Drina Marco
Drina Marco
SPAIN
“It is necessary to take a look at that mountain of wasted resources, and think about the philosophy that has led us to generate it; to stop just ‘doing’ and start to do by ‘undoing’, or undo by doing (both resources and thinking).”
For designer Drina Marco, the Spanish word “monda” — meaning “fruit peel” — was the first layer to what would become her sustainable collection. From this word, and the issues of material excess she saw around her, Drina began designing garments with simple shapes and the ability to transform playfully according to their cuts as her approach to design for longevity.
“Proposing garments and objects as living things with inexhaustible uses generates new ways of relating to things more closely, slowly, and gently,” shares the designer, who holds an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts from SUR School at University Carlos III of Madrid and a BA in Fashion Design from LCI Barcelona, Spain. She adds that the wardrobe of a few garments “through play, becomes infinite.”
In her collection ‘monda’, the designs adapt their shape and size to the body like external layers of skin. Naturally dyed using vegetable waste, the principal garments feature calm, muted colours, while bright and colourful prints offer a special touch in the complementary pieces. The patterns are designed to transform as bodies go through different life stages, and are digitally printed to save on water and pigment.
Most of the collection is made with cotton from local industrial hotel laundries. “I discovered that tons of hotel bed linens are thrown out as soon as they have the slightest defect, and decided to use them as the biggest part of the collection,” Drina explains.
Rescuing piles of this quality cotton, she cuts patterns directly from the sheet, using the remaining edges to create patchwork fabrics. The trims and threads used to sew the garments are made from the same material as the fabrics, enhancing their recyclability.
“I’ve learned to think beyond material sustainability, and find immaterial ways of proposing more sustainable practices and relationships with clothing,” she shares. “Recyclability is important, but it is even more important to create ways of relating to clothing so that it is no longer consumed as a throwaway object.”
Drina looks forward to establishing her own brand, as well as becoming a teacher to share sustainable design philosophy with teenagers and young people.
