"There is another way of doing things, and to not do them in a sustainable way has to be boring or ugly ... it is an exciting and innovative world!", states with conviction Paloma Garcia. President of the Sustainable Fashion Association of Madrid and founder of The Circular Project, she has directed the Festival Madrid es Moda Sustainable in the Municipal Public Library Eugenio Trías to take place on the 15th September. The meeting starts with a morning of networking and broadcasting of the latest initiatives, culminating with the presentation of the international platform Slow Fashion World. The afternoon has a workshop schedule dedicated to seeing live how sustainable fashion pulsates.
Paloma G. Lopez, founder of The Circular Project.
Why is clothing a fundamental pillar of sustainable economy?
The textile industry is one of the most important in the world and therefore it has a powerful transformative potential in the economy. We all wear clothes from morning to night, whether we like fashion or not! Being the second most polluting industry on the planet, if we can reverse this by transforming its processes, controlling the supply chain and reducing its impacts, we will be able to transform society as a whole.
What are the basic characteristics for a garment to qualify as sustainable?
A sustainable garment has to have a triple positive impact: ecological, economic and social. Fabrics must reduce their emissions to the atmosphere from the moment they are cropped. This is achieved with organic crops without pesticides or herbicides or, by recycling existing fabrics by extending the use of our garments, by fighting against programmed obsolescence ... On the other hand, decent conditions must be guaranteed for supply chain workers. This includes not only labour risks or the right to unionize but also decent wages that allow them a good quality of life. All this results in a clear economic impact.
Exhibition of sustainable fashion brands at the Eugenio Trías Library, September 11th to 19th.
Spain is a textile leader, especially in fast fashion. What reflection should we make as a country?
The reflection is clear: we came from an important textile tradition, we were famous for the quality of our fabrics and we have lost al this with the relocation of the industry over 30 years ago, which has placed us at the head of the world. If we are capable of this, we will also be reversing the process and looking towards sustainability and ecology as a challenge. I come from Bejar and it is a shame that we have closed all our factories with which entails loss of traditions, of labour and general impoverishment.
After the crisis, anecdotes such as queues at Primark speak of compulsive consumption among young people, who would seem closer to the parameters of sustainability (maybe this is a topic). Is it the same in other countries? What can be taught to adolescents and young people, immersed in their own shopping fever?
Yes, I think it is widespread all over the world, with few exceptions such as the Nordic countries. It is not in the interest of young people, who will be future consumers, to embrace the restraint that sustainable fashion brings with it, since this suppresses consumerism, being bombarded with thousands of messages every day to show off being cool, where only the appearance, the packaging, the continent before the content is notable. There is no culture or education with children in our schools. It is essential that there is a mandatory subject matter, in the style of what already exists in Canada, to become aware of where clothes come from, how they are made, what social and environmental implications this has.
What would you say to those who think that ... recycling has no glamour?
I would teach you the wonderful things that are being done with upcycling.
... are sustainable fabrics harsh?
Not at all, they are very high quality and better and softer than conventional ones.
... buying (even if it is without measure) is an act of freedom?
We have more power as consumers than as voters, every time we consume a certain product we are giving force to that company to keep doing things that way. We decide with our money who we want to support and this we all have to keep in mind.[:]