Sustainable organic cotton on the runway at Milan Fashion Week

The sustainable fashion brand Natural Cotton Color debuts on the international runway during Milan Fashion Week, which will take place from September 21st to 27th, in Milan, Italy. The realization is by Brasil Eco Fashion Week – BEFW in partnership with Fashion Vibes, from Milan. The showroom and runway will take place on September 24th and 25th, at the Orto Botanico di Brera, in Milan, Italy.

The Ipês do Brasil collection: from the Cerrado to the Sertão brings together 16 looks, including 12 female and four male. “The collection was designed to bring together several talents that are partners of the brand”, explains Francisca Vieira, CEO of Natural Cotton Color. The pieces created by Rafael Lemos were modeled by Raquel Grassi. 

 

“Surprisingly, men’s classics were reinvented in suits produced in fleece with cotton and silk. In addition, in the collection, the tuxedo is no longer black tie, but rather brown — the natural color of colored organic cotton”, said Francisca Vieira. 

The aim of the fashion show is to position Natural Cotton Color in the international market

For Rafael Morais, executive director of BEFW, “it’s about nurturing the growing global interest in ethical and sustainable fashion. Therefore, we guarantee the opportunity to present fashion shows of some brands in Milan, reaffirming Brazil as a reference in this segment of the fashion industry”, he explains.

For Yulia Palchykova, director of Fashion Vibes and producter of the BEFW show in Milan, Brazilian fashion draws the attention of the market that is more attentive to sustainability as opposed to fast fashion. “Brazil is rich in raw materials, also in creativity based on cultural diversity. Our goal is to demonstrate development in this direction, promoting designers who value their roots, their culture in their collections”, she said.

 

The colors of the Ipês add color to the collection

The Natural Cotton Color collection for the fashion show at BEFW Milan edition has the Ipê tree as a theme. Present from North to South of Brazil and in different biomes, the yellow ipê is the official symbol tree of Brazil. In the collection, other colors of the ipês also illustrate the pieces.

The colors are presented through artisanal techniques such as renaissance lace, knitting and crochet. In addition to handcrafted work with lace and embroidery, the collection stands out for its innovation and variety of fabrics based on the same natural fiber as 100% organic Denim, which has color, but without any type of dyeing; the cotton jacquard with silk and fabrics developed with threads that fuse the cotton with silk and linen residues.

 

The entire production of the collection is guided by sustainability

Colored cotton with internationally valid organic certification is the basis for the creations of the Natural Cotton Color brand. The species is cultivated in Paraíba in rural settlements without irrigation and is born in shades of beige, brown and green – without the use of additives or dyes, saving 87.5% of water in its production process. The brand has been operating for 15 years in the sustainable fashion segment, developing yarns, fabrics and clothes in organic colored cotton from Paraíba. The small business is recognized for fostering a production chain that ranges from cotton cultivation through family farming, through innovation in the textile industry.

 

In the collection Ipês do Brasil: from the Cerrado to the Sertão, two productive arrangements were involved: the embroidery was produced by artisans from Brasília in the Moda Connect project, and the lace and crochet by the Renascença Lace Association from Cariri Paraibano – Renasci.

Natural Cotton Color’s actions are aligned with several of the Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 2030 of the United Nations, namely:

Goal 2 – Promote sustainable agriculture
Goal 8 – Decent work and economic growth
Goal 9 – Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Objective 12 – Ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns, among others
Partnerships for the Natural Cotton Color collection and fashion show

Partnerships for the Natural Cotton Color collection and fashion show

The Natural Cotton Color fashion show in Milan has the support of the Textile Technology Center of Senai in Paraíba through the consultancy of designer Rafael Lemos. The artisanal innovation had its development and training carried out with the support of Sebrae Paraíba.

The fashion show will also include bags by Makano and shoes by Flavia Vanelli, from Rato Design Circular (@ratoroi), fabrics made in partnership with Ecosimple and Unitextil. The brand presents fabrics made in manual loom, in addition to textile innovations, such as 100% organic Denim that has color, but without any type of dyeing. 

The looks will be presented with bags by Makano and women’s In-soul Shoes, produced with raw material by Rato Design Circular (@ratoroi) with designs by Flavia Vanelli. Men’s shoes were manufactured by Plantae.

The choice of the “testing model” for the event in Milan also followed social principles when choosing Luana Silva, a resident of the historic center of João Pessoa in the Varadouro community, where Natural Cotton Color is headquartered. Luana is a young talent discovered by Francisca Vieira.

Runway soundtrack

Natural Cotton Color reinforces the brand’s identity by reproducing in the fashion show the most popular music of an icon from Paraíba and Brazil: Jackson do Pandeiro. Known as “The King of the Rhythm”, the singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist reflects in the song “Chewing Gum with banana” a concern with keeping the Brazilian samba pure, free from the influence of foreign rhythms:

Photos at the Fort of Santa Catarina in Cabedelo – Grande João Pessoa – PB

More photos from the Ipês do Brasil collection: from the Cerrado to the Sertão in our Flickr