ALL Skinwear, the Catalan basic firm for those who transcend regulations

“We are sure that ALL Skinwear is going to revolutionize the fashion industry and that large companies are going to have to rethink many things. We created ALL to break stereotypes and fight for the free expression of the genre. ALL is more than a product, we give voice to a movement that is getting bigger and more visible”. With this conviction, María Cabré (Barcelona, ​​1991) and Mireia Palomeque (Barcelona, ​​1990) speak of their project, which in just a few months of filming have already received great warmth from colleagues in the sector, the public and even institutions. A few weeks ago, they received the Talent Award for Equality and Solidarity from the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.

Its debut was at the end of September at an event that brought together the who is who of Catalan fashion under the slogan Honoring a New Era, a safe space for freedom of expression, also in terms of fashion, where discovered the first collection of the brand. They present it themselves: “As for streetwear, we were looking for some basics that would help us build community, pieces with which people would identify. On the other hand, in skinwear, we focus on utilitarian, comfortable garments –very comfortable– and that speak very strongly of our values. A simple and elegant line that acts as a second skin and is tremendously pleasant to the touch”.

From saying to doing, in this case, there is not a stretch. Its messages of inclusion are not just confined to the image –with a cast of talents of very diverse bodies made up of Toni Lluis, Yoa Pérez, Tanit Corral, Martha Doménech and David Carrera–: ALL has its own sizing system that is far removed from the conventional one. “ALL is a responsible brand with society and with the planet. We believe a lot in people and our goal is to be close to them”, transmits this duo, who assures that currently all their fabrics are local, as is the production, which goes from Sabadell to Mataró. "We do not rule out being able to turn to our neighboring countries, Portugal and Italy, in the future, as long as they comply with the same certificates and seals that we ask of our local suppliers," they clarify.

When it comes to classifying their brand, they flee from a very widespread concept nowadays. “At ALL we do not make clothes without gender. We are not a genderless fashion project, in fact, we really dislike this term. Clothes themselves never have a gender, even though we have been taught to read them this way. We prefer to define ourselves as gender supporters, since we support all gender expressions and make clothes for all people”. That was what they wanted to communicate through the name, ALL [all, all, all]. As for Skinwear, the last name of its naming, they explain: "It is a term that does not define how you should wear the product, it only tells you where it is for". And it is, of course, for the skin, the skins.

The truth is that ALL is an evolution of María Cabré's final year project at the ELISAVA school. She, who has worked in the graphic design department of Inditex and Mango, met her companion at Zatro, a footwear e-commerce. For her part, Mireia also had experience at Fosco and Sophia Webster, with the latter in London. “From all these jobs I take learning and skills that now is the time to be able to put into practice with our own project. In addition to the importance of surrounding yourself with a motivated team and inspiring them to achieve great goals”, reflects Mireia, who at ALL assumes the role of product manager, while María is dedicated to creative direction.

They do not avoid questions about economic issues, sometimes uncomfortable for some brands. In their case, they are clear, direct and, yes, transparent. “At the moment, all the capital investment has been made by us. We need help to grow the project and turn it into what we hope it will be, a very powerful representation of the fashion of this decade. In addition, we are extremely lucky to have the help of different collaborators who also believe in our idea and are helping us a lot”. Notable among this network of creative forces are the photographer Carles Román and the art director Alba Esteruelas, María's partner in her parallel project, the design studio Crema Studio.

Despite their short history, this duo can already speak of bestsellers. They are, attention, the sweatshirt, the cap, the top and the Biker Body. Although, they confess, their favorite model is the Hipster Thong. "It can not be more comfortable and sexy," they say. In addition, in their drive to generate community they have already presented their first collaboration, VOGEL x ALL, a series of pieces co-designed with the multidisciplinary artist Alícia Vogel. The result of this union? A t-shirt and a shopper that act as a blank canvas, on which the motifs and lines that characterize the work of this creative, also established in Barcelona, ​​make their way.

Although they are clear that the road will not be easy, they have the best asset: confidence in their idea. “We knew that it was very difficult to break into the world of fashion and, despite the fact that thanks to the values ​​of the brand we are receiving a lot of support, it is still a hard road, especially the fact of being known. Right now there is no brand that thinks and acts like we do, neither nationally nor globally, so we want to be able to carve out a niche for ourselves in the industry in the coming years.” Among their New Year's plans, they launch: “We want to carry out larger productions that allow us to conquer Europe and the world. Also, we expect to be in the main European capitals with our pop-ups in 2022”. So be it.