The team comprising Catalina Cazalla Elejoste, Iruntze Antuñano González, and Shumlianska Olena secured the first prize with "Cicatriz", a garment made from waste and discarded materials from Barakaldo businesses. The design aims to reflect "the consequences of loss on people and culture" stemming from the Ukrainian war.
This competition, which earlier this year received an award from the "Open Innovation Challenges" initiative by the Barakaldo City Council for its role in energizing local talent and promoting the circular economy, seeks to channel innovative talent. "Our objective is to activate innovative talent and channel it towards the challenges we will face as a society in the coming years," stated David Solla, president of Inguralde.
David Solla highlighted that the winning proposal not only addresses the challenge of giving discarded materials a second life and raising environmental awareness but also adds a "humanistic component that leads us to a necessary reflection on the consequences of armed conflicts." He concluded, "Without a doubt, it is an inspired and inspiring work."
The winning creation will advance to the final stage of the "Euskadi Josten" contest, representing Bizkaia. There, it will compete against winners from similar initiatives in Álava and Gipuzkoa. This final round is scheduled for November 14th in Bilbao.
The jury's decision was announced at an event held at the Centro Clara Campoamor in Barakaldo, featuring a fashion show of pieces created by the three selected teams. These teams, composed entirely of women, developed their proposals during a live creation session using materials provided by local businesses.
In addition to the winners, participants included Alicia Cantero Iza, Aitziber Larragan Larrauri, Mónica Gómez González, María Gómez Alfonso, Latifa Bohuali, and Isabel Domínguez Viera.
The event also hosted a roundtable discussion titled "The thread that unites design, commerce, and second chances," exploring the positive impact of sustainable fashion and the opportunities it can generate in the creative field.
The winning team members explained that their inspiration comes from "a woman with character, sophisticated and connected to her roots, yet contemporary." Their design addresses "the war in Ukraine and the consequences of loss on people and their culture," aiming to "transform loss into something new" and speak to the "capacity to rebuild."
