Sustainability at Momad Madrid | A Commitment To The Future

This month we travelled to Momad Madrid to discover first-hand the sustainable fashion brands presented at the event. We were pleased to discover in the general offer how fashion brands are expanding their catalogue with eco-conscious fashion lines made with organic, locally produced and natural dyed fabrics.

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Momad Madrid has long been committed to sustainability as a tool for the future. Its commitment to the European 2030 objectives and a special weakness for giving space to brands that respect the planet and are committed to boosting the local economy are the main reasons why the fair's management team continues working hard to ensure that sustainable fashion brands have an important space in its commercial offer.

It is not easy. The pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the resulting gas and electricity crisis have done a lot of damage to sustainable fashion brands with a lot of passion but little profit margin. The effect has also caused many closures of small shops that were not able to face three and a half years of crisis.

Even so, the fair continues to look ahead with optimism. They already demonstrated this in February this year. When most European fashion events were backtracking on their intentions, cancelling their editions once again for fear of a new Covid wave, Momad opened the doors to an uncertain edition. The success was resounding. There was a desire to buy. "Before the pandemic, digital tools questioned the future of fashion events. The pandemic made it clear that there is nothing like having the clothes in your hands to take purchase decisions. Brands have seen the need for trade shows to complement their digital business. The example is this edition, full house".

"Brands have seen the need for trade fairs to complement their digital business. Shops are transforming to offer new styles. People are tired of dressing the same as everyone else". - underlines Julia González, managing director at Momad Madrid.

MORE SUSTAINABLE COLLECTIONS, A PROCESS OF CHANGE

Among the exhibitors we found brands with a marked sustainable DNA, with factories that work with solar energy, collections made on demand, organic or natural materials from local places and, in some cases, a handcrafted production that promotes local employment and takes care of the know-how in small villages in Spain. These brands can be found in the "Sustainable Experience" area, a space offered at a reduced price so that small sustainable brands can show their collections to buyers from all over the world.

"We started Sustainable Experience years ago because we wanted to position ourselves, we wanted to open the door to this sector. Now we see that more and more brands have sustainable collections, but we also have to continue offering more affordable spaces for these small sustainable brands" - Julia González declares to Luxiders Magazine. 

"The planet is revealing itself and we are all seeing it and that is why we are now becoming aware" - Julia González says.

THE SUSTAINABLE EXPERIENCE

In Sustainable Experience we found Perpetum Mobile, Maawûi, Linnoa Bags and the German company Elemente Clemente, among others. All of them were satisfied with the business or the contacts established during the fair.

Perpetum Mobile is a slow brand that designs and manufactures fashion and accessories with recovered (not recycled) fabrics, including its characteristic mattress fabrics. "Four years ago we bought part of a stock of mattress fabrics from a mattress manufacturer that closed down in the 1980s (...) For a fashion brand that starts in 2018, sustainability should not be a way, but a requirement of arduous compliance in which not mixing fabrics of different composition (such as cotton and polyester) is a priority" - says Mieria Viladomiu, director of the brand. Perpetum Mobile makes all its collections in social workshops where young people with academic and social disadvantages receive training, professional qualification and job activation. About the fair she says: "We have been visited by many small shops, concept stores, agents and clients who are looking for quality, special and locally produced fashion".

Elemente Clemente proclaims itself sustainable since 2010. The German brand is committed to purist cuts, short distances and sustainable materials such as linen grown in France and Belgium without artificial irrigation; or recycled polyester (from recovered plastic bottles); or nylon and polygamy from old fishing nets. The company has a factory in Tunisia that generates 60-80% of its energy from its own photovoltaic panels. The methods for dyeing are mineral and vegetable.

Linnoa Bags has been exhibiting at the fair since 2018, "because this fair works very well for us" - assures Nuria Pijuan, the brand manager. They produce one collection of bags a year (spring-summer) and only use linen. "Cotton needs much more water than linen, which is why we use other sustainable materials such as Piñatex and chrome-free vegetable tanned leather. The dyes are always water-based vegetable dyes".

Nomadic's story takes us back to days of surf, sea and sun. They don't sell sandals, they sell a lifestyle and it's sustainable. The sandals are created with recycled ropes that they turn into thread that is then treated in a small village in Nicaragua which, thanks to this brand, has managed to boost the local economy.

At Sustainable Experience we were also able to enjoy ITech GreenCircle, which continues to work on its project in which new sustainable Portuguese fabrics take the form of fashion garments to demonstrate the possibilities to the sector.

GREEN SHOOTS IN OTHER AREAS

Fuga has been one of the brands that surprised us the most for its honesty in the area not classified as sustainable. With collections created only on demand, a minimalist and modern design and sustainable and certified materials (Ana Belén Galián, the creative director, showed us all the certifications of the brand during the fair), this new brand for empowered women shows promise. "In this new collection we continue our commitment to reduction and recycling, making use of and extending the useful life offered by existing resources and fabrics, such as the recycled fabrics we use" - says Ana Belén Galián. "Without a doubt, Momad offers you visibility, proximity and direct contact with national and international customers who are really interested in your product and want to see and touch it personally. Momad offers you the opportunity to reach, interact and transmit in a closer, more human and emotional way your brand values . It is another gateway to expansion and brand growth. I would also highlight the professionalism and good treatment received from minute 1 from all the members that make up Momad". - she underlines. 

Tartaruga is also our weakness. Fresh, colourful and very Mediterranean, it boasts comfortable designs that suit all types of women, regardless of their body type, and we would even dare to say that it rejuvenates their style. Everything, absolutely everything in the garment is organic cotton, from the yarn to the dress and all the labels it may include. It seems incredible that such acid colours can come from vegetable dyes. "It is the result of a tireless work of tests and more tests until we find the colour I have dreamed of" - Patricia Chao, artistic director of the brand, assures us. Pure passion and commitment to sustainability that turns into unique garments that will make us shine in summer. "We have had a large number of visitors compared to the last edition and it is worth mentioning the international public that has really been one of the most interested in our collections because of sustainability" - she declares. 

Dekien is one of the women's fashion brands that is beginning to take small steps towards more respectful fashion. It has three lines, but this year it has launched Dekien Green. "We want to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The entire collection is made from organic, regenerated or recycled materials. The garments are naturally dyed with mineral pigments and cold water", says Gabriel Feliu, the brand's director. If they are committed to the environment, it's hard to understand why the other three lines don't use the same materials, we confess. "We are including them in all our lines, but the process is complicated, we are taking it step by step" - he replies.

InnBamboo is an Italian brand that started out exhibiting in Sustainable Experience Area but, due to its success, they needed more space, so they needed to jump into the general fashion area. "At Momad we sell a lot, more and more" - they tell us. In addition to their bamboo fibre scarves, this year they are launching for the first time a line of socks made from 70% Ecotex-certified bamboo, 28% organic cotton and 2% organic cotton-covered cotton. All the production is made in Florence and all the fabrics come from a distance of 20 km.

"We will continue to support these small brands that are setting an example" - ends Julia González. We hope to meet all of them and many more during the next edition of the fair, which will take place in Madrid from 3 to 5 February 2023.

+ Words

Belvis Soler
Luxiders Magazine