Spanish brand Motoreta will be showing their first collection at Playtime Paris this week end. Both coming from the world of architecture and design, María Llerena and Cristina López-Lago are based in Andalusia where they create a local and slow fashion inspired by films, literature, art and the world of tales.
When did you start the brand? / Cuando arranca vuestra marca?
Actually we have flow into Motoreta in a natural way. Almost two years ago, María Llerena and me (Cristina López-Lago), both coming from the world of architecture and design, decided to launch it as a professional project. During these first years we have been working patiently in defining the concept and preparing our debut collection: ‘At Home’
Realmente hemos desembocado en Motoreta de una forma bastante natural. Tanto María como yo venimos del mundo de la arquitectura y el diseño, y hace un par de años decidimos embarcarnos en este proyecto de manera profesional. Durante estos primeros años hemos trabajado pacientemente en definir el concepto y preparar nuestra colección de debut: ‘At home’.
What were you doing previously? / ¿De dónde vienen sus integrantes?
For more than ten years we have been working in design for everyday life as a whole concept (buildings, furniture, art, accessories, graphics,… ). Many times we created clothes in a way that we were really not aware of, because garments are a key piece to understand this concept of global design. So, after training in textile and pattern designing, we have started to design and produce at home, working linked to the new craft and slow movements.
Llevamos más de diez años trabajando en temas relacionados con el diseño integral y la vida cotidiana (arquitectura, mobiliario, arte, complementos, ilustración,….). En más de una ocasión acabábamos diseñando vestidos casi sin darnos cuenta, ya que las prendas son una pieza clave en este concepto del diseño global. Así que tras obtener el Máster en Innovación en Arquitectura, Tecnología y Diseño y tras complementar nuestra formación el mundo de la moda, comenzamos a diseñar y producir nuestras primeras prendas en casa, trabajando desde los nuevos movimientos de recuperación del trabajo manual y las artesanías.
Are you moms? / ¿Téneis hijos?
As you can imagine that is one of the best parts of Motoreta. Our three children, 5 (twins) and 2 years old, enjoy our garments and are demanding and suggestive costumers.
Como te puedes imaginar, esa es una de las mejores partes de esta aventura. Nuestros tres hijos, de 5 (mellizos) y 2 años, disfrutan de nuestras prendas y son clientes y ‘cobayas’ tremendamente exigentes y estimulantes a la vez.
Where do you live? / ¿Dónde vivís?
Oh, we have the privilege to live in Seville, right in the old historical city. The design studio- workshop is close to Alameda de Hércules, a life and vibrant neighbourhood of Seville, that is still safe from massive tourism and attractive to interesting and cool people from all over the world. It’s an eclectic place that allows us to experience the life in the heart of Andalucía and at the same time to be attentive to the new trends and global concepts.
Bueno, creo que somos afortunadas al vivir en el pleno centro histórico de Sevilla. Nuestro estudio-workshop está cercano a la Alameda de Hércules, una parte de la ciudad tremendamente viva y vibrante, todavía a salvo del turismo de masas y muy atractiva para la gente inquieta y contemporánea de todas partes del mundo. Es un lugar ecléctico que nos permite disfrutar de la vida en el corazón de Andalucía sin dejar de estar atentas a las nuevas tendencias y conceptos globales.
Where is the line produced? / ¿Y dónde se producen las prendas?
It’s time to bet for local production¡. We design our garments trying to work in a wide range of materials, such as portuguese organic cotton, fantastic merino wool from Spain or dazzling fabrics from France, UK or USA. The common condition to all of them it’s high-quality. The line is produced in workshops placed at villages close to Sevilla. For us it’s basic to take advantage from the vast experience of these little sewing workshops and renovate them to produce contemporary products. From this local perspective, we are involved in a collaborative project called THEXTILE, in order to rescue an abandoned fabric factory placed in our city, and restarting the production of new organic certified garments.
¡Es el momento de apostar por la producción local!. Para diseñar nuestras prendas recurrimos a un amplio abanico de materiales, que van desde tejidos portugueses de algodón orgánico a deslumbrantes estampados americanos o ingleses, pasando por las magníficas lanas españolas. El único requisito común que buscamos al elegirlas es su alta calidad y diseño contemporáneo y comprometido.
Las prendas se fabrican en pequeños talleres de los alrededores de Sevilla. Para nosotros es fundamental sacar partido de la amplia experiencia de estos talleres de costura tradicionales y renovarlos para producir prendas contemporáneas. Desde esta perspectiva local, estamos embarcadas en un proyecto cooperativo llamado THEXTILE que pretende recuperar una antigua fábrica de telas de Sevilla, ahora abandonada, para producir tejidos ecológicos.
Why did you decide to show at Playtime Paris? / ¿Por qué habéis decidido presentaros en Playtime Paris?
Playtime has been the main reference and wish for us from the beginning. We decided to join the exhibitor list just four weeks ago, encouraged by the success of our website abroad. It can be seen like a crazy decision for a beginner brand like us, but we are really excited with the idea of meeting with other brands, sharing emotions and problems with them, and of course we expect that Playtime help us to find some retailers from all over.
Durante todo este tiempo de preparación de Motoreta, Playtime ha sido una clara referencia y aspiración para nosotras. Decidimos acudir hace solo cuatro semanas, animadas por el éxito de la web. Quizás sea una decisión alocada para una firma novata como la nuestra, pero en cualquier caso estamos tremendamente estimuladas por la posibilidad de compartir emociones, problemas y experiencias con otras marcas, y por supuesto, esperamos que Playtime nos ayude a encontrar distribuidores en mercados internacionales.
Why, according to you, is Motoreta different and how does it bring something fresh and new to the market? / ¿En qué pensáis que se diferencia Motoreta de otras firmas, qué novedad creéis que aporta al mercado?
It’s difficult to define what means today to be ‘different’. For us the goal perhaps may be to be excellent.‘At home’ only wants to take to the ordinary life of our children a high level of design and quality in the garments, their second skin. A level that allows them to grow sensing the touch of the fabrics or the forms and colours of the garments which they wear while rolling around in the school yard or during that special day they attend a birthday party. It’s a collection dedicated to our little explorers, always open to novelties.
En un mundo tan diverso como el nuestro es difícil definir qué significa ‘diferente’. Para nosotras la meta quizás deba estar en ser ‘excelente’.‘At home’ simplemente pretende acercar a la vida cotidiana de nuestros pequeños un nivel de diseño y calidad en la ropa, su segunda piel. Un nivel que les permita crecer apreciando el tacto de los tejidos o las formas y colores de las prendas con las que cada día se revuelcan en el patio del cole o con las que un día especial acuden a un cumpleaños. Una colección para nuestros perpetuos exploradores, siempre receptivos a lo nuevo, como bien dijo Baudelaire: ‘El niño todo lo ve como novedad
Florence Rolando
Launched in London in early 2009 by Florence Rolando (journalist, co-founder of Bubble Trade Shows) Pirouette Blog has been a reference in the industry since 2009 with its combined business and consumer view of the children’s market. A fantastic resource for children’s fashion, design, trends and culture, it aims to support creativity and talent but it also does this by talking about life, family, culture and health.
Florence is an international leader in the industry (8 years as a Milk Collaborator, contributor to Naif Magazine in Spain, co-founder of Bubble Trade Shows in New York and London).
Now Florence runs Energy Therapy Porto @enrgy_therapy_porto
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