Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career.
Becoming a designer has been an exciting learning journey. I Always saw my grandmother sewing perfect pants and jackets for a tailor in Barcelona, and admired how perfect some fabric became alive with perfect shapes and seams.
She never encouraged me to become a seamstress, as she felt it was too sacrificed in many ways. But I always loved that transformation of shapes, and the creativity that goes with it. With the time, I’ve not only wanted to be just a designer, but above of all, I wanted to become a change maker, and contribute to the change that the fashion and textile market requires.
How did you learn your skills?
Most of my skills are self-taught. As I started later in life, it was difficult to combine my regular job with designing studies. I found a local center in my neighborhood where they offered some pattern making and sewing evening classes. I went there a couple nights per week for a year, and had the opportunity to participate in the first local fashion catwalk after three months of being there.
Who are you as a designer - aesthetic, customer, brand?
As a designer I want to bring a difference in the market, and some consciousness about the way we create, produce, use and dispose our clothes.
Why did you choose to focus on sustainable fashion? What additional challenges does that create?
When I became aware of the impacts of fashion, I was astonished, and started to research and learn about its social and environmental Impacts. The market needed to change, and I wanted to contribute and be part of that change.
When I started in this field it was difficult for people to understand the need of making and consuming fashion in a more sustainable way, and even finding all the materials to make the garments was a big challenge. Nowadays it is still a big challenge for new business models to fully develop as consumer habits need to change.
What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?
As a sustainable and circular Eco-designer, I enjoy creating under the principles of circularity. It’s fun and I try to learn everyday about new aspects, new materials, innovations … it is a passionate world.
The hardest I think is the administrative and business development side, as it is hard to be an orchestra-woman and be on both administrative and creative sides.
Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is colour to your design process?
I like the classic designers, clean and elegant lines, where less is more. Though I like to observe life itself, too. Museums, people, history, magazines, objects, … sometimes you never know where that sparkle of creativity will come from. I try to carry a notepad always with me to catch thoughts and ideas.
In my collections, I focus first on materials, processes, shapes, techniques and then colour. Now with the cotton coffee bags from Indonesia, I’m introducing natural colors. It is a different way to create and bring a full story behind the garment, a story that starts in the coffee fields.
Readers would love to hear a little about the collection you will show on the runway at EFWA 2024.
The collection that we’ll show at EFWA 2024 will have garments made with jute coffee bags as well as some made with the cotton coffee bags. Most specially we’ll showcase some items made with the new fabric we have developed locally by shredding the coffee bags and creating a new regenerated textile. We received the Green Product Award last year in Germany for this new yarn we called Re-Yut-Cel.
I understand you are a part of the core team in the role of EU Representative. Can you share a little about what you will be doing in this capacity?
Being part of EFWA team as a EU Representative is very exciting. The problems that we encounter here – climate change, draughts, pollution – are also an issue globally. The change will only happen if we all work together and collaborate, exchange our knowledge, learn from each other, and join forces.
I’ve been introducing EFWA in this part of world. One of the first actions we did took place last September – presenting and inviting EFWA founder and CEO, Ms Zuhal Kuvan Mills to speak at the Craftmanship Center of Catalunya in Barcelona. We also will have the pleasure to see the textile art created by members of the Gremi Artesà Textil de Catalunya participate this year at Textile Art Exhibit in Busselton. The art was all inspired by the central subject of EFWA2024, the Antropothen. We are also working on the presentation of EFWA in Barcelona in 2025, which will give us the opportunity to further exchange knowledge and joined forces to contribute to solutions to a better world. Further details and dates will be communicated soon, so stay tuned.
Where can readers purchase your designs?
Our designs are normally published on our website and in the media. They can be ordered by contacting us via web, mail, or media DM. Most of our special pieces are made to order for our clients. This way we avoid any dead stock, and use our materials and resources efficiently.
In closing, is there anything else you'd like to share with readers?
I am very happy to come to Australia again for this new edition of EFWA24 and share with all the team, friends and EFWA visitors another exciting experience that will brings the world together and join forces for a better future.
Links -
Website - www.sylviacalvobcn.com
Facebook - Sylvia Calvo BCN
Instagram - @sylviacalvobcn
Youtube - Sylvia Calvo BCN