Argentine Eco Chic
Argentina´s economy is in a perpetual state of uncertainty. As a result, Argentines have learned to live with what they´ve got — and make things last. This resilience and resourcefulness has resulted in a wonderfully creative culture, where innovation and ingenuity are ever-present.
In the wake of the country´s 2001-2002 economic crash, many Argentines couldn´t afford to travel abroad to forge new business relationships and absorb foreign ideas, so they did what they´ve always done — they looked within for inspiration. In particular, Argentine fashion and designs have come to the forefront in recent years and gained worldwide accolades. Argentine designers are now meshing technology and fashion in totally new, and in many cases, eco-friendly ways.
Living a “green” lifestyle is a relatively new concept in Argentina, and the country is definitely behind in regards to education and implementation of environmentally-friendly policies, but that has started to change in recent years, and as they are prone to do, many Argentines have embraced the idea with their typical gusto.
One of these new designers who is embracing the ´going green´ concept in their designs is Indarra DTX , housed in an enormous warehouse that also serves as a storage area for a supermarket. Julieta Gayoso, the 37-year-old owner of Indarra DTX told CNN that Indarra is a Basque word that means “energy” and she named the company such because her objective is to mesh technology and fashion in a way that advances the functionality of clothing.
“We are with our clothes 24 hours a day, so I think they need to provide us with other services, and these new benefits have to do with technology,” says Gayoso.
Indarra makes sleek jackets from eco-friendly textiles, like bamboo fibers and Lyocell. One of their most intriguing products is the FV Module Jacket, which comes with a small solar panel attached to the back.
The panel absorbs sunlight and in turn can power your Ipod or charge your cell phone. The jackets are comfortable, practical — and stylish.
Recycle and Design
Another new Argentine eco friendly design house is Baumm, a self-proclaimed “Recycle and Design Company” housed on the second floor of a refurbished old home in the Villa Crespo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Lukas Desimone, 29, and Rodrigo Chapero, 27, are the co-owners of the company, and look like they could easily be members of a skateboarding team.
Baumm — which means “tree” in German (they added an extra “m” so “it would look cooler,” according to Chapero) — creates hip messenger bags and wallets from the vinyl that is used in billboards.
When they first started, they would literally rip down the material from old street advertisements; now they have hired some people to bring the material to them. It´s a fantastic idea, because according to Chapero, the material is not recyclable and is toxic if burned, so essentially, once an advertising campaign is over, the vinyl is rolled up, stored away, and never used again.
The Baumm guys saw the potential in this, and now make colorful, 100 percent original bags that retail for around $30 each. Every bag is hand-made, and literally one-of-a-kind. “We are giving new life to something we take out of the trash,” says Chapero.
(Source: CNN.com)
