Carubas, a claim from Granada for sustainability.
Sustainability , that word that has become so fashionable in recent years (fortunately) and that maintains as its main objective caring for our environment . The concept seems simple, but it requires a complete transformation of our lifestyle , starting with our way of dressing. We are not talking about appearance or aesthetics, but about how we acquire our favorite clothes and what responsibility those who make them have. Carubas is not just any sustainable fashion brand, it is a project that claims commitment, not only with nature, but also with ourselves as consumers.
Words are useless if they are not supported by facts, that is why defining Carubas as a sustainable brand is to fall into the risk of superficiality. The identity of this firm welcomes the ideas associated with responsibility to integrate them into their garments, creating a solid puzzle that champions and celebrates local production . It draws from the customs of Granada and the innovation of fashion to end up translating into an embrace between the past and the future, but which comes to fill the present with color.
His latest collection, Sacromonte, is a tribute to the old neighborhoods of Granada.
They not only break down temporary barriers, but also borders. In the designs of their collections Asian dyes are breathed, but with an Andalusian identity . This is the way it was Juan Jesús to capture his travels around the world and that, soon, together with Esther , would become Carubas, a firm so charming and timeless that it makes you want, literally, to carry her all her life.
THE FIRST STEPS
Juan Jesús's taste for fashion is not a sudden thing : “I was only 18 when I was lucky enough to see a parade in London that awakened something in me”, he confesses. That would be the moment in which his passion would take him to travel through Dublin, Barcelona, New York and, finally, the place where this project would start to wake up: China . The urban culture and aesthetics of cities like Shenzhen (where he lived) or Hong Kong were shedding light on what Carubas would be.
His name, however, contains a tropical essence that he himself wanted to contribute to the brand, and it literally came into his hands. with a fruit purchased in a local market, whose name is curuba . From there was born a denomination that had the objective of facilitating its pronunciation throughout the world, in a first declaration of intentions of cross borders and become a multicultural project, with the same traveling identity of its creator.
Simplicity and minimalism with a lot of personality.
However, Carubas' final form would come later, when he returned to Granada in 2018 and he met Esther in a pattern making course . The desire to expand knowledge, to know fashion from the germ of its creation and a joint passion was what made them, now together, take up the firm again. It seems that fate chose the perfect time and place for them, at a time when Esther had decided to take an alternative path to her Sociology degree and jump into the sewing machines: “I wanted to do something different and I started sewing clothes for myself” , tells Traveler.es, and it was in those dressmaking classes where the magic was created.
THE GOOD DOING
When it comes to sustainability, today, there is no argument. For Juan Jesús and Esther, there was no doubt that responsibility with the environment was going to be the pillar of Carubas . "I did not contemplate starting my own business without sustainability being the central axis of it," says Juan Jesús. And Esther supports him with clear ideas: “For me, sustainability in fashion is buy only what you really need, handmade and, if possible, from your environment”.
Three words: reduce, reuse and recycle , that is the bible of Carubas. However, both understand this slow fashion as a hopeful look, not as a yoke to submit to. "We believe that the greatest difficulty lies in the fact that there are people who expect slow fashion to be sold at the same price as the garments and accessories sold by large groups that produce in chains," says Juan Jesús. That is why the change may start in them, but without a doubt, it continues in us..
Our job as consumers is to acquire criteria, awareness and the ability to value what deserves it . It is a difficult change of perspective considering our automatic habit of buying clothes, but everything is starting. In order for us to understand the reason for these price differences, sometimes its creators break down the cost of their garments, dividing it into the price of fabrics, sewing hours and gross profit . It is the way that Carubas has of lending us a hand to understanding in order to start putting foot in another way of consuming.
In the same way, these green glasses are also transferred to their materials . Although cotton is one of the protagonists, its permanent collection is born from fabrics recovered from your projects and fabrics from friends, neighbors, relatives or second-hand , which have led them to linen, wool or synthetic fibers. And the first shoots of this recycling were planted by Carmela, Esther's landlady and neighbor, and her curtains: “The first upcycling bags of the brand came out of those curtains” she reveals.
Joy and color are two qualities present in all Carubas garments.
For both creators and consumers, sustainability is a long path, slow and renewed every day . That is why from Carubas, they do not see it as a goal, but a journey in which to incorporate new baggage as more knowledge is gained. “You have to know if the greatest impacts come from transport, cotton cultivation, fabric manufacturing, washing with different detergents...” , they affirm. It is the only way to improve with each step.
THE JOY OF DRESSING
All that ethic that makes up the identity of the firm is finally reflected in its collections. Is about comfortable clothing, simple but without neglecting beauty, timeless and limited edition . What Juan Jesús and Esther are looking for, and what we should also be looking for, are durable garments that are functional but without falling into the anodyne. Its creators are clear: “People need clothes, but in reality, the most sustainable product is the one that is never made. We do not want to sell clothes that serve to accumulate dust”.
Joy and color are two qualities that are very present in all his designs. . His travels made the influence of countries like Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan or Vietnam reflected in the aesthetics of the garments. Kimonos have always been one of its star products , playing with comfort, versatility and non-binary models. However, his latest collection, presented less than a month ago, is a standard-bearer of the traditional.
Carubas garments go from the heart of Sacromonte to the world.
It is enough for us to know its name to know that the local essence is the common thread. Sacromonte is a tribute to deep Granada, its authenticity, its beauty and, obviously, the roots of Carubas . After all, this city is its reason for being. Here is his workshop and his intentions to create a community with other artists and designers. both confess be in love with the old neighborhoods of the city, such as the Albayzín or the Realejo , and in their latest release they wanted to capture tradition, customs and life of one of the most picturesque.
“Of all the neighborhoods of the capital, Sacromonte is perhaps the wildest and where magical things still happen ”, say the creators. It is the traditional suburb of the Gypsy population of Granada and its picturesque streets, its popular caves, its inhabitants and its views of the Alhambra , have blended perfectly with a collection whose colors and textures were in line with the natural beauty of its entrails.
Thus they have arisen garments with wide contours and straight cuts , which maintain their personal traits of timelessness and functionality. As they clarify, qualities that connect directly with the place: "We have tried to make a proposal with designs that survive the vicissitudes of time and trends, as these neighborhoods have done ”. A fluidity in the lines and a minimalism in the form, which also join his own vision of Flemish culture , in tune with the environment.
Juan Jesús and Esther do not hesitate to define their firm in a few words: “urban, unique and unisex” . Carubas wants to show that commitment is not at odds with the fun of dressing, and that change is possible with knowledge. His garments seek transcendence and practicality, but also beauty and the Andalusian essence: "We want to be part of a simpler era, in which people own less, but what we own is more special".