The world is a place filled with wonder and magic. We want to preserve it, without compromise. Pushing the limits to discover what´s beyond. Fearless artists, advocates of animal protection, changemakers, imagineers and storytellers who don´t take no for an answer. Aware of the duality of reality, ready to create a new one. Inspired by the irresistible magic of pursuing the dream of protecting animals and the natural world by being a force of good.
JOSEFIN LILJEQVIST is dedicated to build, innovate and craft artistically imortal and responsible products that educates, inspires or provokes the users as well as other businesses to improve global animal protection
Vision
Not another luxury
fashion house
The world doesn´t need another fashion house. So that is not what we are or ever trying to become. Instead we want to push the bounderies to make our design and products a force of change, innovation and a work of art. The ultimate sustainability goal is after all: everlasting art/design.
We believe it should be easy to shop with your values, so we offer animal traceability design or non-animal based designs, not a mixture of values. Passionated about animal protection, imagination, innovation, individuality and circularity we design to create for conversation, impact and/or to educate.
"It's about the beauty in things that don't match but create thoughts and feelings.
The duality of reality.
The perfection in imperfections and the cracks in our surface that let the light shine through.
The embodiment of imagination is strengthened by technical innovation,
in a delicate, poetic yet forceful combination.
Organic meeting graphic.
Deep tech meeting the best craftsmanship and art.
A movement driven by artists, changemakers, storytellers, and pioneers,
determined to disrupt the status quo, leave a positive mark and make life an impactful work of art "
The story behind
At the age of 11, Josefin started engaging herself in working for WWF, to raise awareness for the animals. Since then, her passion for animal protection has led her to assist in the creation of both regional, international animal protection standards and frameworks for fashion and food.
Her background as a designer led her into art, and by 22, she did her first international art exhibition. During this time she also worked as a fundraiser for WWF in Stockholm. As part of that work, she collected funds for different projects. This was normally from members of the public. Very early on in her journey with WWF, she was struck by how little people cared about animal protection, and that it was met with very negative views. One particular comment that stuck with her was that “humans are meant to work for humans- not animals because they are not importent”
This sparked an interest in her to look deeper into why animal protection was not a globally important topic, and her findings motivated her to effect a change. This was the same year the UN launched their 17 global goals - but she noticed that also here the animals' quality of life was excluded. Josefin realized that in order to really create global and lasting change, we need to change the communication and education around animal protection. What started as a passion later became a brand, that got turned into a ecosystem where the JOSEFIN LILJEQVIST brand serves as the creative and artistic outlet.
Timeline
2022
Josefin joins Djurskyddet Sverige, as board member.
Responsible Systems becomes a B2B/G P2P animal traceability/sourcing platform for food and fashion, to provide trust and data transparency to help improve global animal protection.
2021
Global Cattle Traceability Framework (LIA) was launched for testing in Brazil. Ongoing work with Textile Exchange, LVMH, Kering, H&M, and more since 2017. For more information and contact to Textile Exchange, go here
The JOSEFIN LILJEQVIST brand is invited as a panelist at IMD´s annual Reinventing Luxury Lab in Lausanne, Switzerland, together with panelists from Google, Porsche, Kantar, Forbes, Foundation Chanel, IMD, and Chloé on the topic of Purposeful Design.
2020
The first traceable leather footwear was delivered to our early-adopters.
A partnership with Equité Brands was created.
Runner-up in Luxury Innovation Award by Luxury Venture Group in Geneva, Switzerland.
First external investments. We proudly welcome FL Capital and Länsförsäkringar Uppsala to the team.
Josefin is elected to join the Animal Ethical Board, in Uppsala to phase out animal testing.
The first working advisory board joins the movement.
2019
As the first ever (at the time) fashion brand we join forces with Connect4climate by World Bank group, in a knowledge partnership.
Josefin is part of creating a new animal traceability policy on animal based products together with the largest fashion brands in Sweden, initiated by the Swedish Commerce (Svensk Handel) for Swedish commerce.
2018
Honorary awarded as a commercial actor who improves animal protection by addressing its importance in the fashion industry. By The Swedish Animal Protection Society (Djurskyddet Sverige).
Invited to address the Swedish Parliament on the topics of animal protection and the importance of open databases for farming animals.
Keynote speaker at FashionSustain, Berlin on animal and leather traceability in the fashion industry.
Awarded the Peter Edgard Scholarship for “Uppländsk Innovation and Entrepreneurship”.
2017
Our first event, demonstrating animal traceability for footwear - the world's hardest leather product to trace - at Tändstickpalatset, Stockholm. In collaboration with Lundqvist and Lundqvist and Connoisseur Magazine.
The Josefin Liljeqvist brand was incorporated to be able to test the RnD supply chains in Italy.
2015
Josefin is selected as one of twelve most promising your designers in the Nordic, by Formex. During the Formex exhibition, the idea of impactful fashion has started to take a clear shape and RnD began the month after.
Josefin does her first international art exhibition in Rome, Italy.
The WWF work that lighted the spark to change the global communication around animal protection, to be able to improve animal protection - quickly.
2011
Josefin did her first Europe-based study on the link between animal-based materials and the welfare of the animal, while studying design at The Nordic School of Design, Borås. The findings is that there is no link between ecological in either fashion, food and the treatment of the animal/s.
2001
Josefin picks up the WWF christmas catalogue, at age 11, to help the animals.