The story behind
Long story short: ALIVE
My name is Elena. In October 18 I was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 33 years old. From one day to the next my own body incapacitated me. I lost both breasts. my fertility My hair. But what I didn't lose was my identity. the person i am A young woman with a love for fashion. A mother who draws all her will to live from her daughter. A woman who did not want to be further restricted because of her illness. I decided to embrace my new self and find a look for myself. Even without hair. Wigs were out of the question. But headscarves. But the search for beautiful, high-quality towels turned out to be more than difficult. And when I did find one or the other cloth that appealed to me, I had to realize that tying was an art in itself.
We are women
And so in 2019, while I was still in therapy, ALIVE collective came about. We handcraft headgear from breathable fabrics that are not just a means to an end, but a real fashion statement. Because wearing ALIVE collective means more than just wearing an accessory. It is a solidarity with women who sometimes have to walk a hard road. But ALIVE collective is aimed at all women. To women who want to wear a hat for a variety of reasons. Be it for fashion reasons, simply because things have to be done quickly, because of their religion or because of hair loss caused by illness.
We are one
We are a community. We want to support women in having fun with their appearance. We want to strengthen each other's self-confidence and network with each other.
How it starts
2019
How is it going
2022
We are Alive
Hair loss excludes. And what the disease can't do, you can do yourself. You feel like an outsider, you want to hide away. A woman without hair is polarizing. And as naked as you look, that's how you feel at first. Facing society without a hair takes courage.
But it's so important not to shy away. To dare to leave the house and take part in normal life. Not to pretend that everything is fine, but rather to be proud of what you are currently doing and maybe also bring this to society to a certain extent. To create an awareness that life sometimes plays out differently. To ask the question "what is normal anyway?" and to break taboos.
“We want to give space to people who are fighting for and against their own bodies and who therefore deserve recognition and support.
Kids get cancer too
First and foremost, this includes children. 250,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. Many of them – like the big ones – have to undergo chemotherapy. Young people in particular are affected by the autoimmune disease alopecia, in which large parts of the head and/or body hair fall out. Because of their appearance, all of these children are sidelined and not only suffer from the serious illness, but also from social isolation. We want to progressively address the taboo subject of hair loss. Address it and give these children a way back into everyday life. They should be proud of themselves and what they achieve. That is why we have developed our own collection for our little ones. Because twinning with mom is the most fun of all, isn't it? In addition, you are twice as strong in a team, everyone knows that.
