1.  Please introduce who you are and what you do in 2 sentences. 

I’m the creative director at meFaldasTú. Designer and pattern-cutter. Creator. Creative. But mostly, a person who views design as a tool for change, and each piece as a versatile instrument, that adapts to everything. 

2.  How would you describe your current mood? 

Expectant. I feel anxious, and I understand it as a time that I have these terrific desires to re-connect the ideas that are emerging in these times of confinement with suppliers, friends, and clients. I want to do new things and share them with everybody!  

3.  What effect has Covid 19 had on you and your business? 

It caught us without a good digital structure in place. So, we haven’t been able to perform online sales campaigns. But, for a time now, we’ve been re developing our systems, which are very much focused on the atelier culture, elaborating unique pieces with recycled materials.  

So now , we have been able to “fast-forward” and already have available stock of several exclusive skirts, which have been created with great care and time. Which we are now selling in a very personalised way, and on-demand. 

4.  What effect had Covid 19 had on your supply chain (if relevant)? 

It doesn’t apply. 

5.  What has been the biggest challenge during this period of lockdown?  

To maximise recycling. To get the most out of the raw materials that we have in the atelier is a great challenge. To think and reflect on the patterns, so that the item of clothing works efficiently as a piece as well as utilising all its raw materials. 

If I still have remains, I make more pieces. A few months ago, I showcased the “Puzzle” skirt. A skirt with mini, midi, and maxi versions, elaborated in a  patchwork-style , with squares of fabrics that I ensemble one by one, the final results being spectacular. Each piece is unique. No two are alike, which is a plus. It’s industrious, but the final piece is awesome and has huge personality. 

The second challenge is to work and flow within the atelier, when the children allow it! To reconcile family and work is wonderful, but not always easy. We’ve had to reformulate timing and priorities. 

 6.  What have you done during lockdown to innovate? 

To develop new ideas for workshops in order to share my knowledge. I teach tailoring and work for companies developing textile lines with recycled materials. 

Upcycling offers thousands of possibilities for development. It is time to learn how to see pieces and fabrics differently and breathe new life into them. If people only knew the serious problem that fabrics generate in dumpsites, and the benefits of the circular economy… This time is giving me the opportunity to reflect and research in this area. 

7.  What small act of kindness has someone shown you or that you have shown someone during the lockdown?  

We have manufactured numerous batches of solidarity face masks with recycled materials. Placing my atelier at the service of people who may need it, as many others have done, has been really gratifying. 

Besides, we have included our children in the process. It’s wonderful to see how important it has been for them to collaborate in these tasks. Even just by putting a mark with charcoal on the fabric before cutting the pieces. They have been able to understand first hand the value of commitment and solidarity. 

8.  How do you think this crisis will affect the fashion industry? 

I think that, as I said earlier, we are in a good moment to contemplate fashion with a more responsible view. To know what is being done in our immediate surroundings. To support local production. To think on recycling as the only possible option when discarding the pieces that we don’t use anymore. 

We are about to face a critical moment. But creativity does not understand about crises. Creativity thrives in adversity!  

9.  How do you think you will need to do things differently in your business post lock down? 

We’ll have to consider seriously, as much as we can, opting for the digital transformation more. The world is connected, and if we want to tell our story, we must do so. 

10. What would you advise our/your followers to keep their spirits up during lockdown? 

I would advise them to get bored. Feeling bored helps us find new creative ways. Despite the present, to see the future with different eyes. To create.  

If I have learnt something during these days of confinement is that the everyday life sometimes distorts the reality of that which is really worth it, and it doesn’t allow us to listen to our own voice. 

VIDEO LINK

https://youtu.be/k2_nE4H3Rwg