BEFW 2018 Organic cotton for everyone: knitwear, sweatshirt, flat fabrics and jacquard

 Natural Cotton Color and organic colored cotton from Paraíba entered the line of clean and ecological fashion produced in Brazil. The brand’s parade was held during the second edition of Brasil Eco Fashion Week – sustainable fashion week – which took place from November 15th to 17th at Unibes Cultural on Oscar Freire street, in São Paulo. 

The event’s proposal is to present innovations combined with sustainability and highlight with exhibitions, lectures and workshops how they can bring new solutions to fashion that today leads the ranking of the most polluting industries in the world. 

“The Natural Cotton Color fashion show did not just present clothes, but the production chain of Paraíba’s organic colored cotton produced in the semi-arid region in a family farming system. It also introduced new fabrics. In addition to the knitwear and sweatshirts already known in the market, it presented creations with flat fabrics and cotton jacquard with biodegradable polyamide. “This new fabric reduces the decomposition time from 30 years to three years”, explained Francisca Vieira, CEO of the brand. 

It is worth mentioning that, a month before the fashion show, in October, Francisca Vieira, CEO of the brand Natural Cotton Color, represented the Productive Arrangement of Organic Colored Cotton from Paraíba – one of the themes of the panel on Sustainability and Climate of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in Geneva.

Inspirations for the parade: innovation in crafts 

Natural Cotton Color presented 30 looks developed by Francisca and Rafael Lemos, designer and stylist who consulted with support from Senai-PB. 

The collection is about the use of traditional knowledge and the innovations of handcrafted techniques in current fashion. In the first part, the emphasis is on manual work that creatively unites elements of the local culture, but the Renaissance lace made in a more agile way by the artisans is highlighted. The stitches are made directly on the fabric or become trims and embroidery in the fabrics, eliminating the lacquer. The technique created by Francisca was called “crocheted lace”, helping to reduce the time of production of the renaissance lace from 10 to three days. 

Another innovation in the way of making handicrafts is the presence of mamucabo (straps that support sleeping nets) replacing the lace (cotton ribbons) of Renaissance lace. There are also lace and crochet in dialogue with technological fabrics such as colored cotton jacquard with biodegradable polyamide. 

The collection was supported by Círculo, which, in addition to offering the lines for lace and crochet, promoted a workshop with the artisans of Renasci – Association of Lacemakers of Cariri Paraibano promoting the productive arrangement of handicrafts. 

The fashion show flowed with the rhythm of “Massa”, Raimundo Sodré and Jorge Portugal, from Bahia. The most successful song in Brazil in 1980 talks about oppression and poverty in the country and that encourages to get out of lethargy. There is David Bowie and the song Heroes, to indicate how we have power through consumer choices and influencing public policies through voting. Money, from Pink Floyd, to remember that we are mistaken with unbridled consumption as an expression of power. And ends with Under Pressure, again Bower, to warn that the fast fashion industry has turned fashion into the second most polluting industry in the world. 

For Francisca, the songs help to reflect on the production and consumption of sustainable fashion. “Even though it is a fashion produced slowly, it is the only way to save the fashion industry,” he says. 

Photos: Fotosite Agency

 

All photos fashion show in this link.