Fashion
We have just returned from Slovenia after working on our first Erasmus project, a good opportunity to diversify the business model of our coliving in Cantabria and, without a doubt, to co-design impact projects with other European Partners and work with experts.
I have to say that it was Lulu who took care of all the paperwork, and I only got on the plane to work for two days at the University for Seniors with our allies. I admit that the first impression was not all that good, since we arrived at a boutique that sold wedding dresses and haute couture, where they offered us a drink as if it were the opening of a Porcelanosa store. However, as we got to know our allies better, we ended up admiring them.
Our main partner in the project is Maja Ferme, the most awarded fashion designer in Slovenia, and when I found out about that I had already gotten on the flight, and my imagination began to fly, as well as my judgment. I believe that not being fashionable should become fashionable, I change my jeans when they start to get holes, I make my own t-shirts and sweatshirts from ecological suppliers, I buy a jacket and I don’t take it off, I don’t go to Zara or Primark, I try to buy only what I need and that will last me years, but I found myself faced with the reality of the catwalks and stories of clients like Monica Bellucci or Goran Dragić.
Not being fashionable
It’s not fashionable
After two full days together, we got to know each other better and above all we found clear points of collaboration. We ended up admiring this woman who is currently starting a new fashion line based on organic cotton and educating about the combination of her garments, to promote the reduction of water consumption and quality manufacturing for the continued use of the garments. Without a doubt she has a long way to go, but it is a declaration of intentions.
Our other ally is the UTZO, the largest university for seniors in the country, with thousands of students passing through its classrooms and a clear vocation for lifelong education. We connected very well and learned a lot about the academic part and its methodology, in order to connect with seniors and offer valuable programs with numerous enrollees.
As for the city of Ljubljana, the truth is that we did not know it, I have to admit that I did not even locate it on the map, and I found it pleasant due to its small size and the restriction of car access to the city center. The second day, however, they signed us up for a two-hour free tour of the city, I think it was one of the first times in my life that I was tricked into something like that and I could not escape. What we have learned does not compensate for the cold of being still and listening, without being able to go into a café to warm ourselves, without being able to get off the organised route, being turned into guinea pigs to whom we offer a discount voucher to buy a typical liquor, nothing comparable to being told by a neighbour or friend.
Being well is not about how you look, but how you feel.
Monica Bellucci
The work session on the first day did not give much and we went home a little worried, however it gave us the opportunity to get to know each other among the allies, to generate the necessary trust after the first dinner where personal stories are told, where one opens up and we stop being allies to try to put ourselves in the other’s shoes and see how we can help each other. The second day flowed, and in a 2-hour concentrated work session we managed to move forward and achieve the objective of the day. We managed to bring out the collective intelligence of 6 people to co-design the first version of the training programme in fashion and sustainable consumption for seniors.
The return was a different story, after an endless flight, where we had a stopover and were kept on the plane for 3 hours due to a snowfall in Brussels that caused congestion. We arrived in the village after sleeping a few hours between the airport and the bus, but we found ourselves with a surprise visit from a friend, whom I invited to come one day without warning, just knocking on the door.
And you… How do you relate to fashion?