Meet SUSANA ÁLVAREZ | FASHION DESIGNER I sustainable fashion brand

We had the good fortune of connecting with SUSANA ÁLVAREZ and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi SUSANA, how does your business help the community?
SÁ: My brand benefits the world because it is committed to fashion with a positive impact on the environment and people. We advocate for humanization in the creative
and production processes. There is a collective established by large fashion chains that
consciously ignore whether or not the production process pollutes the earth, they do
not consider whether their workers are happy, nor if a large part of their clothes end
up in textile garbage dumps. They create collections every two weeks, saturating the
market and prompting jaded consumers to buy fast fashion. The textile industry is the
second most polluting industry on the planet. From our perspective, there is an urgent
need for prime-time TV shows that reveal what is happening on a global level with
textile waste, microplastics and climate change.

Huge amounts of garments are clogging the closets of the "first world" while polluting
third world countries with their waste. My company, along with other small
businesses, is raising its voice and putting the brakes on this frantic consumerism. Why
not bet on other alternatives that contribute to your personality and the planet? We
are committed to:
– Purchase sustainable brands
– Mix second-hand clothes with quality standard brands.
– Combine sustainable brands
– Invest in a personalshopper to buy less and wisely.
– Make your own clothes. In our second line of business www.laboratorium.es,
our students learn about the garment's value. The moment they recognize the
hours that must be invested to design, create patterns and professionally
produce a garment, it becomes clear that what is happening in the textile

industry does not add up. Curiously enough … they stop buying garments, start
buying fabrics, zippers, buttons from local businesses. They also take more care
of their image and bet on quality/wellness.
– I would encourage your readers to learn how to knit or sew at a sewing
academy! They do a wonderful job: Mindfulness, socialize, consume locally
and indirectly take care of the planet. It is pure collective therapy

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
SÁ: My brand is minimalist, pragmatic and unique. I distinguish myself from other designers because I look for versatility, comfort and personalized service. Sustainable
and long-term products are very important to me.

Before getting started with any outfit, I do a preliminary chromatic and stylistic
analysis with the client. Afterwards, I emphasize their creative style with my
perspective so that they feel represented. In our portfolio of clients, you can find

architects, visual artists, singers, choreographers, chefs …etc. I am thrilled when my
clients are happy and they return to use my brand again.

This profession is not easy, you have to believe a lot in yourself to be able to show the
world your work, since it represents your inner world. I have learned that you should
not take things so seriously and that you have to enjoy every step of the way instead of
always having a specific goal in front of you, otherwise you lose the essence. It is good
to have goals, but it doesn't have to be so linear.

I learned that you can't please everyone and that there are people out there who are
looking for creatives who represent them, who get along with them, that there is
complicity and the latter is very beautiful. I would like people to know that there are
brands that can pamper them, that bet strongly on emphasizing their image: it is a
magical synergy that can be perceived when everything clicks.

What would I like people to know about my brand? Well, that I offer sustainable
fashion and I'm strongly committed to the traceability and transparency of the design.
Seamstresses or weavers who work for me live about two kilometers away. I have
invested in machines and lighting with very low energy consumption. The materials I
use are top quality, our finishes are impeccable and if customers want to repeat a
design again, their patterns will always be available for them.
We will always treat them with respect and provide personalized service. I create
complicity with my clients.

I also want to focus my work on design hotels. I believe that these companies invest a
lot in architecture and interior design, but from my point of view they should improve
the image of their corporate uniforms. The receptionist, hostesses, bellboys,
housekeepers, barman, head waiter and waiters/waitresses usually wear very
standard garments. They are key pieces in the image of the hotel. My service consists

of making an aesthetic and corporate study and designing outfits that reinforce their
brand image. Our SÁ approach is based on the idea that garments should be
comfortable, pragmatic and durable, but we must dare to go beyond the collective
aesthetics. We offer a very personalized and transparent service. We want our
customers to come back, because that means that we do things right.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
SÁ: I currently live in Seville, a city that offers so much culture and culinary richness …

First I would take them to my favorite vegan coffee shop @Thankyou.mother, which is
very close to my studio. In the morning we would visit Maria Luisa park and then I
would show them the Plaza de España square: the latter was designed for the Ibero-
American exhibition of 1929. We would have lunch at @perroviejotapas
(international Mediterranean food) and enjoy their famous dessert: torrijas. There is
an alternative and very artistic place which is the area of Alameda de Hércules, a
popular place with a great number of coffee shops, live music, where families, tourists
and locals like to hang out. There are monuments such as Seville's Real Alcázar (Arab
heritage), Torre del Oro, Isla de la Cartuja, Museum of Contemporary Art, and many
more. Seville also hosts the internationally known Holy Week/Easter Week and the
wonderful April Fair with visitors from all over the world. The whole city is

transformed and decorated with colorful Flamenco dresses. It is a spectacle of colors
and joy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
SÁ: In my life there have always been people who have supported me to follow my dream. At the beginning, it was my mother Magdalena. We are four siblings and she
made the clothes for us. Despite being self-taught, without internet or training books,
she made simple, stylish garments with refined finishes. I will never forget when I sat
at her antique sewing machine when I was 11 years old, since then I wanted to be a
fashion designer. It was love at first sight. As a teenager, I started to experiment styling
garments with my friends and I secretly enjoyed wearing my older sisters' garments.

I must admit that it was difficult for me to have the courage to follow my dreams, I
needed a little push at every stage. I was afraid of the unknown. My sister Ángeles was
key in my life. She inspired me to continue studying to become a tailor technician in
my first stage. Afterwards, I had a German partner who encouraged me to continue
my education. While I was in Germany and barely spoke the language, I was chosen to
continue my training as a fashion designer. I have such good memories of that time … I
enjoyed every class.

I should mention that the teachers I had throughout my training were important in my
life. There were two: Eduardo Caparrós (pattern maker and artist) from Granada
(Spain) and Ms. Grossman Pally (designer and artist) from Berlin. The work teachers do
is fundamental to inspire their students. I will never forget them.

It was not only people who inspired me, but also cities. There is one city that deeply
marked me as a person and as a designer: The cosmopolitan city of Berlin.
Berlin taught me the love of creating beauty with few things, minimalism,
sophisticated lines, discovering first hand the Bauhaus art movement, expressionism,
recycling, ethical and disruptive thinking. I am Andalusian, but I also feel Berliner. I love
this city.

Website: www.susana-alvarez.com

Instagram: sa.susanaalvarez

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-alvarez-390a7830/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SA.SusanaAlvarez

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@susanaalvarezsustainablefa6168/featured

Image Credits
fotographer: BENGALU fotographer: RAFAEL ARBIDE