It’s a match! Marta Sieradzka (Estimon) and Robert Kuta (Kuta House) have joined forces to create a limited collection of bags and small accessories that draw on two powerhouse pillars: innovative, cruelty-free plant-based leather alternatives, and a genuine, hand-crafting artcycling makeover.
Every good story has a fairy godmother – or, in this case, two. Ewa Polkowska and Ewelina Antonowicz, founders of the Sustainable Fashion Institute, took it upon themselves to establish a Brand Matching programme aimed at fostering unexpected collaborations and partnerships. It was through this initiative that they connected Robert Kuta, an artist and designer renowned for his steadfast dedication to artcycling, and Estimon, a brand founded by Marta Sieradzka with a complex mission to bring plant-based leather alternatives to a broader audience.
the process
Vegan fashion and art are two distinct worlds, though their paths occasionally cross. ‘It turns out we share very similar values,’ says Sieradzka. ‘For me, it’s all about respecting the planet, animals, and work everyone contributes. That’s the foundation of sustainability.’ For Kuta, little goes beyond three core values: truth, beauty and authenticity. ‘This is what I live by, and work for,’ he says.
The collaboration, which began earlier in September, features seven pieces designed as conversation starters about art and fashion, veganism and innovations, and ultimately, authenticity. Sieradzka carefully selected the items and before handing them over to Kuta (‘I just picked the most diverse pieces so that each one was different.’). There was no brief (‘what a dreadful word!’), nor any declared expectations for the final outcome. In Robert’s hands, each piece was treated with screen printing and brush painting.
I can’t expect my work to resonate with people if I haven’t acted on my truest emotions. This is how I understand authenticity – Robert Kuta, founder of Kuta House
The whole process would be kept strictly under wraps until the very end. ‘This gives me freedom, which is what allows an artist to take full ownership of their work. That’s what makes it authentic,’ says Kuta. He found the biggest joy in working on the smaller pieces. Working on finished products instead of plain canvas is as limiting as it is stimulating. Kuta would study each piece from every angle, only acting on ideas that brought him genuine joy or excitement (‘I can’t expect my work to resonate with people if I haven’t acted on my truest emotions. This is how I understand authenticity’)
the partnership
This partnership is built on trust. ‘I was super curious about everything he does, but I just knew I had to have faith and wait until the pieces are finished. What I saw in the end was reward enough,’ says Sieradzka. This kind of faith, or rather comfort, can paradoxically be found only when partners open up to each other enough to step out of their comfort zones.
Kuta has never worked with plant-based leather alternatives before, and given that screen printing and brush painting techniques are both known to take a toll on a leather surface, he was pleasantly surprised by the material’s sturdiness and pliability. ‘At first, I had difficulty telling it apart from animal leather. The only real difference is the ethical value, and that has become much more important than anything else,’ says Kuta.
‘People tend to be sceptical about plant-based leather. This collaboration adds an unexpected artistic layer to a product that might otherwise be seen as just another vegan item,’ Sieradzka adds. The storytelling begins when people stop to take a closer look. ‘That’s when we explain that plant-based leather isn’t just another synthetic material. And because I’m the artist behind the creative process, it earns a credibility and authenticity that neither marketing nor education could achieve,’ Kuta notes.
Joining forces means double rewards, enabling both Sieradzka and Kuta to reach audiences that would have been inaccessible to them if they acted separately. ‘You should never stop talking about and doing what you believe in. We truly hope to encourage others to team up as we have,’ says Sieradzka. The pair give each other enough space to contribute their best while remaining straightforward with feedback. ‘It all comes down to shared values. That way, you can stay true to yourself and keep experimenting until you achieve perfection,’ Kuta explains. ‘Also, if I didn’t like something, it would be written all over my face anyway’, he jokes.
You should never stop talking about and doing what you believe in. We truly hope to encourage others to team up as we have – Marta Sieradzka, founder of Estimon
the paradox
‘When your intentions are good, you simply have this certainty that what you do together, is good too,’ says Sieradzka. Success, for them, would mean inspiring other artists to partner with vegan brands, spreading the word about the value of embracing cruelty-free fashion and material innovations, which still remain uncharted territory for both mainstream commerce and art.
Interestingly, the trickiest part was to come up with the right price tag. Pricing a product is challenging enough, but when an item transcends the boundary between a bag and a piece of art, there is little guidance to follow suit. After all, how does one calculate the cost of a lifetime spent mastering various art forms?
If this were a celebrity adding a ‘signature touch’ to a factory-made bag, the price would easily go north of $2.000,00. In this case, however, the meaningful creations born from the unexpected partnership of two pioneers needed to remain accessible to encourage broader engagement. ‘It’s the ultimate retail paradox, but at the end of the day, we’d rather see these items being taken home and used than gathering dust because of a fancy price tag,’ says Kuta, glancing at Sieradzka as if confident she has the perfect words to conclude the interview. And indeed, she does. ‘This is just the beginning—we’re warming people up to the idea.’
‘It’s the ultimate retail paradox, but at the end of the day, we’d rather see these items being taken home and used than gathering dust because of a fancy price tag – Robert Kuta
The collection premieres today, 14 January 2025, and is available both online and in-store at Kuta House, Mysia 3, 00-496 Warsaw, Poland.
Image courtesy of Estimon and Kuta House.