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Having spent the last year people-watching and exploring the busy streets of Barcelona, I'm in no doubt about the abundance of fashionable designer brands and the world-famous influencers behind them. If you are looking for a stylish, effortlessly cool, and wearable wardrobe this summer make these up-and-coming sustainable brands your first port of call.
Five years ago, Paloma Lanna founded her eponymous brand; Paloma Wool alongside life-long friend and graphic artist Tana Latorre. The brand, however, is more than just a clothing company – rather, an artistic exploration project structured around the ideas and spaces created in relation to the act of getting dressed. The project began as a digital production that focused on the local sourcing and manufacturing of garments. Soon after, the brand’s beautiful pieces unsurprisingly gained widespread popularity and are now components of a successful online business. Despite the growth, Paloma Wool has maintained its ethos and focus on the creation of high-quality, durable pieces – working exclusively with a local knitwear manufacturer, based only 70 km from their studio in Barcelona. Not only is the famous knitwear produced close to home but the handcrafted leather too which is sourced from just 60 km away. The printing studio and the distribution studios are both within 500 km of the main facility giving the brand a truly authentic appeal. The pieces are unique in both a bold and simultaneously simplistic manner – the focus being on bright block colours, edgy patterns, asymmetrical cuts and fabric variation ranging from sheer to thick Merino Wool.
Instagram: @palomawool | Website: palomawool.com
Gimaguas is another uniquely Spanish brand – also founded in Barcelona by twins Claudia and Sayana Durany in 2018. It is impossible not to love Gimaguas and its playful approach to sustainable fashion. The clothes are bright, full of colour, and range from retro flower-patterned bikini sets to soft striped mini shorts and flattering linen two-piece sets. Despite being only four years old, the brand is hugely popular in Spain and across Europe and it is easy to understand the hype. The all-white studio is tucked away on a side street in the fashionable area of Muntaner and hosts regular events with local DJs.
Instagram: @gimaguas | Website: gimaguas.com
Former Central Saint Martins student Blanca Miró is one of Spain's most well-renowned fashion experts and the Co-founder of Vasquiat, an online platform for creative luxury and emerging designer brands. Through a combination of pre-order and made-to-order options, Vasquiat ensures garments from designers such as Ganni, Carlota Cahis, and Isla Risa are manufactured and sold in the most sustainable way possible. Having successfully operated an online platform since its creation in 2018, Miro and business partner Rafa Blanc have opened a shop in the popular area of Eixample in Barcelona, showcasing a selection of their perfectly curated new-season collections.
Instagram: @vasquiat_official | Website: vasquiat.com
Carlota Cahis is the Barcelonian brand that re-invents conventional knitted garments and creates wearable, comfortable pieces that transition from every day to occasion wear. The stylish pieces are exclusively made in Barcelona by local artisans and are designed with comfort in mind whilst simultaneously presenting an elevated and elegant approach to knitwear. What's more – the small capsule collections, limited production, and use of locally sourced materials ensure a sustainable approach and limit the detrimental effect on the environment. Visit the boutique store in Muntaner to view the new collection.
Instagram: @carlotacahis | Website carlotacahis.com
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