Giving clothes a second life, either as a second-hand item or as an upcycled item, has become essential to ensure the sustainability of the planet. And, by extension, in a firm commitment of the Rec.0 of Igualada, which is celebrating its 26th edition. In fact, the festival was born with the idea of giving a last exit to the seasonal stocks. One of its organizers, Marina Iglesias, sums it up: "El Rec is an eclectic festival where there is a mix of brands and designers, but with a clear commitment to sustainable fashion".
Designers such as Miriam Ponsa celebrate the bet. "The Rec is a great platform, with social impact, where young people go, and that's where we have to influence". Mikel Feijoo, founder of one of the pioneer brands in sustainable fashion, Skunkfunk, understands that much remains to be done; 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", adds Feijoo.
The Rec.0, which until tomorrow covers the old fur factories of Igualada with fashion, reserves a space for sustainable fashion, Rec Imperdible. "The most sustainable thing would be not to manufacture", radically asserts the designer Adrià Machado, founder of AMT, the firm that Rosalía fell in love with; however, he is satisfied with "creating pieces with a smaller 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 designer of urban clothing Turtlehorn, proudly displays her philosophy: "Waste is our new raw material". Adrià, Patrícia and Maria share Imperdible Rec with other firms and with the winners of the 080 BarcelonaFashion and Rec.0 competition, among them Nia Lafoz, who shares her desire to approach sustainability and promotes social responsibility, "we design pieces thinking of including people with reduced mobility or physical disabilities in the fashion system".
At the Rec Imperdible space, a round table was held yesterday with the aim of finding out 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 questions the origin of the piece: "You need to know where they come from and how they were made in order not to give the pieces a second use poorly manufactured". Another of the participants was Carmina Pairet, manager of the prestigious L'Arca Barcelona vintage bridal clothing firm, the one who dressed Kate Winslet in Titanic; emphasizes 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 Sustainable Fashion Decalogue". “I will give advice to buy in a more responsible way; like when you go looking for food, you make a list, to go shopping for clothes you also have to make a list”.
There is also an upcycling workshop to create fashion you no longer use, by Maribaudi, and another on mending to mend and transform clothes that have been damaged, taught by Maite Morti, which she defends as "a revolutionary act ” give clothes a second life. And the offer is completed by a successful clothing exchange market that started yesterday and will continue today.
