I am Pia Heise. I studied fashion design at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle and graduated with a diploma. Already during my diploma thesis, I used discarded and no longer usable parachutes for my final collection to sew seven outfits consisting of dresses, skirts and jackets. I have been a freelance designer since 2010. I design and make fashion, bags and jewellery. I always pay attention to a certain quality of my materials. For my fashion I use a lot of new cotton fabrics or other natural materials like viscose or wool, which I get in small quantities (about 10 metres) from overproduction of other manufacturers. So far I have only used a few upcycled materials for my fashion collection like old woollen blankets if the end product promises a beautiful design. I make my bags from used truck tarpaulin (used PVC), also from new PVC, leather from overproduction in the furniture industry (I bought small quantities from a designer friend) or recently from pineapple leather (Pinatex - felt made from pineapple leather). I make my jewellery from broken collector's cups (crockery). These have either been accidentally dropped by the former owner and broken, or they are so worn out that they are no longer used for decorative purposes. I design and make all the products myself or with the help of seamstresses in my studio in Wuppertal or Düsseldorf.