Caroline and Andrea - 5Loops

We are delighted about the collaboration with 5Loops . Bright glasses. Bright suits. Sustainable. Female Founded. It's a match! Caroline and Andrea are both wearing trousers from NINA REIN. We were able to shoot with this great company for the summer collection and are ringing in spring together.

How and when did the idea for 5Loops come about?

As twins growing up on the beach in Lima, Peru, Andrea and I (Caroline) experienced nature as something natural. Throughout our lives, we traveled the world and saw the impact of many pollutants on nature and humans. Andrea, who is an ophthalmologist, decided to do something in her field and asked me for help. Together, in early 2022, we founded "5Loops", a sustainable, stylish and authentic eyewear brand that considers the environment both during production and during and after the life cycle - within a circular economy concept.

How do you two function as a sister-founding team?

We work very well as a sister-founder team - this is due to several factors. Firstly, the distance - Andrea lives in Shanghai and I live in Munich, so communication is planned and prepared, as we have to coordinate time zones as well as family and work commitments. Secondly, we know each other very well and know how to handle each other, even if things get a little heated, we quickly find our way back to each other. The most important factor, however, is a very clear separation of responsibilities - we make all strategic decisions together, but the implementation of these is defined by each of us in our own area.

How do you divide your roles?

Andrea is responsible for the search, testing, purchasing and quality assurance of the materials and the production of the glasses, and for opening the Chinese market for 5Loops. I, on the other hand, am responsible for the import, marketing and distribution of the glasses in Europe, as well as the search for cooperation partners and social projects that 5Loops wants to support in Peru.

Do you see your products as a statement for female empowerment?

For us, female empowerment is more than clothes and accessories - appearance and charisma are very important but our goal is also to motivate women to have the confidence to do things. We want to work closely with them and cooperate but also support them, like the women in Peru who we provide with reading glasses so that they can continue to earn a living as knitters and weavers and support their families.

How do you define sustainability for your company?

We believe it is our duty to think about what happens to our product when its life cycle is over and how it is then returned to the economic cycle, whether as repaired glasses and thus given an extended life cycle, composted or recycled. It is not enough to just think about how to produce and sell a product sustainably - it is just as important to feed it back into the economic cycle.

5Loops will constantly look for new ways to be more sustainable, learn more about the circular economy and encourage society to look out for brands that live this concept as much as we do. That's why Nina Rein & 5Loops are a great fit.