Thieves by Sonja den Elzen

Founded in 2006 by Sonja den Elzen, Thieves was born out of her desire to harmonize her ethical commitments to sustainability with her passion for design.

Sonja den Elzen conceptualizes her creations through unifying sustainable fabrics, organic textures, collaborative graphics, and sculpting these elements around the form of the human body.

Like Thieves in the night we move

The casual outlaws of a slumbering realm

With eyes sharp and steps light

We reclaim our sense of expression

In unity with our landscape

Concept

Thieves is designed with a focus on sustainability, activist by nature: the Thief is reclaiming the encounter between fashion and self –expression. The Thief seeks to avoid any compromise between natural self-expression and high-end fashion.

Materials

Thieves uses sustainable fabrics such as hemp blends, peace silks, organic wools, organic cottons, lyocell, vegetable tanned leather, recycled materials, organic linen, bamboo, and soy. All pieces are conceived and assembled in Toronto.

Architecture

Thieves pieces use the subtle asymmetry of form, detail and colour that we find in all natural bodies to modify and play with clean lines and classic cuts resulting in an urban organic aesthetic.

Development

Spring 07 ~ Thieves participates in Toronto’s inaugural Green Living Show

Summer 07 ~ Sonja is one of the designers participating in Fashion Takes Action, profiled during Toronto’s Fashion Week

Fall 07 ~ Thieves is invited to Show in Seattle’s first Green Fashion Week

Spring 08 ~ Thieves shows its Fall 08 collection at Montreal Fashion Week.

The Flagship store Thieves Boutique opens, Thieves is a sustainable designer boutique featuring the house line , Thieves, and mixing in other original design sustainable labels.

Fall 08 ~ League of Lovers & Thieves is prepping their Spring 09 collections for Toronto Fashion Week- playing with the (early modern) concept of the “ cabinet of curiosities” and the fantastical – showing together in a collaborative show.

Nov 08 – April 09 - Thieves participates as one of the finalist in the Elle Magazine and Toronto Fashion Incubator New Labels Competition

March 09- Thieves is presented in the Montreal Fashion Week Showroom

October 09- Thieves featured in Elle Canada and Flare

Nov 09- Thieves spring 2010 runway show in Ottawa for Fashion Cures a la Mode, a fundraiser for cancer.

Nov/Dec 09 – Thieves at Toronto One of a Kind Show

Feb 2010- Thieves at Green Shows presenting A/W 2010 collection during New York Fashion Week

March 2010 – Thieves listed on Forbes.com one of top 10 eco designers

September 2010 – Thieves designs included in Fashion Footprints: Sustainable Approaches exhibition to Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World (CCANW) in Exeter, UK.