Hello, my name is Ettina Blaison, I am the designer and founder of Thone Negrón.

Here is our little story.

I grew up in West-Berlin at a time where there was still an East- and a West-side. It felt like living on an island surrounded by the „wild East". Growing up there in the 80ies and being a teenager in the 90ies shaped a big part of who I am today. To discover the "other side" after the wall fell filled our teen lives with so much adventure and excitement!
Moving out of my parents’ house, I stumbled upon my first fashion drawings. Apparently I was 12 at the time of these first tries. By the age of 14 I was experimenting with my mum’s sewing machine. I remember producing some terrible velvet pants for me and my best friend.
So fashion design has always been around. I studied fashion design right after school and started my own business with a partner from fashion school. Together we founded the fashion store „Konk“ back in 2003. I took it over entirely after a while, having a good run of it until selling it in 2012 to pursue the dream making my own fashion.

IT’S BEEN MORE THAN 10 YEARS

I yearned for my own fashion brand for a long time. Thone Negrón finally was launched in 2008 with my first pieces, simple silk blouses and patchwork silk scarfs. One of these items, the basic long sleeve, went to become a classic and is still one of our favourite pieces.
In 2010 we developed our first full collection providing dresses, pants, blouses and two coats. We bravely went off to Paris, with as good as no experience in wholesaling – because that is what fashion world experts tell you to do. We presented our collections there five seasons in a row, with little success.
So I paused and looked around, and decided to go by my own pace. I saw a lot of wonderful, loyal women around me that were willing to buy my clothes, never mind the Parisian tradeshows.
My focus turned to them as I opened a store for Thone Negrón in Berlin’s Mitte.

Thone Negrón is about dresses that women can wear for work, for a party, for a wedding or simply for playing with the kids. Down to earth and easy to wear, women in Thone Negrón can feel dressed, beautiful and comfortable all at the same time.

Truly, I love to dress women and watch how beautiful and empowered they feel. Next to creating something I like, it´s really that feeling that keeps me going.


WHERE AND HOW ARE OUR GARMENTS ARE MADE

Our company mainly operates from Berlin. However I relocated to France in February 2019. Together with my husband, our two children and three chickens, we now live in the countryside South of Paris, right next to the age-old forest of Fontainebleau.
My home, workshop and office are all under one roof. This is where I work on the collection until the kids come home from school, when I turn back into a mom again.
I can proudly say that we develop all patterns in-house. They are made out of paper or draped on the body, the old-school way. Most of the samples are sewn by me or my assistance in-house.

Fabric Source
As the planet struggles with our greediness for its resources, the question of fabric gains in importance. One part of our fabric comes from deadstock, that is, left-overs from big fashion companies that would otherwise land in the garbage. The other part comes from a fabric maker in France and fabric dealers in the Netherlands and Greece.
We work with natural fibers only, like cotton, silk, wool, and man-made fibers that are made out of natural fibers, such as tencel and viscose. If available we prefer organic cotton and organic certified fabrics.
As a part of the same ethos, we don’t use leather, and we will never ever use real furs.

Production
We produce our garments in a small city close to Romania´s capital Bucharest.
This is a modern manufacturing company, led by a woman, employing 23 highly skilled women who have a wonderful feeling for our sometimes delicate fabrics. We have been faithful to this company for over eight years now and their consistent quality and reliability could not be matched by any of the productions I tested in Germany.
Romania’s economy is growing and wages have been rising, which we support. So contrary to what you might be thinking, we consciously choose to produce our garments in Romania – not because it’s cheap, but because they are the best!

Recycling of Shipping Boxes
If they are still in good enough shape, we recycle our shipment boxes to limit the production of waste. So please excuse the first impression but rest assured, the inside still remains fresh and beautiful.

I hope this helps you understand a bit where we are coming from and how we work.
I would love to hear your thoughts! Please drop us a line anytime at

 

With happiness and joy,
Ettina