Journey Part 1: Normal Get’s You Nowhere.
Normal get’s you nowhere.
Story by Karlina Caune.
Instead, I followed my inner voice, which brought me on an emotional journey and sparked a fire in me. Do the things you love, give in to adventures. Dance by the moonlight. Drink shit beer with great company and enjoy good champagne alone. This is what The Karlina’s is about. It’s never one thing exactly and never being one thing exactly.
When I try to recall where my journey begins, I keep going back to a specific memory. My very first arrival in New York City. We were taking Park Avenue towards Grand Central Station. I was just looking through the window and seeing all these giant skyscrapers passing by. I literally felt like I was in a movie - you know, those scenes where someone is sitting in a cab, looking out the window in awe of the view. I remember that feeling with my entire body. This was it - New York, New Me! I learned who I was and how to be on my own. NYC is a place that’s never finished; it keeps changing, just like us humans. We evolve through authentic moments and genuine conversations. Everyone experiences their own version.
A colossal mix of cultures and personalities, from artists to Wall Street guys… People from all over the world with their own unique stories. And everyone has one thing in common, and it is New York. Also, Karlina’s journey starts in New York with a bottle of champagne and a discussion about vending machines in Japan, where you can buy used women’s underwear. In that bottle of champagne, I found an idea that I should make panties. Everyone can buy Karlina’s panties. Of course, in these 7 years, that idea has grown into something bigger. It’s a blend of sustainable fashion and art. And the idea is still growing with each person I meet, which gives me more and more inspiration.
Another stop on this journey is Paris. Paris is one of the most beautiful yet arrogant and asshole cities I have ever lived in, but I fell in love with French women. Their elegance and effortlessness have always felt very refreshing to me. They don’t wear too much makeup; they are so sophisticated and carry themselves with that… almost “fuck you” attitude. There is something mesmerizing about that. How the uniqueness of our looks, the authenticity of our personas and our confidence are the sexiest things about us.
On this journey, two very opposite sides make the third corner of a love triangle that shapes Karlina’s. Africa and Iceland. There I realized how unimportant human beings are and how mighty Mother Nature is. Iceland struck me with its raw and heavenly beauty & Icelanders reminded me to believe in the power of things we don’t see or sometimes understand. They told us old sagas about the elves and the sea monsters and the kingdom of Tröllbotnaland. That night we watched northern lights dance above us and listened to the melodies whistled by trolls.
Africa showed me another force of life. One evening, just before sundown, we noticed a large herd of elephants ahead of us. We stopped the car, shut the engine and waited. The herd came towards us and crossed the road right in front of our vehicle. Our paths literally crossed. I watched the Matriarch staring us down with her ears up, reminding us to know our place and stay put, while the mothers ushed their babies to hurry along. Once the herd was in the distance, she looked at us one more time, shook her head goodbye and followed her herd. Every hair on my body had lifted, my eyes were tearing, and it felt as my heart would explode. I was there. These moments cannot be recreated, they happen, and we just need to be lucky enough to witness them. Mother Nature makes you feel thankful to be alive and grateful for the moment
These three pillars are the core of Karlina’s. The inspiration and journey that got us here. It can never be just one thing. It’s raw beauty and effortless chic, inspiration from big cities and connection to Mother Nature. Letting go and holding on.
And I believe it’s inside of all of us. The proportion may vary, but we have a bit of everything.