Argentinian co-op launches clothing line promoting diversity

A women-led worker co-op in Argentina, Septiembre Textil, has designed a new clothing line ‘Jamelia’ that celebrates diversity and sustainability.

Septiembre Textil was set up in 2009 in Cipoletti and has since designed ladies wear, school uniforms, sports kits, shirts and work clothes. The co-op initially aimed to launch Jamelia three years ago but the project was put on hold after a fire destroyed its premises in April 2013.

Septiembre Textil is a member of FECOTRA, the Argentinian confederation of worker co-operatives, which enables co-ops to engage with each other. A construction worker co-op, Solvetcon, carried out the reconstruction of their premises, agreeing to charge them only after they had started trading again. The municipality also gave aid by donating the materials needed for the reconstruction while the country’s development ministry provided four sewing machines to get production going again.

Having overcome these challenges, Septiembre Textil continued to work on its clothing line. Commenting on the launch, Marcela Navratil, member of the Septiembre Textil co-operative said: “We are so proud of our achievement – it’s a dream we have been working towards for many years: to have our own brand and make a name for ourselves in the fashion world”.

For this collection they have worked with the technical teams at the Associative Design Project, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Institute of Industrial Technology.

The co-op is also aiming to bring sustainability to the fashion world by limiting waste and using pieces of remaining fabrics from previous collections. Api, their clothing line for children, is made with small pieces of fabric left over from other garments. This approach enables them to create clothes with original colours and textures. Customers can also help design their clothes by choosing from different sketches available on the co-op’s website.