2025 - A strong beginning
It’s not even one month, and we have seen enough to reflect not only about how fragile is life but how humanity is more focused on its EGO and own interests rather than a collective change.
A post on instagram wasn’t enough to portray all my feelings about some situations that made me reflect on the resposability I have as a human, fashion leader and as a Mexican.
My climate change deep reflections.
It’s not even one month, and we have seen enough to reflect not only about how fragile is life but how humanity is more focused on its EGO and own interests rather than a collective change.
A post on instagram wasn’t enough to portray all my feelings about some situations that made me reflect on the resposability I have as a human, fashion leader and as a Mexican. This post is accompanied by this images carrousel that you can see here ____ In order to fully understand it.
Kantamanto
The biggest secondhand clothing market in the world has been destroyed by the fire on the 2nd of January, affecting 30,000 people who used to work at the market in Kantamanto, Ghana. I still don’t understand how people that contribute to a more sustainable world, repurposing discarded textiles into new products , have lost their livelihoods and now are without an income. The effects on these local communities in Africa is HUGE, people working in this market were pillars on their communities and it will take ages to recover. I think all those big monsters of Fast Fashion (like H&M, Levis, Shein, etc) which are feeding this broken system should first of all stop the over production and pay fairly to their workers and second pay to rebuild a formal economy market where Kantamanto people are working in the righ conditions, selling their own products and crafts. That’s the dream!
2. Los Angeles
I still can’t believe that the capital of entreteinment, digital media and innovation, is experiencing the worst terror movie in history.
First of all my condolenses to all those affected suffering huge losses of family, beloved ones, homes and other physical possesions . I can’t image the devastation they are facing. This situation left people experiencing anxiety, depression and some will take the double of effort to recover, you are not alone, the whole world is with you. Don’t take anything from granted, how vulnerable are and we need to focused more in the spiritual part of life cause our spirt will never be burned. “New begginings are often disguished as painful endings” a quote from Lao Tzu.
3. Tibet
There are not a lot of press talking about this terrible disaster, but more than 126 people have been killed after a powerful 7.1 earthquake on January 7 in Shigatse, region of Tibet hit. Houses in that area are made of dirt so imagine how easy is to fall down! Similar than some vulnerable areas in Mexico where goverment don’t really focus on developing strong infrastructure and alarm systems and create awareness of safety protocols when an earthquake happens. This is a call to action to goverment in China and other goverments stealing the money of the communities instead of investing in what matters.
4. Nevado de toluca
While I’m in Mexico city I was admiring from the uber’s window how beautiful “The Nevado de Toluca” which is the 4th higuest peak in Mexico looked dressed in icy white and I wondered if I could go to the National Park but its access has been restricted as a preventive measure until further notice due to up to six extreme weather phenomena recorded in the area. This was just a reminder that wherever I looked around there is always a reminder of what we are doing with this planet.
5. Mexican Firefighters in LA
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best” a famous quote from Trump in June 2015. And if we were full of anger and trying to take revenge, we wouldn’t even think to help them in these difficult times when in less than one week he will be taking once again position of the US presidency. We’re not looking for problems, instead we believe in collaborative work, we are friends with everyone, our spirt and our soul is communitarian.
6. Golfo de Mexico
The picture says more than thousands words. Starting from we Mexicans didn’t crossed the border, the border crossed us and since 16th century the “Gulf of Mexico” has been named like that for obvious reasons but it’s clear that his Ego and sickness of power if pushing him to do actions that are ridiculos! Poor man, he needs to go to a spiritual journey to heal his ego, maybe in a beautiful resort in the Gulf of Mexico lol.
7. Fashion and Sustainability panel talk.
Fashion has significant enviromental impact and there is a need to re-think and make consious on how we are consuming fashion and in my case (and other designers and people involved in the industry) how we are creating fashion. In November, last year I attended a panel talk in the university of Cambrige, led by Isabella Rose Davey, COO at Copenhagen Fashion Week, Olya Kuryshchuk, founder and Editor-in-Chief of 1 Granary and Emily Chan, Senior Sustainability & Features Editor at British Vogue where they discussed the role of fashion weeks in promoting eco-conscious design and the future of fashion and sustainability. A full blog post is coming in the following days with all the learning keys I got from this amazing women leading the industry, so please stay tuned!
Last but not least, here are some links on how to help, donate or contribute to all the victims of this heartbroken disasters:
Vetted by nbcnews:
California Community Foundation
L.A. Fire Department Foundation
Ventura County Community Foundation
American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
I hope you liked it! What’s are your thoughts?
Rember I’m on IG @erialvarezz or you can always write me at erika@kouastudio.com.
With love,
Eri x
Bottega Veneta to last forever.
On my search to look for sustainable and luxurious trendy bags , I found the candy cassette leather shoulder bag from Bottega Veneta which ended up to be one the best purchases of my life. Not because of the beautiful design but because of the values of the brand. Bottega Veneta is now offering lifetime warranty with its new Certificate of Craft program, a new service that “offers unlimited refresh and repair" for any Bottega Veneta handbag this program has just convert my bag in a very good investment. Why? Because I can either resell it when I get bored of it and pass the lifetime warranty to someone else or I can inherit it. It takes days, not hours, to make their products. According to Leo Rongone, CEO of Bottega Veneta they are designed to last forever. The brand’s new commitment to craftsmanship brings me back to the concept of intrecciato a technique that was developed in the 60s by this Luxury house as a result of the Veneto region in the north east of Italy where Bottega Venetta headquarters were located. Intrecciato means braided in Italian is a technique to weave this thin leather together into thicker to build more durable pieces and it has become an iconic technique for the brand. This bag is very useful for night outs where you just need to carry your phone, and essential make up but not more. Have a look on the different colours available clicking this link : Bottega Venetta Mini Cassette bag.
