An
old friend from school told me about Sara Gómez some months ago and I
started
following her through Instagram, so I was able to see the projects she
was doing. Last time I was in Seville I decided to contact her and at
that same week we met in the courtyard of her house in the district of
Triana. The bright light and the colorful flowers surprised me the most
when I
entered, for me it was like
traveling into to the purest and most traditional part of the city.
Sara Gómez is a fashion designer, who gives life to km22, the brand she
works on with all her heart and passion.
Cristina Benzi: Tell me about your fashion brand km22 and how this project was born.
Sara Gómez: Km22 was born a day traveling around Cadiz. I was exactly on the roads,
when I suddenly looked at a mile marker just at km 22, then I thought about that for a while and said: I’m at km22 of my life.
At that moment I
wanted already to express my way of seeing life through the creation of
clothing, and also change the fashion system. For me, craftsmanship is
something very special. The clothes we buy today are made in
overproduction and we don’t even know who made them.
I
see fashion in a very different way. When it comes to creating
something I put a lot of energy into it and I like to think that I am
going to transmit that energy to the person who is going to wear my
clothes. Each piece that I create is unique. We should not all dress
alike,
each has to show its essence. I think if everyone wore what they
actually needed, they would be happier and feel more comfortable.
CB: What distinguishes km22 the most?
SG:
The garment that most characterizes km22 is the sweatshirt
combinated with a traditional Flamenco shawl. It was one of the
pioneering garments of this brand. I find it elegant but at the same
time casual and urban. It’s like
wearing a shawl every day and I’ve always said that I’d like to wear a
Flamenco dress every day. These sweatshirts are made with poplin fabric
and thread fringes. In addition, I usually use floral or ethnic fabrics
and polka dots. That is the
explosive mixture and therefore the garment that characterizes me and my
label.
CB: What inspires you?
SG:
I have had a lot of musical influence throughout my life. My
mother is very folkloric, I remember she was always at home singing
Coplas and dancing. Although there are no professional Flamenco singers
or dancers in my house, I have always listened to Flamenco but also
other type of music that my father used to hear. However, I think it has
been my mother’s personality that made me to be the woman I am
today. And let’s say it in this way, she has been my unconscious
inspiration.
But in general, when it comes to creating, I
draw inspiration from women all over the world. For me the most
beautiful thing is the mixture. I get inspired by the different
ethnicities, personalities, aesthetics of each woman, and then I take
all that to my field. I want to make each woman feel unique when they
wear a piece of mine.
CB: I know you’ve made costumes for other fellow artists, some musicians and singers. What is the relationship for you between music and fashion?
SG: I think music and fashion go hand in hand. I always think it’s important for the artist to get on stage with clothes that are in tune with his/her music. It’s all part of the show. And looking at it from the other point of view, I think that sewing without music is almost impossible for me.
CB: In your latest project I’mpura. What is the message you want to transmit?
SG: A year ago I started with the idea of this project. The first idea that I had in mind was the drawing, which my friend Raquel did. That drawing of the gypsy on the toilet represents the traditional, root woman, and is the image of this project.
Then I began to create the garments
that would give life to the parade that was going to take place in
Barcelona. During the parade you could hear the music I had commissioned
La Lagrima Music to produce, where the singer Belén put her voice and
my friend Juan wrote the lyrics. I wanted the catwalk to make the people
part of this story. After the catwalk the idea of producing the video
came into my mind. Thanks to María Roncel I was able to develop this
idea and create it. She was in charge of the production and direction of
the video.
It’s a fashionable video but each artist involved, has also contribute showing their own artistic perspective. I´mpura spot it is composed of several scenes where most of the time women but also men show their most feminine side. It seems to me that nowadays many women have forgotten where we came from. I have the feeling that in this era of mass information we are going very fast and we are not conscious of it. So I want people to stop and think about the past so they can involve themselves with the history, the essence of the ancient, and with the evolution of women within society and art.
CB: What are your future plans for km22?
SG: To this day my dream has always been to work in a common artists’ space where I can continue creating fashion. I would like to share the space with different artists and somehow inspire each other. I have even thought that before opening a shop, I would like to open a workshop, where I can give work to many people. For me the important thing is not to earn more, it is to earn what is fair and share with others. My dream is to work in a community of artists with different disciplines like musicians, actors, etc.
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