STREET STYLE

made in

FAVELA

NURTURING BUDDING YOUNG TALENT IN POOR NEIGHBOURHOODS, SUPPORTING THEIR CREATIVITY IN THE WORLD OF FASHION AND GIVING THEM WINGS TO FLY ON THEIR OWN: THIS IS THE WORK OF LA CASA GERAÇÃO, A SCHOOL IN RIO’S MOST DYNAMIC FAVELA.

By Guillaume Jan Photos Jean-Christophe Husson

THE RED HOUSE IS AN INVENTIVE COLLECTION OF MATERIALS PERCHED ON AN ESCARPMENT OF THE “MORRO DO IRMÃOS” in the cenre of the Vidigal favela. Getting there requires venturing all the way to the end of Leblon Beach, climbing a tight and twisted street and passing beneath a forest of electrical wires that more or less clandestinely connect hundreds of colourful houses squeezed against one another. The casa has a dizzying view down to the ocean; tropical birds sing overhead, scraps of samba emit from the window. As we pass the front door, the music is drowned out by laughter and the sound of the six sewing machines the students are using to put the finishing touches on their graduation collections. On the cutting table are scattered spools of thread, recycled buttons, shimmering fabrics and dozens of fashion magazines. This is the last week of classes and a strange sort of effervescence has seeped into the three small rooms that form this unusual fashion school. “Our objective was to single out young talents in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and help them become more professional,” explain Andrea Fasanello and Nadine Gonzalez, the two forty-somethings who founded La Casa Geração (“generation” in Portuguese). The first, an elegant Carioca, travelled around Europe before returning to her hometown to start a variety of artistic projects. The second, a vivacious French designer, landed in Rio in 2005 – almost by accident – and hasn’t left since. Together, the two women formed the ModaFusion association, the driving force behind several fashionrelated development projects in the ghettos of Rio. The momentum of those undertakings led to their opening this original school in August 2013 in Vidigal, a favela that has been clinging to the steep slopes of the Morro, between two upscale neighbourhoods, for three quarters of a century. “The school is free for students from the favelas, but the admission criteria are quite strict,” Nadine emphasises. “Out of the four hundred applications, we pick just twenty students. Generally speaking, young people from the favelas are much more creative than the teens from affluent neighbourhoods, but they’re not at all ready to make a start in the fashion world. We give them hands-on, practical training to encourage their creativity and, most importantly, give them the tools they need to penetrate the working world. We have an objective of 100% professional placement.” •••

YOUNG TALENTS The students are introduced to the many professions in the fashion world before presenting their graduation collections. From left to right, students Pedro Araújo, Rodrigo Guedes and Valeska Mitrano, with models and a makeup artist.

CONCRETE CURRICULUM

It’s lunchtime. Under the mango tree that shades the courtyard, the students discuss their summer plans –perfecting their book, working for a specific label, designing a new collection. “For a time, I did some coursework with a traditional fashion school, but it was too theoretical, I don’t feel like I learned very much,” recounts Alice Calzolari, 24, with a pair of tailor’s scissors tattooed on her arm. “The teachers at Casa Geração have taught us better ways of imagining our designs, giving them meaning, making them more attractive and selling them better.” This concrete curriculum, spread over two semesters and self-financed by the sales of garments made at the school, includes the history and anthropology of fashion, styling and design, advanced sewing techniques, trend research and the fundamentals of marketing and brand management, all enlivened by regularly-scheduled presentations by fashion professionals. “But what helped me progress the most were the projects we did over the course of the year,” reflects Andrew Melo, 21, with curly hair and a slender face, who proudly shows off his designs on the screen of his smartphone. “Most students have one thing in mind when they get here: becoming famous,” says Nadine, smiling. “We show them that there are many different

The trained designers can now set off for career in fashion.

READY FOR THE REAL WORLD These young people learn to be exacting professionals. Here, Thargus Luna with model-making teacher Conceição Nascimento. Below, Rodrigo Severiano poses beside a pair of sneakers he customised for his teens collection.

trades in the fashion industry, and we help them find the work that best matches their talent or personality.”

BEST SOCIAL PROJECT

La Casa Geração is not the only carioca entity to go into the favelas to connect with young people, but its effectiveness caught up with its aspirations in less than three years. In November 2015, it received the EcoEra prize for best fashion-related social project in Brazil, awarded in São Paulo. Two weeks later, the City of Rio, in turn, crowned the casa with glory, awarding a trophy for its innovative educational methods. In the space of a few seasons, and despite the sometimes tense atmosphere crackling through the favela, the school has gained national and international recognition. Beyond being a wonderful social initiative, it is now viewed by major fashion brands as a talent pool. Andrea and Nadine have succeeded in their quest: training designers to render them capable of pursuing a career in the field. At age 29, Rodrigo Severiano is the most senior member of this class. With a slim moustache and laughing eyes, the young man announces that his teen collection will be distributed in France and Brazil throughout 2016. “I used to work in design and screen-printing in São Paulo before dropping it all to follow my partner to Rio, but our relationship didn’t survive. I worked several different jobs to keep my head above water – I could have lost my way completely. But, one day, I tried my luck at La Casa Geração and it changed the course of my life. The classes I took here brought back my desire to create.” In the hustle-bustle of the favela, the fragile red house that is home to La Casa Geração rocks gently in the downdraft as each young talent takes flight. n