EqualizerRec.0, Igualada's emerging fashion festival, kicks off its latest edition tomorrow, Wednesday (and runs until Saturday). Now in its second year (since its debut in 2009), this autumn sees the addition of several new brands, some with international reach. Nike (through the Base store), the sportswear brands Salewa (Germany) and Dynafit (Austria), and the Italian boxing brand Leone are arriving in the capital of the Anoia region to join other multinationals that have long been associated with Rec.0, such as Levi's, Adidas, Converse, Puma, and New Balon. Despite the presence of these major brands, the organizers are emphasizing the importance of maintaining their identity as a local festival. They assert that 80% of their brands are still based in Catalonia, both small and large, citing well-known names like Brownie (also a new addition this year), Munich, Antonio Miró, Textura, and Punto Blanco, among many others.
"The strength of Rec, from its inception, lies in this combination of international super-brands, Catalan national brands, designers, and small emerging labels," explains Marina Iglesias, one of the co-founders of the Igualada festival. "The beauty of it is in the mix," Iglesias concludes.
What the organizers want is for Rec to become "a snapshot of Catalan fashion," essentially showcasing those producers who have leftover stock from the previous season. "It's clear that Rec is a festival that works," Iglesias confirms.
"One day is one day." With this motto, this year's edition opens tomorrow as an "invitation to experience the festival not only as a shopping experience, but also as a leisure and cultural one." The best-known brands (Tous, Buff, Boboli, Toni Pons, Micu Micu, Aldo Martins, Misako, Camper…) will share the space for four days with the winners of 080 Barcelona Fashion (such as D'Ars), as well as a showcase of leather artisans and sustainable and locally made fashion brands. All of this will be accompanied by cultural activities to liven up the shopping experience, such as music from the Gavina.mp3 project, the festive group Lo Tour de Carol, and singer-songwriter Ivette Nadal, in addition to wine tastings, guided tours of the neighborhood, and children's workshops. A true festival.
Symbolic employment
For sixteen years, the event has become a benchmark for designers, brands, and consumers. Its figures have climbed steadily over the years, increasing the number of participants tenfold and tripling the length of its circuit. But it hasn't achieved its founding objective: the revitalization of the old textile district, which, over the years, has fallen into disrepair due to the closure of its tanneries. Many of the factories, some of which are used during Rec to set up the pop-upsThey remain empty for the rest of the year due to urban planning that only permits industrial use. Since 2009, the founders of Rec have been calling for the neighborhood to be revitalized with other uses (cultural, commercial, recreational) and even with affordable housing.
That is why, in a purely symbolic way, tomorrow they will stage the occupation of one of the tanneries, which will be adapted for a few hours as a living space for two people. "It's a symbolic transformation, a performance "To make visible what this neighborhood could become," argues Marina Iglesias, "so that it can be transformed into a vibrant hub of life, with shops, cafes, bars, cultural centers, and also housing."
The organizers of Rec, some of whom are already residents of the neighborhood, have been demanding municipal action for years to allow for a change in zoning. "It's complicated to carry out a complete urban redevelopment; at least partial plans can be made that affect small areas and that can be gradually converted."
The urban planning regulations of Igualada, dating from the 1980s, do not allow residential, commercial, or cultural use in this neighborhood, which comprises more than 50,000 square meters of industrial land and another 50,000 square meters of vacant lots. "This would be equivalent to 10 football fields!" exclaim the founders of Rec. Rec. Rec.0 initially began to stop an urban development plan that in 2009 threatened to demolish almost all the tanneries. Its co-founders insist that the festival will die when the possibility arises of filling the warehouses with new activities. "It could disappear," admits Iglesias, "but for now it continues, and if all the factors remain the same, we will continue as before."
Special birthdays
Manresa-born designer Míriam Ponsa, a fixture at Rec since its inception, is celebrating her 25th year at the festival with a retrospective exhibition showcasing her early designs. Ponsa, who always attends the festival in person, has scheduled guided tours of her space for this year's edition. She believes the festival should remain as groundbreaking as it was on its first day. "What I love about it is that its DNA remains intact," Ponsa declared last year .
This year, the brand chosen to create the Rec.0 piece is Aldo Martins, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Igualada-based knitwear brand, Aldo Martins has created a limited-edition scarf for Rec.0.
