In a constantly changing world, the challenges for fashion design are wide and complex. But the ability of fashion designers to adapt, innovate and grow in an environment of uncertainty is also remarkable. Spain has a powerful, dynamic, strong business ecosystem with the capacity to take advantage in times of contraction cycles. In the words of Modesto Lomba, President of the Spanish Fashion Creators Association (Asociación de Creadores de Moda Española - ACME), Spain can boast “a business network made up of great creatives and artisans who have managed to give visibility to the great potential of fashion made in Spain”.

 

Momad, which is held twice a year in Madrid and shows what the main fashion brands in the country have to offer and some international ones. Within the exhibition, the area named Sustainable Experience shows the new collections of fashion brands with ethical and sustainable values. The new director of the event, Julia González, arrives loaded with innovative ideas to enhance the sustainable area in the next editions since, as she told us in an exclusive interview, “it is imperative to bet on sustainability in these times”. We sat down with her in a very inspiring interview that we will publish shortly and in which she explained all the plans that Momad has to help Spanish and non-Spanish sustainable brands to create business and internationalize their offer. “We are going to study the needs and desires of sustainable Spanish designers and, according to these, we will create new exhibition strategies that will help them in their national and international expansion plan” - she told us. "We really want and have many ideas in mind to improve and enhance the current offer”.

 

 

In the offer, we found great innovations. Marita Moreno, the winner of the "II Fashion, Sustainability and Business Award" created by Momad, presented the most biodegradable sustainable shoes we have known so far. The sole is made of a material called Bolflex, made of 30% natural rubber and 70% recycled rubber. Inside you can see threads recovered from the textile industry, which gives it a unique design. At the tip, recycled rubber is used to join natural materials such as cork, straw, and wood. The rest of the shoe is made with Piñatex (leftover pineapple leaves) and Bananatex (leftover banana leaves).

 

As a design, we fell in love with the new Troopers, sneakers in which the brand uses a 100% recycled sole (70% recycled sole and 30% compacted old shoes to give stability). From Marita Moreno we would also like to highlight her collection of bags, with models in cork, permeable paper, Malai (cellulose created with coconut leaves) and Piñatex. The designer tells us that they are all done manually by José Manuel de la Cruz, a 75-year-old craftsman who handcrafted each of these wonders that, once presented to the public, are replicated by ethical factories in Portugal.

 

Another brand that surprised us is Atelier Costà. They presented a Shopping Bags made of Papyrus paper, 100% recyclable and waterproof, stain-proof, washable and with high tear resistance. With an ultramodern design for today's fast life, these bags are a solution for our day-to-day lives, since they can be stored anywhere. Atelier Costà also presented a line of very original and colorful bags that nobody would say have been made with the remains of discarded PET bottles. We also liked the sandals made with 100% natural materials, very comfortable and with a design very in line with the trends that are coming.

For those looking for sunglasses with the latest design and sustainable values, we highlight the new Root Sunglasses collection. With frames made of leftover wood from the furniture industry, these glasses are made manually. The brand wants to enhance the awareness of its customers, so each glasses comes with a seed to plant a tree and all those customers who bring their old glasses to the store receive a 30% discount on their next purchase.

 

Fairtrade is the strategy for poverty alleviation and the sustainable development of Soruka. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional system. Their bags and dresses are manufactured in India in close collaboration with small independent artisans to help them grow their business and production capabilities. "Partnership with them is the best method of job creation in low-income settings and also a way to preserve generational crafts” -they say. Soruka tells us about solidarity with Saris women. This Spanish brand recovers the original costumes of the Saris Indian women. They are the ones who reinvent the models, made by hand. They come with a bag of the same fabric since the brand is plastic-free. But we like the Bags Collection. They are made with recycled leather that has been wasted by factories. “For us, sustainability means respecting the material using each part so that nothing is wasted. It also means deep respect for all the people involved in their creation and their cultures (…) Traditionally, fashion houses retained their excess material for some seasons and then sent it to landfills. We rescue this dead stock before throwing it away and giving it a new chance of life. Because we use dead material, scrap, and leftover leather, each bag is unique and unrepeatable.” 

Beauty of Things arrives from the Netherlands. The company wants to introduce its sustainable towels in Spanish market. They are made of cotton and their prints are done with natural inks. Innbamboo is a brand based in Florence. In Momad they presented a new collection of foulards made entirely with bamboo, which is one of the plants with the greatest capacity for regeneration. To apply the different colors, designers use only natural dyes (plants, minerals, spices ...) and they do it by hand, so each scarf is unique. To give a smoother finish, they apply eucalyptus. Innbamboo also has a line of bags and backpacks made with hemp and recycled fabrics from plastic bottles. They apply an eco-compatible substance that ensures the impermeability of these bags. They have the VeganOk certification.

 

...Co is an urban brand manufactured in Athens according to the canons of fair trade (living wages, respect for nature, etc.). Its collection is made with organic cotton produced in Thessaloniki and dyed naturally, without chemicals. Finally, we would like to name Hammerhoj, a brand of footwear and leather accessories that manufactures all its products in an artisanal way and following traditional good work. This guarantees the preparation of unique pieces made with care, with sustainable production and respecting the environment.