Slow wedding dresses: our path towards sustainability
- by Carmina Pairet
- L'Arca brides
- No Comments
Brides in 2023 have new ways of getting married and are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their wedding on the planet. They want a sustainable wedding and a slow-fashion wedding dress. At l’Arca, we work to offer our brides a wide selection of dresses of this type.
The slow-fashion bride looks for a new dress
In our store, you will find a selection of authentic vintage dresses from the 1920s and slip dresses that can be used as a wedding dress.
We also design and manufacture COMPLETELY in our atelier, tailor-made dresses from authentic vintage fabrics. Finally, for brides who want a brand new dress, we are committed to offer a model made with sustainable materials in each collection.
Once you’ve decided on your dress, you can try on our antique veils and mantillas or a vintage headpiece to complete your look. They are antique or made with antique Brussels lace, needlepoint or Granada lace.
For us, there is no such thing as a 100% sustainable dress. At l’Arca we understand SUSTAINABILITY as a PATH, which we have been building from the conviction that a model of production that is friendlier to the environment and the local economy is possible. Each year we set ourselves a new challenge that we know we will be able to meet.
Dressmaking of slow wedding dresses
In our atelier located in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, we have a team of local women who handle every stage of the garment’s creation. Our design philosophy is based on Zero Waste principles : we carefully consider pattern composition to make the most of the fabric. This way we have less fabric waste and less energy expenditure.
We sell the leftovers in our vintage lace haberdashery and they also serve brides and other artisans for their sustainable fashion or lingerie creations. Some are used to make lace veils and lace bridal gloves.
All production takes place in our Barcelona workshop and our seamstresses work in a safe, healthy environment and earn fair wages.
Low environmental impact fabrics
To make our garments we use recycled fabrics and old lace. We recover impressive embroidery from pieces from the 20s and 30s and use them to make new dresses.
When we choose new fabrics, we work, as far as possible, with natural fabrics with LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT such as silk, bamboo or linen. We try to buy fabrics from local Spanish or European suppliers, minimizing the use of synthetic fibers and chemical dyes as much as possible.
The bridal lace is dyed to the right shade using dyes from nature, from the company Camale-on, suitable for all skin types and free of chemicals.
Recovering artisan techniques and sustainable lace
We revive endangered sewing techniques in our atelier and also by collaborating with renowned artisans in our community. We are passionate about the hand-embroidered lace technique, in the purest lingerie tradition.
We work with embroiderers who work with hand embroidery, a dying art form that has always been very present in the bridal world, such as Cornely chain stitch. We collaborate in the preservation of these handicrafts, which are closely linked to the local area and whose workshops we love to visit.
We select laces from the mediterranean tradition, collaborating to make them last in time. These are laces with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO): French and Spanish laces, such as the bobbin lace from Camariñas and the Ret-fi lace from Arenys de Mar. We fuse tradition with current fashion trends.
Sustainable local suppliers
We work hand in hand with new artisans who share our same values and create their pieces locally and with a lot of love. For the orange blossom headdresses, we revived the traditional wax casting technique.
We craft custom fans with old lace and collaborate with workshops in Valencia that have worked with wood and mother-of-pearl for generations, contributing to the dynamism of local companies.
We give a new life to your wedding dress
We give you the possibility, once you have gotten married, to DYE your wedding dress with NATURAL DYES and seasonal colors, so that you can wear it as a summer dress.
At L’Arca, we collaborate with Camaleón, a company that offers a specialized service for dyeing wedding dresses with dyes made from ingredients sourced directly from nature, such as seeds, leaves, and plants. If you bring us your bridal petticoat, we’ll transform it into a beautiful summer slip skirt.
Carmina Pairet
More stories from L'Arca:
