most energy and
inspired me on a daily basis, and used that as a launchpad.
Creativity and establishing your creative process should be something that
comes naturally to you, otherwise I think it is disingenuous, and that shows in the
output.
Staying True to Vision: How challenging has it been to maintain your unique artistic and nature-focused vision in a competitive market?
It is always a challenge to balance creative needs and commercial demands. I
think it’s important to remember that the most artistic pieces carry the story and
meaning of your brand, whereas the commercial pieces serve to satisfy wardrobe
requirements of your customer. I’ve been trying to finesse this balance for the
past few years, and I finally feel that I’m getting the hang of it.
It's also very difficult to sell accessibly-priced clothing when the manufacturing is
ethically done in London while using expensive sustainable fabrics. As well,
having experience in both the buying & merchandising and design sides of
fashion, I naturally gravitate towards things I haven’t seen before. I have
expensive taste! To balance this, if I come across an expensive luxurious fabric, I
will balance this out with a simple design that is easier to manufacture, and use
the accessibly-priced fabrics for my higher-priced designs. I quite like how this
balance plays out in the design too – I love a sophisticated cut made in a more
utilitarian fabric, and vice versa. It adds an edge and a feeling of surprise.
It’s been difficult to get third parties to understand my business as I operate quite
differently from other fashion brands! I make a lot of one-of-a-kind and small-
batch, limited run designs. I received pushback from members of the industry
when I started, mentioning I would collaborate with emerging artists on my
collections. Despite it feeling very natural to me, they thought I was crazy. They
weren’t completely wrong, financially it can be challenging as this process and
these pieces are expensive to make with low margins, but I believe in the idea of
having these as my showpieces as they demonstrate the fruit of a beautiful
artistic collaboration, show sustainable fashion at its best, and the creativity
nurtures my soul. I suppose I’m building my own unique product hierarchy in the
style that you typically see in the luxury fashion industry – the artistic products
are my prestige, ‘couture’ pieces at the top, and the more commercial designs are
my entry-level ‘lipsticks’. The difference is that my pieces aren’t segmented by
luxury, they’re segmented by creativity. Everything is well made and with quality,
eco-friendly fabric, but some designs demonstrate more intellectual thought than
others.
It's important to listen to advice when you’re getting started, but if something
disagrees with you to your core, ask yourself ‘do they not understand because it
is a bad idea, or that I am genuinely challenging industry norms?’
Essential Advice: What is one or two crucial pieces of advice you would give to someone looking to start their own fashion brand, especially one with a unique artistic or sustainable focus?
Be prepared to dig for suppliers, and don’t give up! When I first started, I had no
idea how to source fabric, let alone sustainable fabric. I was struggling for
months, almost being convinced that I didn’t have what it took to start my own
business. I pushed through and eventually was able to contact the fibre sales
team at Lenzing, who kindly shared some suppliers with me who were weaving
their fibre into fabric. From there I asked these contacts for the suppliers they
were selling their finished fabrics to in the UK. This led me to sustainable fabric
supplier ESCE-Tex, who are based at Hackney Downs Studios. This then led to
me discovering this creative community, and I have now been professionally
based out of a studio at HDS for nearly three years!
You’ll always encounter little mountains that will question your resolve, but
almost always I see really nice things come out of my efforts to go the extra mile
to find a solution, without compromising my ethics or creative vision.
What You Look For: What qualities, skills, or artistic styles are you most drawn to when considering collaborations with artists/designers?
I am typically most attracted to a sophisticated use of colour, as well as
abstraction. Unintentionally, after connecting with the artists I collaborate with,
we usually bond over spiritual elements of our creative work that are not
detectable on the surface. It really does feel, that when I see art that I connect
with, I am seeing the artist’s soul and can feel the compatibility in many ways.
Also, kindness and respect for fashion design as a balance of both art and
commerce go a long way. Fortunately, everyone I’ve ever worked with is an
absolute sweetheart and we’ve really enjoyed sharing our passions, craft, and
knowledge.
Proud Moments: What are you most proud of achieving with
Blue Nude so far?
This year has particularly been really exciting – there are already almost too many moments to count. I have to mention two because they represent two sides of the business.
First was debuting on-calendar at London Fashion Week in February. Joining LFW was never something I ever thought would be in the path of Blue Nude. I was happily in my little creative bubble in Hackney. With encouragement and support from industry peers, in 2024 I was approved for a Designer Profile on the British Fashion Council’s LFW website, which then snowballed into approval for a physical showing. Throwing Art Party, which is the name of Blue Nude’s hybrid fashion, music, and art event series, under the LFW umbrella was one of the most surreal moments of my life. And nerve-wracking! I was shaking in my studio a few hours before the event began – I had never felt so ‘artistically vulnerable’ in my entire life. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I was able to showcase some incredible art and music of creatives I really believe in. Plus, it was a rad party!
Second was a milestone in March – being invited to the House of Lords to debut the BFC’s Low Carbon Transition Programme Report, to which I had provided my data after undergoing the programme for a few months across 2024-2025. Being able to contribute to sustainable reform in the fashion industry on a governmental level is a dream come true, something I’ve been striving for since I became aware in my mid-20s of the environmental and social injustices that plague the industry.
Katarina Protsack's journey with Blue Nude serves as a powerful reminder that blending artistic passion with a commitment to sustainability can lead to a truly unique and impactful brand. From a simple moment of inspiration to the runways of London Fashion Week and the halls of government, Blue Nude's story is one of perseverance, creativity, and staying true to a core vision. What can other emerging designers learn from Katarina's ability to balance artistic expression with the demands of the fashion industry?
Comments