Tanzform is where music and fashion fuse seamlessly, born from a love of dance and a deep connection to the garment industry. The founders have turned their vision into a streetwear brand with a purpose—celebrating club culture, creativity, and sustainability.
The name derives from the German word for dancing (tanzen) and the transformation you undergo while clubbing. When you are on the dance floor you are part of society, close to other people. Tanzform aims to elevate cozy after-parties, club raves and festivals with comfortable and affordable clothing and a broad spectrum of beats.
We explore the inspiration behind Tanzform and what sets it apart in the world of fashion in our exclusive interview below…
What inspired you to start Tanzform?
Passion! It is a mix of our backgrounds, we love dancing & playing records and Shaque has always been deeply connected with Bangladesh and its garment industry via his family & friends. So we had the idea to create a music related fashion brand for ages, but we had to wait for the right time. Now we believe we are ready and we feel that Tanzform can add value to this world.
How did your background and experience in the music and fashion worlds influence the creation of Tanzform?
We ran a label before called Mood Waves and our lessons from that together with all the support we received gave us the inspiration to start a brand. We always believed in a concept that melts music & fashion together, so we had to wait till we found the name that connected to the message that we wanted to share with the brand. We felt it was now the right time, because we feel there is no fashion brand yet to represent the dance music world.
What makes Tanzform different from other streetwear brands?
It is the message behind the brand. Tanzform stands for the positive impact clubbing has on yourself and our society. It teaches people why dancing can be essential for social development, and not only for entertainment. Clubbing changes you; you meet new friends, a partner and you meet other subcultures by going out and dancing. The more you go out, the more you run into people from other bubbles and the more you understand that our society is special. Therefore our slogan is Dance more, Judge less. We hope that people who wear our clothes share the message that they like clubbing and are open to connect with anyone without judgement. We aim for a world in which people judge each other less and appreciate that difference actually brings beauty.
Are there any specific materials or design philosophies that define your product?
We try to dig for left-over fabrics in the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh and within the factories we produce with. We can sometimes find kilos of nice high quality fabric and make a limited item of it. We try to be sustainable by using fabric that has already been produced. A good example are our corduroy jackets, fabric that we found together on a small market in Dhaka. We also always ask the factories if they have in-house left-over fabrics which we could use to optimise our mutual sustainability goals.
Regarding the design philosophies we realise people wear different styles in the club, so we are creating different lines. For example Tanzform Black is more black & Techno oriented, while Tanzform Classic is more colourful and focuses on high-quality basic+. Another essential part of our design philosophy is collaborating with a variety of visual artists.
Can you tell us about the collaboration process with artists like Giammarco Orsini, Anthea, and Velasco?
Well we are lucky to have them close to us in Berlin, so it is easy to work with friends. We love the energy they have been giving to us. It is great to work with them, they are established artists and therefore they know pretty much exactly what they like and not, so we can work together straight forward. The best thing is that when we meet up in our office, we learned that face to face collaborations tend to be a lot smoother versus pure digital collabs..
What inspired you to collaborate with those particular artists?
Well they are kind hearted and happy to support us, but most importantly they are all dedicated to their craft. It is great to work with people who are passionate and committed. At the same time we feel we could help them with projects/careers. We supported Velasco with creating his own record label, whereas with Anthea we are working on a clothing line and a joint label ‘Unit-Y’ that will release Giammarco’s first solo EP in the last few years.
Why did you decide to focus on vinyl-only releases?
We do vinyl because we see a record as a piece of art and something that will stand the test of time. Next to this we like the format and the personal connection you can have with a record. So the vinyl represents a personal connection. Just like life, a record has a small crackle every now and then. But we will also release digital music, but are not specifically interested because artists can release that nowadays themselves and there is so much music coming out online that it became an endless void.
How does Tanzform aim to contribute to and shape the Berlin club culture?
We learned our values from Berlin club culture and we aim to contribute with more awareness by trying to understand other subcultures. Next to that we of course want to offer more music and clothing representing Berlin club values.
In what ways do you plan to engage with the Tanzform community both online and offline?
Online we mainly try to engage on via instagram and starting soon with Tiktok. Offline we will host events like parties and vinyl markets and we want to invite people to our creative office space in Berlin, the door is open for anyone.
What are your long-term goals for Tanzform, and how do you plan to achieve them?
We would like to become a brand where people not only think of records or fashion but also as a potential creative partner. We hope to achieve that by accumulating an extensive number of projects with a variety of creatives. Next to the tangible side of the business, our goal is also to get the message across that nightlife is more than just entertainment.
With Tanzform, it’s not just about clothes—it’s about community, culture, and a message that goes beyond the dancefloor. Through their artist collaborations and commitment to sustainability, Tanzform is redefining what streetwear can be, all while staying true to the pulse of the Berlin club scene.