About Caroline Mewe

ABOUT CAROLINE MEWE

Caroline Mewe (1962) is the founder of Alchemist. She grew up on the island of Terschelling and is forever inspired by the light of the island. This translates directly into the colours of her work, which has a chalky appearance and is a recurring theme in every collection.

INSPIRATION

Nowadays she lives and works in Amsterdam, and Alchemist allows her to combine the influences of her youth with city life. Light and almost fragile on the one hand, yet bold, vibrant and avant-garde on the other. "For me, Alchemist feels like going back to the source. I've always been into fashion and Alchemist has been on my mind for a long time." Together with her team, Caroline creates what she likes to wear herself. She gets her inspiration from everything that's close to home. "Inspiration? Everything that grows and blooms. What I see on the street, in restaurants and also flowers because of their colors. I mean, the inside of a kiwi looks pretty amazing, right?"

CONSCIENCE

Originally, Caroline only wanted to create a line of luxury organic cotton T-shirts, but once the ball started rolling, there was no stopping it. She loves the texture of fabrics and consults with manufacturers in an endless quest for new discoveries. Quality is much more interesting than quantity. By choosing quality, Alchemist also chooses a production method that does not harm the environment or the people who make the clothes: "We must not forget that traditional cotton farming poisons the land and depletes natural resources. But there are alternatives, and we are determined to pursue them. That is why we have joined the IRBC Agreement on Sustainable Garment and Textiles (SER, AGT)."

A FEMALE HAND

Alchemist is aimed at mature, demanding women. It is a label for women aged 30 and over who know what they want in life. Sometimes they want to look strong, other times they want something ultra-feminine. "All our pieces have a feminine touch. That is extremely important. We also create bold trousers and robust cardigans, but these are combined with a beautiful blouse or a T-shirt with a waterfall neck. Someone recently said that every piece from Alchemist makes you more beautiful and I took that as a wonderful compliment."