Africa sneaks into "Meraki", the new collection by María Lafuente
Madrid, Sep 17 (EFE) .- With a timeless character and in certified sustainable fabrics, the designer María Lafuente is faithful to her creations in “Meraki”, the collection with which she puts the final touch on the day of fashion shows at the Mercedes -Benz Fashion Week Madrid, which, made by hand by women, highlights the artisanal and sustainable stamp.
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"I present my fashion at the service of culture, the environment and social responsibility," says the designer about her collections. The last of them, “Meraki”, was presented today at The H Club-Warehouse, where it has unveiled a line in which it collaborates with the sub-Saharan project “Harambee ONGD” and which materializes in a collection of women and men in capsule format.
The Leonese rescues the Greek word "meraki", whose meaning responds to "leaving the soul and the heart in what is done" for her collection, in which she tries to assemble, as is tradition in her creations, sustainability and environment with fashion, which for María Lafuente must be “at the service of art”.
"Meraki is an invitation to live life dynamically, a way of life to adopt to carry out in moments of difficulty, taking presence and awareness of our gestures", reels the designer who, after making collections with Museum canvases del Prado or recycled tires, he works to draw a type of fashion that goes hand in hand with sustainability.
With handmade flowers of different sizes that cover some garments in embroidery and are part of the pattern of others, Lafuente has launched a capsule collection, smaller than its usual presentations. Through “Meraki”, it aims to “promote the growth of the work of African women”, who from Harambee ONGD have made prints in tones that refer to tones of nature.
On the catwalk, garments made following the “moulage” technique draw attention, by means of which the pattern is made directly on the bodies of the models, adapting the garments to their figures. There are also exaggerated volumes and architectural bodies dotted with petals and butterflies, the designer's hallmark in her signature.
White tones evolve into warm ranges such as pinks and tiles, which rest on PEFC certified tencel fabrics, tulles and African cottons. Recycled materials such as tires or plastic bottles come to life again converted into accessories, which are accompanied by handmade crochet pieces.
The Japanese artist Maasaki Hasegawa has been commissioned to intervene with his art some of the pieces in the collection, with abstract motifs that refer to plants and flowers. As in previous presentations, Lafuente also opts for sustainability in the staging, entrusting the setting of the parade to the percussion band Toom Pak, which uses recycled objects to interpret its music.
Ambassador of the “Fashion Change, Forests Stay” campaign by the association for the protection of forests PEFC and faithful to using sustainable materials, Lafuente maintains its commitment to the fusion between sustainability and the environment, which extends from its collections to its staging.
