Giving clothes a second life, whether as second-hand or repurposed garments, has become essential to ensure the sustainability of the planet. And, by extension, in a firm commitment by Igualada’s Rec.0, which is celebrating its 26th edition. In fact, the festival was born with the idea of ??giving seasonal stocks one last outlet. One of its organizers, Marina Iglesias, sums it up: “The Rec is an eclectic festival where there is a mix of brands and designers, but with a clear commitment to sustainable fashion.”
Designers of the stature of Miriam Ponsa celebrate the bet. “The Rec is a great platform, with social impact, where young people go, and that is where we must influence.” Mikel Feijoo, founder of one of the pioneering brands in sustainable fashion, Skunkfunk, understands that there is still much to do; He regrets, for example, that many brands have signed up for sustainability “without having certification to prove it, the entire value chain must be certified.”
Rec.0, which until tomorrow covers the old leather tanning factories of Igualada with fashion, reserves a space for sustainable fashion, Rec Imperdible. “The sustainable thing would be not to manufacture,” asserts radical designer Adrià Machado, founder of AMT, the brand that Rosalía fell in love with; However, he is content with “creating pieces with a lower impact on the planet.”
“There is no turning back,” says Patricia González Melgar, whose firm, Lapona, rents children’s clothing from 0 to 3 years old. For her part, Maria Voth, the Turtlehorn urban clothing designer, proudly displays her philosophy: “Waste is our new raw material.” Adrià, Patricia and Maria share Rec Imperdible with other brands and with the winners of the 080 Barcelona Fashion and Rec.0 contest, among them Nia Lafoz, who shares their desire to approach sustainability, while promoting social responsibility, “we design “garments thinking about including people with reduced mobility or physical disabilities in the fashion system.”
The Rec Imperdible space also has a round table that seeks to know if the second-hand business is a fad or the future. The designer and author of “Maldita moda”, Paola Cirelli, responds to this, who defends the concept, but raises questions about the origin of the garment: “You have to know where they come from and how they were made so as not to give garments a second use. manufactured in a bad way.” Another participant is Carmina Pairet, head of the prestigious vintage bridal clothing brand L’Arca Barcelona, ??which Kate Winslet wore in Titanic; She puts the emphasis on people: “Sustainability is also knowing who is behind the garment, the fabric is important, but also the way it is made.”
Journalist Sonia Flotats talks about the “So Good Decalogue of Sustainable Fashion”. “I will give advice to buy more responsibly; Like when you go to get food, you make a list, to go buy clothes you also have to make them.”
There is also an upcycling workshop to create fashion with clothes that you no longer wear, led by Maribaudi, and another mending workshop to darn and transform damaged clothes, taught by Maite Morti, who defends giving them a second life as “a revolutionary act.” to clothes. And she completes the offer a successful clothing exchange market that started yesterday and will continue today.