zaida adriana goveo balmaseda
WHO WE ARE Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda creates innovative, multi-use garments that emphasize a different kind of luxury, achieved by combining humble materials with exquisite artisanal techniques. These timeless, future-heirloom pieces are equally beautiful inside and out. Extraordinary results are achieved through alternative methods of production. We support local industries by producing in collaboration with local artisans who have a unique skill set, by working exclusively with recycled and organic materials and by exporting only the end product. As firm believers in quality over quantity, we are continuously exploring the realm between art and fashion. As the business grows, we will also be more socially involved. Future plans include creating a society where skilled artisans provide instruction in the arts. We want to help cultivate a new generation of craftsmen that will revitalize endangered traditions while providing a platform that will present them with a reliable source of income. Timing is everything in the “fashion industry�, yet this obsession with time, deliveries, and the demands of fashion week go against everything that the Slow Fashion revolution is about. We work on non-seasonal capsule collections that will be presented when the product is ready, not when the industry dictates it should be. We make clothing for people who can appreciate true craftsmanship, those who are willing to push the boundaries and stand out from the crowd. Because we want our work to be a catalyst for positive change, we are committed to educating our customers about the importance our actions have on the environment and its biodiversity and some of the options we all have for making a change together.
zaida adriana goveo balmaseda
ABOUT ZAIDA ADRIANA GOVEO BALMASEDA Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico to Cuban and Puerto Rican parents, Zaida grew up in the countryside sorrounded by mango and avocado trees, chickens and horses. Her mother and grandmother: master crafswomen who believe that everything can be done at home. The house was full of ribbon, thread, fabric and sewing machines, and there was always a new project to be done. In this household full of creativity she developed an effervescent interest in the Arts. Zaida graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2011, after spending two years studying at POLIMODA in Florence, and the Politecnico di Milano, in Milan. She holds a BFA in International Fashion Design: Knitwear Specialization. Committed to ethical/sustainable practices, throughout the design/production process, she has interned with Twinkle by Wenlan, Auralis' Studio and STUDY NY. She is a true believer in quality over quantity, interested in research, and exploring the realm between art and fashion. Her pieces emphasize the meaningful results we can obtain while using alternative methods to create unconventional clothes that are beautiful and fair to everyone. She feels that going the extra mile usually brings out surprising ideas and creative solutions to an industry that needs a new set of values. Zaida’s work has been recently exhibited at the MMXIproject (Tribeca Grand Hotel, NYC), the Mittelmoda design Competition in Gorizia, Italy, and at the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris, France. She has also just been selected as one of the eight finalists for The Green Fashion Competiton, and will be showing her collection during Amsterdam Fashion Week in late January 2012.
zaida adriana goveo balmaseda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York City, January 17 2012.
ZAIDA ADRIANA GOVEO BALMASEDA AT AFW FOR THE GREEN FASHION COMPETITION The he 2012 capsule collection of Puerto Rican born designer Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda (22) is guaranteed to raise eyebrows at the Green Fashion Competition tion during Amsterdam Fashion Week (25-29 January ’12), where she is one of four finalists in the category for emerging designers. With her innovative use of fiber, and deeply rooted respect for traditional crafts, Goveo Balmaseda has a holistic approach to design. The company reflects its values regarding sustainability by making responsible choices from material sourcing through production and product transit, as well as their engagement with the community. The Brooklyn based team is hand-spinning their own yarn from pre-consumer waste gathered from design studios’ production floors and textile art centers around New York and knitting it into stunning, richly textured garments. Supporting the local textile industry, Organic Cotton grown and woven in the USA is dyed with natural ingredients, among them black beans, annatto seeds, turmeric, coffee, and lemon. This fabric is then quilted with recycled PET batting by an artisan in-house. Other items employ deadstock wool that is felted and then hand-embroidered. By embracing fair-trade handwork and promoting the use of artisanal techniques instead of chemically based processes, Goveo Balmaseda’s work is an inspiring hands-on manifesto regarding the symbiotic relationship that we could all potentially have with our clothing.
BUT IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN JUST THE CLOTHING “One of our goals as a company is to utilize fashion as a catalyst for positive change, and advocate the things that we believe are important”, the vibrant designer says. “However, we cannot do it alone, which is why we intend to educate our customers about ab the importance of their responsible actions, as well as ours and those of the fashion industry.” If you can’t make it out to Amsterdam, AFW is for the first time in its history live-streaming all of its catwalk shows online. The Grand Finale of the Green Fashion Competition will be held at 6:30pm Compe on January 27th. Make sure to check it out at: www.amsterdamfashionweek.com
THE DESIGNER Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda Born 1989 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology in 2011 with extended international design studies and exhibitions in New York, Florence, Milan and Paris. website: www.zagb.net email: zagb@msn.com
capsule ‘12
zaida adriana goveo balmaseda
PRESS COVERAGE EL PUNTO ES: http://www.elpuntoes.com/zaida-goveo-mmxi-project
ECCCO*ECO: http://eccoeco.blogspot.com/2011/12/ones-to-watch-at-green-fashion.html
zaida adriana goveo balmaseda
PRESS COVERAGE E C O S A L O N: http://ecosalon.com/plying-a-more-fashionable-fiber-frontier/
http://www.vogue.it/en/talents/contests-and-more/ 2011/04/mittelmoda-the-fashion-award
ECO FASHION TALK: http://www.ecofashiontalk.com/2012/01/zaida-adriana-goveo-balmaseda/
THE STYLE SOCIALITE: www.thestylesocialite.com/2012/01/fashion-designer-zaida-adriana-goveo.html
QUALITYCONTROL: MUUSE:
www.underqc.com/home/2012/04/20/qc-id-competing-creatively/
www.muuse.com/#!collections/74-manifesto-by-zaida-adriana-goveo-balmaseda
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VNB MAGAZINE: APRIL ‘12 ISSUE
MELLINA +CO: www.mellinaandco.com
CONTACT
zaida adriana goveo balmaseda
WEBSITE:
www.zagb.net
FOR SALES/PRESS/GENERAL INQUIRIES: Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda zagb@msn.com | USA: (1)845.662.2049
SHOP: www.etsy.com/shop/zagb www.notjustalabel.com/zaida_adriana_goveo_balmaseda
BLOG:
www.zagb.blogspot.com
TWITTER:
www.twitter.com/zaidibirin