Gran Canarian swimwear dazzles with "unprecedented" opening event at Berlin Fashion Week
2022-03-15
The 200 attendees at the trade promotion event organised yesterday by the Department of Industry in collaboration with the Tourism Department of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria at the opening of Berlin Fashion Week managed to get a full house, making the Gran Canarian event the best attended opening event of Berlin Fashion Week. And judging by the initial reactions, they were dazzled by the display of Gran Canarian fashion, tourism and gastronomy in the VON GREIFSWALD building, where - as part of the internationalisation strategy of the Gran Canarian catwalk - there was a real immersion in the climate, the landscapes and of course the fashion of Gran Canaria through a large installation with natural elements such as sand, plants, water and sun, and seven other installations or islands with clothes by the participating designers who had travelled to the German capital: Aurelia Gil, Maldito Sweet, Nuria González, Como la Trucha al Trucho, Chela Clo, Elena Morales and Pedro Palmas.
In addition, a short fashion film made in Gran Canaria at the beginning of January was screened with clothes from these seven designers as well as from other German designers, while the photos from the same occasion formed part of a coffetable book, which was given to each of the guests, including some of the most important fashion magazines, such as Vogue, Elle, GQ, Cosmopolitan and Glamour, and general media such as Der Spiegel and Stern. 22 German fashion influencers with almost three and a half million followers; businessmen from the tourism and fashion sectors, political representatives from the country, the Spanish ambassador to Germany, German designers and representatives from fashion organisations in countries such as Norway, Great Britain, Sweden and Italy.
The director of the Moda Cálida programme, Araceli Díaz - who gave the official speech in place of the Councillor for Industry, Trade and Crafts, Minerva Alonso, who was unable to travel as she was in quarantine for Covid - thanked the Fashion Council for giving her the opportunity "to open this window to Europe and to bring a piece of our island to Berlin". He then invited all those present to "get to know it, enjoy it and participate in the only European platform for the presentation of swimwear collections, with a vocation to continue growing, consolidating itself among the main Fashion Weeks on the professional circuit", he assured.
According to Díaz, now that it is already a national benchmark, the Gran Canaria Swimwear Fashion Week aims to continue adding efforts to put itself on the European map. "This Cabildo has set itself the challenge of integrating one of our hallmarks, such as high quality, sustainable, handmade swimwear produced in small workshops, as an added value to our destination. So that those who visit us not only enjoy their stay with a swimming costume from Gran Canaria Moda Cálida but also take it home as a souvenir," he added.
Gran Canaria's gastronomy shines with its own light
Another great success of the event was the participation of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta programme, which led the promotion of local products with the aim of positioning not only the catwalk and the textile and tourism industries in Germany, but also the island's gastronomy.
Thus, the attendees were able to taste a menu designed from start to finish to make them travel to Gran Canaria, which started with ciders from Valleseco, but which included more than twenty products such as artisan cheeses from La Gloria, Los Castañeros and Campo de Guía; octopus and tuna from Mogán; sea bass from Aquanaria; black pig from Ingenio; Canarian beef; or mojo, millet and bananas. A menu designed and prepared by the Umiaya restaurant team, chosen by the organisers of the German fashion show during their visit to the island last year.
In addition, D'Sentidos red wine from Viña La Vica, Agala 1318 white wine (Bodegas Bentayga) and Obsidian gin were served.
As explained by the Councillor for Industry, Minerva Alonso, the aim of this gastronomic action within such an important event for the fashion sector "is to continue to highlight the value of local produce, to promote its commercialisation among tourists visiting Gran Canaria and to join forces in the positioning of the island's gastronomic tourism".
Today the mission continues with the holding of several workshops in which the Gran Canarian designers will receive training on the European market, and learn more about how sales, distribution and public relations work.
At the same time, a series of fundamental meetings will take place as part of this mission, such as those that the councillor will hold - telematically - with entities from different European countries to reach collaboration agreements so that Gran Canarian designers can participate in the different fashion actions that take place in Europe and, in turn, so that the Gran Canarian catwalk becomes the great reference point for swimwear fashion for all European designers.
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