Sergio Jimenez
Calahorra, (EFE).- The “Fika” dress, which Carmen Pastor has made with a layer of artichoke scales and encrusted cabbage and red cabbage fringes that cascade down the arms, has been the winner of the first prize in the II Contest Calahorra City of Vegetables Footbridge (La Rioja).
“Fika” has been one of the 10 creations that have participated in this parade, whose jury has been presided over, for yet another year, by the designer Lorenzo Caprile, who, moments before this initiative began, has highlighted to EFE the importance of that the dresses were made, above all, with vegetables and not with legumes.
“In my case, I have valued, above all, that the Calahorra vegetables were absolutely present, because, sometimes, the contestants abuse a little and too much of the legumes, which are not vegetables, as I repeated last year”, has outstanding.
Caprile explained that “there has been a little more effort to integrate vegetables, more refinement in treating materials, slightly more risky shapes and better-made suits”, which is why he notes that “little by little, the level is rising”. .
After receiving this award, endowed with 3,000 euros, by Caprile and the mayoress of Calahorra, Elisa Garrido, Pastor has shown her gratitude to the jury and, visibly moved, has dedicated it to her dressmaker grandmother, her mother and all the people who have helped him in the making of “Fika”.
Already, on the catwalk, Caprile has highlighted from this first prize the tribute paid to the designer Paco Rabbane, who died last February, and has said that it is “an impressive and masterful work of craftsmanship”, which has resulted in an elaborate dress entirely with vegetables, which “anyone can wear.”
“Blom”, creation with cucumber, peas, corn, pumpkin and carrot
The second prize, endowed with 2,500 euros and awarded to designers under 35 years of age, has been for Daniela Camacho for her creation “Bloom”, a set of jacket, corset and shorts made from cucumber, dried peas , blue corn, pumpkin and dehydrated carrot.
Caprile has indicated that Camacho “has transformed the cucumber and the pumpkin into a material to make garments, something that requires months of tests and research”, and has highlighted that this second outfit has also been made entirely with Calagurritan vegetables, without legumes.
The Calahorra councilor has defined Caprile as “a good ambassador for this municipality and its vegetables”, so it was “impossible to find someone better” to preside over the jury of this initiative for the second consecutive year.
The mayoress has given him a necklace made with vegetable seeds from Calahorra, which the designer has placed around his neck. EFE