As a child, Joana Ortega enjoyed dressing up in her mother's clothes, a woman who, she recalls, had her own style and dressed very differently from the other mothers around her. Those childhood games already hinted at a relationship with fashion that has accompanied her throughout her life. For her, dressing has never been a frivolous or purely aesthetic matter, but a way of expressing herself, of showing who she is and of reflecting the different stages of life. Her professional career, however, led her down a path seemingly far removed from this interest: politics, where she held various positions of responsibility both in the Government of the Generalitat and in the Barcelona City Council. Her time in frontline politics was marked by episodes such as the 9-N consultation in 2014, when she was Vice President of the Government, and by the subsequent trial for her role in that call.
During her institutional period, Ortega also perceived, she explains, a loss of Barcelona's prominence in the fashion world, which she attributes, in part, to institutional disinterest in the sector. This concern, which she shared with other professionals, would eventually open the doors to a new stage for her. After leaving politics, she resumed her connection with fashion, first with a showroom of Italian brands and, later, by getting involved in the Cercle de la Moda, born from the concern of a group of professionals about the loss of Barcelona and Catalonia's presence on the fashion map.
Today, as president of the entity, Ortega claims that fashion is much more than clothes: it is industry, talent, identity and innovation. She highlights its economic and social weight and calls for a long-term public-private collaboration strategy that allows the sector to regain the recognition it deserves, with sustainability and inclusion as fundamental pillars.
— How and why was the Cercle de la Moda born?
— The Cercle de la Moda was born from the initiative of a group of independent professionals linked to the sector from different fields: designers, editors, consultants, and professionals from the institutional environment, as is my case. We wondered why Barcelona, which for years had been a fashion capital, seemed to have disappeared from the map. We saw the need to create a space that would allow listening to the different agents of the sector, analyzing the situation, and proposing where fashion in Catalonia should go.
Beyond the work of MODAFAD and MODACC, the Catalan Fashion and Textile Cluster, we believed that an association more connected with society and with the real needs of the sector was needed. We started as a kind of think tank, but, little by little, we have taken on a more active role, promoting projects to give more visibility and strength to fashion.
“Fashion is not a frivolous sector: it has an enormous economic weight and is rooted in a long textile tradition that has projected Barcelona to the world”
— You state that Barcelona has ceased to be a world fashion capital. In what sense and why?
— In recent years there has been an institutional disinterest in the fashion sector and, in my opinion, this disinterest responds to an ideological issue: previous legislatures have considered fashion to be something frivolous and not a priority. But fashion is much more than that: it is a sector with an enormous economic weight, rooted in a long textile tradition that projected Barcelona to the world. Furthermore, fashion has an important social dimension: more and more companies are opting to design accessible clothing adapted to people with diverse needs.
Lately, Barcelona is regaining some of its prominence in the fashion world, with initiatives such as the City Council's Fashion Plan, support programs for emerging talent, and the recovery of municipal economic support for 080 Barcelona Fashion. The Fashion Plan, in fact, began to take shape as a result of the intervention of the Cercle de la Moda —then, still not constituted— in the City Council's Economy and Finance Commission. We put on the table the need to act and, from there, the municipal commitment to draw up a strategic plan was generated. Despite these advances, specific actions or specific catwalks are not enough: a long-term public strategy is needed.
— How is the fashion sector currently in Barcelona and Catalonia?
— It is a very powerful sector that enjoys good health, but it must continue to adapt to current challenges: moving towards a more sustainable, inclusive fashion capable of responding to everyone's needs, as well as to changes in consumption habits. We want Barcelona and Catalonia to be pioneers in this transformation. Furthermore, fashion goes far beyond design and clothing: it encompasses accessories, jewelry, perfumery, services, commerce, and technology. It is a very transversal world, ranging from large industry to shops and small entrepreneurs, and it has an economic and social weight that is not always sufficiently recognized.
"One-off actions or specific catwalks are not enough: a long-term public strategy is needed"
— What potential does Catalonia have to consolidate itself as an international fashion benchmark?
— Barcelona has great creative capacity, a lot of talent, and internationally renowned design schools. But our potential goes much further: we also have a powerful business and technological ecosystem, with companies that constantly innovate and are committed to sustainability. With all these elements, fashion has a very important economic weight in Catalonia, with major own brands, such as Mango, Desigual, Lola Casademunt or Rosa Clará, and international companies like Louis Vuitton, which also have logistics centers installed in the territory.
