A worker co-operative in Argentina has launched a new clothing line designed to celebrate diversity. Run by women, Septiembre Textil places a strong emphasis on sustainability by re-using fabrics and textiles. The new line is called Jamelia and includes both standard and plus sizes.
Septiembre Textil has been trading since 2009 in the city of Cipolletti. The project was due to be launched in 2013 but was put on hold after a fire destroyed their premises, threatening the very existence of the business. Co-operation helped them move on. Another worker co-op from Neuquén agreed to help rebuild the premises and charge them only after they had started operating again. The municipality also helped by providing the materials needed for the reconstruction. The country’s Ministry for Development stepped in as well by offering four sewing machines.
Marcela Navratil, associate of the Septiembre Textil co-operative said: “We are so proud of our achievement – it’s a dream we’ve been working towards for many years: to have our own brand and make a name for ourselves in the fashion world”. Septiembre Textil is a member of FECOTRA, the Argentinian confederation of Worker Co-operatives.
To lunch the line Septiembre Textil has worked in collaboration with the technical teams at the Associative Design Project (Proyecto Asociativo de Diseño), the Ministry of Science and Technology (Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología) and the National Institute of Industrial Technology (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial).
