#FCKFCRNA

It’s hard to talk about something else in 2020 – everything, everyone is affected by COVID-19 in some way. So is ESDE, of course.

We all know about the health hazard, most of us probably know someone who’s been infected. But even for those of us whose bodies are not directly at risk: we have experienced isolation and insecurity like never before in our lives. Freedoms that seemed irrevocable were questioned.

When Corona first came rushing in, it honestly hit us pretty unprepared. Yes, we panicked. Yes, we felt threatened – it was at the very moment when Paris Fashion Week (and our biannual showroom) got cancelled that we realized how much was, and is, at stake here. Will things ever be the way they were before?

For us at ESDE, business never meant doing whatever it takes to make tons of money. The business model we follow is much more: a culture. One that has a history, that’s grown organically, that is respectful and human. One that necessarily involves multiple players, and they all get together at these beautiful events like the Semaine de la Mode.

The producers, the buyers, the retailers: over the years, these guys became much more than business partners. There is something about the old-school, slow way of working in fashion that has always felt like family and friendship, like being in the same boat: for better or for worse. Needless to say which side we’re on right now…

…but we didn’t want to accept to just wait and be miserable. We put too much work and passion into this company to let it be swept away by something we cannot control. So we decided to take action – and came up with a little special collection, aptly titled #FCKFCRNA. Pieces that you can buy directly with us online, very limited quantities for very special prices.

What started off as a battle cry out of, yes, desperation, has evolved into a soothing way to create meaning in these very challenging times. We want to inspire. But also: we need to keep going to survive. All our retail orders were cancelled, obviously. This is nobody’s fault, but – there’s just no way to pay our co-workers for working full time. The kids are home, bored and hungry. Something’s gotta give.

Yet and still: this collection is meant to bridge these difficult times, but it will never replace the idea of retail that we so firmly believe in.

#FCKFCRNA is our way of making it easier for you to support us, and thus the whole industry as we know and adore it. We believe that every piece in this puzzle needs to work for itself now to survive – so we can stick back together when the times allow us to do so.

Let’s not lose hope. This Fuck Off is a deeply positive Fuck Off – we won’t let Corona get us down. And you shouldn’t, either. Thank you for being so supportive, here’s to holding on, here’s to better times to come.

Yours truly

RONNY SCHRÖDER