Furthermore, we are an international benchmark in bridal fashion. One in ten wedding dresses sold worldwide is from a Spanish brand, and 80% of Spanish bridal fashion production is concentrated in Catalonia, especially in the Barcelona metropolitan area.
But we should not only look at the big brands. Behind them is a whole network of professionals, companies, and trades essential to the sector. We must highlight, for example, traditional activities that are being recovered, such as the tanneries of Igualada. From the Cercle de la Moda, we are concerned with preserving this entire fabric, ensuring generational replacement, and giving continuity to trades such as dyers, shirtmakers, or embroiderers. These are very specific skills that are part of our history and our heritage, and which we cannot let disappear.
— How can we ensure that these trades are not lost?
— We need to support young people who want to dedicate themselves to it and work with their hands, give visibility to these trades, offer training, and recognize their value. From the Cercle de la Moda, we believe that we need to find a way to accredit this knowledge, because many of these trades do not have regulated training, and this can limit their social prestige. If we do not guarantee generational succession, we run the risk of them disappearing. These are very specific skills that are transmitted from person to person and cannot be replaced by machinery. If there is no one to teach them to new generations, we run the risk of losing them forever.
"The fast fashion model has its days numbered"
— Besides the preservation of trades, what other challenges does the sector face?
— Sustainability is, without a doubt, one of the main challenges. I believe that the fast fashion model has its days numbered, because there is increasing awareness of its impact. Consumers want more traceability: to know where the clothes they buy come from, how they were manufactured, whether workers' labor conditions have been respected, and what environmental impact they will have in the future. Based on the fact that manufacturing clothes has an environmental impact, as do other daily activities such as driving or producing food, the challenge is to reduce this impact as much as possible. In this regard, institutions have an important role: regulation is needed, and innovation and research in more sustainable fabrics and materials must be promoted.
— You point out that fast fashion has its days numbered, but platforms like Shein continue to triumph. How do you explain this contradiction?
— Precisely, regulation must serve to establish rules and obligations when the voluntary responsibility of companies is not enough. Limits must be placed on business models like Shein's, and companies must be required to take more responsibility for their environmental and social impact. The European Union is already promoting measures in this direction, such as the Digital Product Passport, a new regulation that should allow for a better understanding of the origin of garments, the materials they are made from, and their journey throughout their useful life.
But we need to go even further, because sometimes it's easier to change laws than mindsets. Institutions must also contribute to giving visibility to local talent. In the same way that artists and writers from the country are promoted, we must support emerging designers who produce here and help them make their work known. Betting on local talent also strengthens the creative fabric and can contribute to a more sustainable fashion model.
— But behind the fast fashion model there is also an economic issue: many consumers buy on these platforms because prices are lower.
— Yes, and for this reason, it is important to offer alternatives. Circular and second-hand fashion, for example, allows extending the life of garments and promoting more sustainable consumption. In addition, it can make clothing more accessible to people with diverse economic realities. It is not just about asking the population to consume in a different way, but about making it easier for everyone to do so through this type of initiative, regardless of their economic situation.
— To advance in all these areas, you also ask for more support from public institutions. What do you ask of them so that fashion regains the prominence you believe it has lost?
— A decisive commitment and more economic resources are needed. Institutions and the private sector must work together to support designers, companies and all the people who are part of the sector.
But, first of all, we need to better understand the real dimension of fashion in Catalonia. We still do not have indicators that allow us to measure its economic weight. Since it encompasses many different activities, it is difficult to have a global vision. We have reports on the textile sector, but not on fashion as a whole. For this reason, we have asked the City Council to draw up a complete radiography of the sector. Only by knowing where we are can we decide where we want to go. This diagnosis should allow us to establish a long-term strategy, but without neglecting the most immediate needs.
— What concrete actions do you propose in the short term?
— We still have few shop windows to showcase emerging fashion. For this reason, we ask for support for the platforms we already have, such as the 080 Barcelona Fashion and the Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week —a fantastic platform, but still little known—, so that they can continue to grow and have the necessary resources. We have also asked to promote a fashion fair, in a city that stands out for its congresses and fairs, which contributes to giving more visibility to the sector as a whole.
— What is your greatest wish for the future of Catalan fashion?
— I would like Barcelona and Catalonia to once again be an international fashion benchmark, but also for this projection to serve to give more opportunities to local talent. For our designers, creators and professionals to be able to grow, innovate and make a place for themselves in this sector without having to leave.