Brands such as Gran Canaria Moda Cálida, Tenerife Moda, or Isla Bonita Moda were created through the councils to promote the work of affiliated designers. Over time, the concern about pollution caused by the textile industry reached these institutional initiatives, which have included sustainability as a necessary requirement to be part of their projects. The most internationally recognized and established brand is the one from Gran Canary, which is also the only one in the Archipelago that belongs to the European Fashion Alliance (EFA), whose main focus is on sustainability. The Councillor for Industry, Commerce, Crafts, and Housing of the Gran Canaria Council – the area where Moda Cálida is located – Minerva Alonso, explains that being part of the EFA allows them to get closer to all the organizations that regulate the textile sector on the continent and see how designers from other countries work to be more environmentally friendly in their creative processes.
In this regard, the Moda Cálida programme has been requiring its designers for eight years to answer a questionnaire about the production processes of their garments. “Around 90% of the designers have sustainable practices, either through the type of fabrics in their collection, the packaging they use, or the production methods. And practically all of them make their pieces on the island,” says Alonso.
Companies belonging to the programme are known for having small production workshops. For Alonso, the resulting pieces are “unique” and “very distinctive” and differ from the mass production of major sector corporations: “Here, only one swimsuit is produced, which is unique due to its artisanal component. We are talking about almost collector’s items. That’s the philosophy.”
As for the benefits designers receive for being scored on their sustainable practices, the programme gives them greater visibility. The creators with the highest scores in the seal’s forms are the ones who can ultimately showcase their collections in the fashion shows.
Reused textile spools
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Another way to recycle is by giving new life to existing garments. That’s the goal of Tenerife Council, through the Waste Department led by Alejandro Molowny and the Tenerife Moda brand. “We want to create fabrics from discarded clothing. The idea is for designers to make new pieces from spools of textiles made from discarded garments,” he shares.
To achieve this, the Corporation recently launched the Sustainable Tenerife Moda project, through which they will offer grants to support designers who want to adapt their workshops to work with recycled textiles. They will also host an event next month, along with the University of La Laguna, where talks and workshops on slow fashion will be held, which is the opposite of the mass production by textile giants like Inditex or Shein: “There is a significant movement in this direction now. People want to dress sustainably while maintaining style. Second-hand clothing is also gaining popularity,” Molowny points out.
For the Waste Department director, it is “urgent” for the textile sector to take measures if it wants to stop being “demonized”. This would involve starting to see waste as an opportunity: “Why do companies take discarded clothing to sell it in other countries, with the carbon footprint it entails?”, he wonders. In his opinion, the Canary Islands must start to take advantage of the value that used garments hold and prevent them from being shipped to other countries.
Furthermore, Tenerife Council will install specific containers for collecting textiles with the aim of creating workshops with social economy companies to give a second life to garments. “On the one hand, we will demonstrate that it is possible to sanitize, change sizes, repair zippers, and reuse garments. And, on the other hand, we will create spools of reused thread from which completely new clothing pieces will be born,” he advances.
Additional clothing collection containers
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Soon, not only will the textile collection containers from the Council begin to appear, but containers must also be placed in stores where customers can deposit clothing they no longer use. This is established by Law 7/2022, of April 8, on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy, which will require the implementation of the textile SCRAP next year – the Extended Producer Responsibility Collective System – which compels companies to take responsibility for these products they put into circulation and which, once no longer useful, pollute the environment. “The entry into force of this law in 2025 will see the integrated management systems in operation. This will force the exploitation of waste,” Molowny explains. The law will force major companies to alter their paradigm, no longer able to neglect the consequences of their mass production.
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Fashion from a Biosphere Reserve Island
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The seed of environmental awareness has recently been planted in the fashion sector of La Palma. The Isla Bonita Moda brand was born just over seven years ago. Two years ago, it was stipulated in its bases that sustainability is a key factor to be part of the group. However, Miriam Perestelo, Councillor for Economic Promotion of the La Palma Council, clarifies that during this term, efforts will be made to increase environmental requirements in the sector: “Being a Biosphere Reserve Island, it is evident which direction to follow. The brand is still young, but it is time to promote brands that are already implementing sustainable techniques. Shortly, we will announce a sustainability forum that will follow this path”.
