The Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe Hamburg presents “XULY.BËT — Funkin’ Fashion Factory 100% Recycled”, an extraordinary exhibition that retells fashion history. At the centre is Lamine Badian Kouyaté, born in Bamako, Mali, who founded the label XULY.Bët in 1991. Kouyaté’s roots and the inspiration of his grandmother, who recycled fabrics, characterise his radically sustainable approach. Back in the 1990s, when resource conservation and environmental awareness were barely recognised in the fashion industry, Kouyaté saw upcycling as an artistic approach. For him, clothing harbours memories, is a resource and an expression of social affiliation — and becomes a statement against the throwaway mentality.
The exhibited collections move between streetwear and couture, between everyday life and the runway. Famous personalities such as Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Halle Berry wear his designs, which are celebrated in international exhibitions. Kouyaté revolutionised the Paris fashion scene with guerrilla fashion shows; in 1994 he was honoured in Robert Altman’s film “Prêt-à-Porter”. The exhibition makes it clear: for XULY.Bët, sustainability is not a short-lived trend, but a lived vision and an expression of an inclusive, creative identity. Visitors can expect an inspiring journey through the Funkin’ Fashion Factory, which shows how fashion can help shape social change.
