1KO and Cris Miranda launch a capsule collection for Falabella.
A collection made in Chile and with a high social content.
A Toda Moda is a newsletter focused on Latin American designers. Because I'm living in Germany, I also write about European designers less known in Latin America. I use to write in Spanish, but I decided to create a new section in English to share my work and analysis about Latin-American fashion industry with a new audience. My posts are translated using AI.
In mid-February, the Chilean retailer Falabella presented a collection created by 1KO a social design company together with the Chilean designer Cris Miranda.
Although this is not the first time that Falabella has promoted capsule collections within its ‘Local Talent’ line, it is the first time that we can speak of a 100% Chilean collaborative production.
Given that the production of clothing in Chile has been considerably reduced as a result of delocalisation, the fact that this collection is presented as 100% local was one of the aspects that caught my attention.
I contacted Cris Miranda to find out a little more about this project and the creative process that is reflected in his designs. Here is part of our conversation.
-How did your participation in this project come about?
“Last year (2023) I was contacted by Macarena Cortés, creative director of 1KO and member of the Moda Chile guild, for this project that seeks to bring national production with local artists to retail, in cooperation with a socially responsible company such as 1KO, which meets 5 of the 17 precepts of sustainable development of the UN.
When they presented me the project, I found it very necessary for the development of the local industry, because it addressed all these aspects that are extremely important to me, such as: collaborative work, highlighting the artistic work behind the design process, and of course, my great banner, local production.
I analysed it well, because retail is part of the problem of overproduction of clothes. However, one of the things I learned in the Redress competition is that retail is not an enemy but an ally to change the system.
When I was in this competition, I thought to myself that one of the most important things we have to do as designers of sustainable fashion in Chile is to democratise it. It is of no use to me or to us to change a system if we are only going to be creating green luxury garments, that is to say, garments that do not go below 100,000 pesos in retail value [about 103 US dollars] and that are not produced in a way that can reach many more people.
So, this project was given as a space to be able to reach more people and that they can wear clothes made in Chile”.
-How was the experience of producing in our country again?
“I think that's one of the most important things about this project. We are making clothes, we are making fashion in Chile, which hasn't happened for a long time.
I supervised the quality during the manufacturing process, that the materials used were of good quality, that they had good finishes, that the product arrived at the shop, hopefully, without any flaws. Things that Chinese production does not take care of and that are part of a shopping experience that is important to me.
So, when I see that the sleeve of the kimono has a beautiful velvet piping that goes with the colour of the sleeve, it's a hit for me. It is also a hit for me that the tailoring is well finished, that the labels are well placed. The hand tag is also very nice and is made from 100% reused cardboard from renewable sources, just like the viscose. It's all part of this branding scheme that I've been creating”.
-For this collection composed of 6 pieces, you were inspired by one of your greatest influences, Japanese culture. How was the work of creating the prints together with the artists of the community of Bajos de Mena?
“The creative part was entirely supervised by me. One of the great things I internalised and learned while I was in Japan for two years, was to observe that there is an intrinsic connection between their aesthetics and nature. And that connection is what I wanted to bring out and make visible in the designs.
So I chose different types of elements from nature, such as koi fish, magnolia flowers, lotus flowers and dragons, which in the Japanese worldview represent strength, vitality and the regenerative cycle of nature.
From that, we generated several print proposals, where the illustrations were made 100% by urban artists Ivo Roy von Bischoffhausen, Fabrizio e Falcato and Carlos Becerra. Then, with the design team, we articulated these prints to transform them and give them a greater sales potential.
We chose the colour palettes, the distribution of the prints, the elements that make them up and also the size. Of course, the Falabella team played a very important role, giving us the guidelines of what they know is going to sell the most, what colours we had to use for the season and the trends.
And that's how we arrived at this colour palette, which is a little more sober, closer to green, aqua-green, black, red, with fuchsia as the focal point”.
-From the point of view of national fashion production, do you think that this type of collaboration between retail, artists and national designers can help to boost clothing production in our country (Chile)?
“If this project sets a good precedent for all parties involved, it is very likely that the same working system will be repeated and that other designers who are just starting out will be given the opportunity to do so.
I am taking a first step here that will later become a platform for visibility, an opportunity, so to speak, for so many other designers who don't have the productive capacity or the media outlet to be everywhere.
This collaboration is a good example of the fact that we have plenty of talent here in our country (Chile).
From Puente Alto, from Bajos de Mena, which is a risky community that has been stigmatized for a long time, a collection is born that not only celebrates the art poured into the prints by the artists, by Ivo, Fabrizio and Carlos. They rise from a geographical space that has been mistreated and vilified for many years.
In Puente Alto we have a lot of talent, as well as in so many other communities throughout Chile that deserve to be shown and marketed throughout the country.
So, this is just the first step. I think this is going to take a lot of strength from here on, because Falabella is very interested in local production (...) they want to reactivate their production in Mavesa. So for them, this is more or less an experiment, but the experiment is going well.
If the experiment goes well, hopefully many more colleagues can present their collections, and not only me, not only 1Ko, but several other companies can take this business model as a basis for generating long-term production in other areas as well”.
PS: If you liked this post, like the little heart and feel free to share it with your friends.
A Toda Moda is written in Spanish and I’m using AI to translate it, until I manage to write in English on my own.