Igualada is an industrious, hard-working, urbanized, modern and friendly city", pointed out Josep Pla in his day, describing the entrepreneurial spirit of the city, a phrase that is proudly written on one side of the facade of the City Hall. It is evoked by a veteran tanner justifying the establishment of the sector. At the gates of the autumn Rec.0 (November 8 to 11), the Igualada fashion festival, in its 25th edition, has decided to focus on one of the industrial sectors that best represent the city, that of the skin. It will do so by allocating an octopus to leather artisans. "We are starting with five brands, but the bet is that this space will grow in future editions", confirms one of the souls of Rec.0, Marina Iglesias.
The idea has been promoted with the Leather Cluster Barcelona and will be located in the Adoberia Bella building, a renovated 1913 factory. The initiative aims to "highlight the people who work in the design and craft creation of leather goods", summarizes Marc Rius from the cluster.
One of the participants, the master leather craftsman, conservator and restorer of the Palau Güell, Sandra Quilez (NQuart), will offer leather products that escape "the most conventional, such as handbags". "I come with masks, chairs, space dividers, trays, leather balloons... we are in the city of balloons", he explains. And he will take advantage of the proximity of Christmas to set up a small workshop where people can make their own ornaments.
Rec.0's commitment to leather comes from far away. Since previous editions, the festival has offered guided tours to discover both the industrial past of the neighborhood and its present, and shows the current operation of the Curtidos Badia tannery, a family business founded in 1889, leading internationally. Its director, Xavier Badia – fourth generation – explains that they take advantage of the strong run of Rec.0 to show a "very unknown" sector. "While eating meat, someone has to marinate the skin, we are a by-product of the meat sector", he remembers. "Thanks to the visits and the pop space we can make our sector visible", he adds.
In Igualada there are currently 28 companies dedicated to the old trade, occupying around 250,000 m2 of the tannery district that gives its name and which is where the festival is hosted, the Rec. They are the survivors of a legion that at its peak reached 230 signatures. Igualada is a leader and reference in the fashion market and in the high quality leather sector on an international scale. "The current situation is not bad, for about 15 years there have been companies that have needed to expand their factories, 85% are being exported, and we are recognized for a job well done", explains Badia. And he points out the challenges: "Always improve quality, also sustainability, and devote effort to training".
Igualada is also a leader in skin-related training. In 1958, thanks to its industrial strength, it took over in Barcelona some studios that taught the craft of tanning. The school received Latin American students for many years and thus internationalized its prestige. This has today become the master's degree in Leather Engineering, unique in Europe, under the guidance of the University of Lleida (UdL). The coordinator, Felip Combalia, recalls that, thanks to this small school known as the Teneria, "Igualada can be a university town today". Among the challenges, he emphasizes that they are about to enter the European Erasmus Mundus program, a joint project with Mexico, France and Turkey, which Igualada would lead, and "which aims for all students to go through these universities and have a comprehensive education ".
On the other hand, the Gaspar Camps municipal school launched higher degree studies in Leather Techniques this year, unique studies in Catalonia which, as described by its managers, Ester Comenge and Raquel Camacho, offer continuity to the training itinerary in the skin of the center and respond to the demand for qualified professionals in the sector.
