Thai tradition and sustainability inspire María Lafuente’s new collection

13 February 2019 Forests for Fashion

The Spanish fashion designer María Lafuente presented her new, retro-futuristic collection at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Madrid, Spain. 

Inspired by Thai nature, culture, textile handicraft and architecture, the collection called ‘Fah-Pratan’ (‘A gift from heaven’) presents a sustainable side of fashion.

Besides silk from Thailand, the designer also used fabrics made from PEFC-certified forest fibres, supplied by Textil Santanderina. These fibres come from forests which have been managed sustainably, respecting rigorous environmental, social and economic requirements.

Combining sustainability with empowerment 

The show was opened and closed with a live performance of Danza Down, an association working for the integration of mentally disabled people through dancing. 

The empowerment of women is also vital in the production of María Lafuente’s collection. The designer chose Lal La Buya, an organization which works with women at risk of social exclusion, for tailoring the clothes.

Women of the Royal Silk Foundation in Thailand produced the silk, while craftswomen from the Spanish region of Asturias processed the wool for Feltai. The wool used in the collection comes from the Xalda sheep, which is of great environmental and cultural value.

This choice goes hand in hand with the intentions of PEFC certification, which promotes gender equality, equal opportunities and non-discrimination, and strives towards achieving living wages to advance sustainable livelihoods.

Forests for Fashion

The show is part of the PEFC Forests For Fashion initiative with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with several partners including Textil Santanderina, María Lafuente and the government of Cantabria.