Transformable dresses, sweatshirts or t-shirts that are screen-printed only by hand, windbreaker pieces that give a second life to paraglider material, outfits for party guests that are both social assistance and a commitment to the environment, or clothing and jewelry that have the artisanal work done by women in Ukraine.
These are the proposals of the pop-up boutique The Creative Spot x Barcelona Fashion Forward that for the second consecutive year arrives at La Roca Village, the shopping complex that is full of emerging talent until the end of May and that is worth keeping track of.
With unique and innovative designs, five emerging firms aim above all at fashion with greater respect for the environment and social awareness. What could be more fashionable than dressing sustainably? For example, through upcycling, the Owl brand manages to reuse paragliders that have flown and have finished their useful life to turn them into jackets and windbreakers that can be found in limited editions with bright and classic tones.
The firm boasts of the unique value of the garments that are cut one by one since not all parts of the paraglider are the same, nor do they have the same color. But what they do achieve is that nylon, which takes 500 years to decompose, does not end up in the container.
“Upcycling is part of the future of fashion and what we are doing is getting ahead of it. And being able to have spaces like this pop-up is a great opportunity to reach an audience that as a brand alone we could not do itâ€, acknowledges Eduard Ballester, creator of Owl and who is convinced that creativity can be unleashed with recycled products: “Yes, the same from another perspective or with another methodology, that is, with what we have we try to do what is possible but it is always like a game between inventing and taking advantage of the material you have,” Ballester details.
KM By Lange is another of the brands that are part of the Barcelona Fashion Forward, a project promoted by the Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Activa and Disseny Hub Barcelona, ​​and to which La Roca Village joined two years ago. The Ukrainian Kateryna Lange is the creator of this firm that has a design studio in Barcelona and Kyiv.
His timeless garments that include wool suits, silk dresses or accessories such as bags and silver jewelery will make you dream! Many of the dresses are hand-embroidered or crocheted and are made by Ukrainian artisans.
“Fashion moves fast but we don’t. We prefer to enjoy life at a slower pace. We want the garment they buy to last many years, the main idea of ​​the design is that it be a treasure that a mother can pass on to a daughter, for example. That is why it is timeless, ethical and quite handmadeâ€, says Lange.
The other reason that will make you fall in love with this firm, as they themselves define it, is that it is a brand created by women and for women. “When we reach a certain age, we are often displaced from the world of work, and instead in our workshops we work with women over 60,” Lange points out. “But also -he continues- it is a project that has a solidarity line, since we support with donations women and children victims of the war in Ukraine”.
You will like Zhammaona especially if you want a wardrobe with a lot of versatility. His designs are transformed, turning one garment into several different ones that can be used in a different way for each occasion. Thus, the skirts, dresses or jackets of this firm inspired by art and electronic music and under the creation of the Ukrainian artist Zhanna Dymchenko and Manel Castro are a safe bet for ethical consumption.
While at G-LEM you will find the most beautiful wedding guest dresses. Elegant designs and prints with a clear ethnic-African inspiration mark the essence of this sustainable firm inspired by the personal experiences of its designers in the southwest of Uganda. It is precisely this African country, specifically the local community of Mbarara, that has been chosen to develop the educational program G•LEM Fashion School and shape the social commitment of the emerging firm.
Other participants in the pop-up boutique, which floods the temporary space of La Roca Village with colours, are Muro Collective, which also extols the sustainable philosophy. From Muro Collective they propose an urban and disruptive streetwear style with garments that are designed and screen-printed by hand, one by one. Its collections explore the artistic concerns of its creators Alex Bravo, Aleix Martin and Marcel Barres.
The five brands that make up the Barcelona Fashion Forward have received support and training for a year to improve their professionalism by experts in the fashion sector. Likewise, The Creative Spot offers emerging brands the opportunity to establish themselves in the world of retail.
“It is a project that exemplifies the DNA of La Roca Village, which is committed to emerging talents from any discipline. And beyond the boutique is the mentoring in retail, marketing and communication that we offer to designers and the possibility of showing their potential in two months with a large influx of customers in the Villageâ€, values ​​Daniel Aristondo Garay, Deputy retail marketing director of The Rock Village
In addition, the pop-up boutique allows new designers to have access to the global network of visitors to La Roca Village, which is one of eleven The Bicester Collection, the umbrella grouping the different Value Retail outlets.
