T
The Portuguese clothing and swimwear brand Welove launched a collection of bikinis, trikinis, and swimsuits called ‘Ilha em Flor’ whose pieces are made mainly using deadstock – which implies a remarkable component of saving the environmental footprint and combatting waste.
“We believe that, by producing trendy pieces with discarded materials by large companies, we can contribute to reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact. At the same time, we can create higher quality pieces, limited editions and therefore more exclusive for our customers”, said Laura Sousa, the founder of the brand, quoted in a statement.
Inspired by the island of Madeira, ‘Ilha em Flor’ is made up of 20 different models and already respects the new goals of the brand – which aims to create pieces that contribute to reducing waste in the textile industry, using predominantly deadstock lycra, and giving them a new life in new products that follow trends.
With patterns created to match the aesthetics of the brand – a tottering line between hippie and romantic with some retro cuts inspired by the 70s – that combine with the deadstock materials, the pieces were produced in-house at the atelier in Lisbon, which allows for control not only over the stock but also over the manufacturing process, avoiding excess stock or loss of quality of the parts.
The new collection is now available online. Welove was founded in 2012 by Laura Sousa, and since the beginning, the brand used upcycling techniques in its creations. Mostly online, the brand has national and international buyers.