Women creators shop in Bilbao: Five creative women open a shop in Bilbao
These entrepreneurs offer unique pieces with a soul in a new ‘concept store’ by Rodríguez Arias. “We are very happy with the reception, we have come to stay,” they promise
María, Isabel, Marian, Mireia and Marlene are five creative women who have decided to leave their workshops to open a store in Bilbao. Perhaps their designs will become familiar to you, because in 2020 they were temporarily sold in the premises that the Desigual firm vacated on Gran Vía. They were also offered before on Yimby Street, on Rampas de Uribitarte street; and in other parts of the town. “We are very excited that people who already know us from previous experiences continue to remember us and come to visit us,” thanks María, creator of the accessories and jewelery firm KU by María. The difference this time is that they are here to stay. Since this Monday, they have been established at number 45 of Rodríguez Arias street. And from here they hope not to move. “We are very happy with the reception and we want it to be a permanent point of sale to be able to make our work visible,” they explain.
All of them have created brands with their own identity: handmade and sustainable items made with love. His philosophy is completely away from ‘fast fashion’. They prefer a slower, more thoughtful pace of work based on creativity and soulful beauty. With their projects, these five women – “we are friends who support each other” – want to vindicate small-scale production, the value of craftsmanship and authenticity over the mass trend. Because, in the end, we all need things that fill us, that leave a mark and that we want to preserve.
VIRGINIA MELCHOR
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Biscay Fashion We have taken a tour of the store to learn more about the work of these creators:
from Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
‘Perpetum Mobile’: clothing, bags, toiletry bags, cushions… sustainable and unique
Mireia Viladomiu, founder of ‘Perpetum Mobile’, poses at her colorful ‘stand’. /
In the window, four mannequins show off the clothes and accessories created by these five entrepreneurs. All the pieces combine perfectly, as if they had been conceived to coexist in harmony. But already inside the store, each creator has a differentiated space, “with a different aesthetic and soul”. Upon entering, we discover the articles of Perpetum Mobile, the Biscayan firm that since 2018 has been designing fashion and accessories with mattress fabrics. They offer jackets, overshirts or blouses with their own print made from natural and ecological fabrics. “They are carried out in the Peñascal cooperative, which has been working for three decades in the employment of the most disadvantaged people,” explains Mireia Viladomiu, founder of the brand.
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The handmade handkerchiefs that they bring from Cambodia and Guatemala are also surprising; his original toiletry bags and travel suitcases; your household items; their collection of Pantone umbrellas, notebooks and mugs to “fill gray days with color”… They even sell prints of an architect from Seville with a lot of art. “I think it’s a special store, because we are four brands that offer a wide variety of items for all tastes,” says Viladomiu.
‘Ku by María’: ‘boho-chic’ jewelry, berets, headbands…
María Fernández designs jewelery with “a special touch”. /
Further on, we find the ‘corner’ of María Fernández, founder of the accessories and jewelery firm Ku by María. She designs and creates minimalist pieces with a certain ‘boho-chic’ air. “I make them myself with a lot of love and adding details that give them a different air,” she says. Her original earrings triumph, like the ‘Pétalo’ model, perfect for special occasions. The headbands made by her with original fabrics are also successful.
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Among its long list of articles, the ‘km 0’ berets stand out, its cell phone pendants, the colorful belts with interchangeable closures… “I travel a lot around Europe to find different pieces,” he says. Whether you are looking for minimalist jewelry or statement earrings, Maria has all the options. And, in addition, they are accessible, because they range from 15 euros for a steel bracelet to 45 for an XL necklace with natural stone.
2DB: raincoats for sirimiri, diamond bags…
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Along with María’s signature, we find the 2DB brand, so named because it was created by “two from Bilbao”. Specifically, by Marlene Salgado and Isabel Alberdi, who founded the brand in 2016 to design special bags and accessories produced in the town. Her bags, which have become her best-selling item, are made in the social workshops of Peñascal Kooperativa de Bolueta. In this new store, we offer the ‘Sarea’ model, a classic of the brand, which reinvents the bag of red wine that recalls the arrantzale tradition. Now, in addition, they have launched to sell clothes designed by themselves. “We go for corduroy and knitwear, in many different colors,” says Marlene. Of course, the prints are reserved for their bags: “With stripes, rhombuses… and super light”. Perfect to wear with one of its star garments: raincoats with the words ‘sirimiri proof’ printed on the back. They cost 173 euros and are available in five different colors.
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They are also committed to selling creations by other artisans, such as the “aitite of a lifetime” berets made by a Bilbao creator or the selection of costume jewelery created by the architect Rosalba Galati, who “has worked with Frank Gehry”. As if that were not enough, Marlene and Isabel promise news soon. “We are going to bring some spectacular velvet scarves and next week we will have cloth coats in seven different colors that are going to be a hit,” says Marlene.
A STORE OF ARTICLES “MADE WITH LOVE”
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Where
In the street Rodríguez Arias, 45. -
Schedule
From Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Marian Larrea: jewelry with noble materials
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After dedicating herself to education, Marian Larrea had to reinvent herself. Then this Bilbao woman discovered her “creative character and innovative spirit”. Some qualities that pushed him to found his own eponymous accessories firm. “My pieces are unique, timeless and made with natural materials,” she says.
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Their buffalo horn necklaces or pins or their pieces made with minerals stand out. He also designs ‘shirt-bags’, which are characterized by being made of cloth and ultralight; and leather belts with interchangeable buckles. In addition, he includes designs by other artisans who share his same philosophy, such as the silk scarves made by a firm from Gipuzkoa. His offer ranges from 20 euros for earrings to 145 for fur coats.