London, Berlin, Budapest, Barcelona … in the main European cities there are commercial initiatives that revolutionize – and revalue in turn – industrial areas in a situation of abandonment and that, together with other economic and social aid, become residential areas full of life that have a wide cultural and leisure offer, always maintaining the manufacturing aesthetic that characterizes them, marginal areas that become the cool neighbourhoods of the moment.
In Igualada and on a more modest scale, the Rec.0 initiative celebrates 10 years of action based on creativity, the industrial district of Rec, an authentic quarter which more than a hundred old tanneries inhabit – the majority in disuse – that testify to the textile legacy and the importance within the leather industry which this small quarter of Barcelona has had from the 18th century until today. This year specifically the organization of Rec.0 has opted for revealing the intricacies of the neighbourhood’s industrial heritage via various activities such as the uncovering of new tanneries converted into cultural equipment, workshops about the artisanal creative processing of leather and guided visits to various areas of the neighbourhood that are still in operation, among others. This set of activities not only seeks to reveal what was in this unique neighbourhood, but also bear witness to the ways in which the Rec has been transformed in the last ten years.
Apart from the wish to preserve and publicise heritage, Rec.0 remains the same as always: a biannual commercial festival in a one-off format that for four days revolutionizes this area of the city via pop up stores of international fashion brands and local firms, coexisting in specifically different industrial areas that are recovered and adorned for the occasion so that the participating brands can sell at special rates. With that same formula, repeated edition after edition, in the last decade it has established itself as an indispensable – and alternative –place to visit within the commercial and cultural ambit of Catalonia.
Author design guides Rec Experimental Stores
In this edition the urban tour of the Rec neighbourhood includes 60 temporary areas that will surprise the consumer and that house more than 80 brands of different formats and products for sale specifically of stocks in stores that only exist during the fashion festival. There are new products by Brownie, Vans, Pretty Ballerinas, Mascaró, or Eastpack, among others, that coexist with flagships such as Levi's, Adidas, Munich, Mango, Sita Murt, Indi & Cold, Nice Things, Ash …
What we find most interesting is that these large national and international firms are side by side with independent designer brands such as Miriam Ponsa, Txell Miras and Josep Abril which always share the same pop up store and have become the trident of Rec 0 design, to the extent that the festival is the reason why the three of them decided to join forces to boost their joint stores in Barcelona.
This year, Gorni Kramer or Who are also to be found in the designer area. Precisely in order to give more space to small-scale firms, the Rec organization has opened a new courtyard where a new brand will be installed every day. This allows it to make its way into the world of fashion and offers commercial possibilities to emerging designers. They will exchange synergies with other Catalan fashion brands such as Brava Fabrics, Woodys Barcelona or Cuirum that will coexist with the Nordic fashion of Sessún or Samsoe Samsoe. Finally, in this area dedicated to the most local design there is also the pop up store 080 with the winner of the Rec.0 competition next to the Catalan catwalk. This year the winner was IAIOS, a brand of sweaters made with recycled thread.
Leisure and family culture
To liven up shopping and visits to the industrial environment of the industrial district, Rec.0 has organized a cultural and gastronomic agenda in parallel with free activities for all audiences and tastes. In music, concerts by local groups and singer-songwriters such as Joan Colomo, Red Pèrill and Beth are the stand-out items among other performances. Discussions and reflections on issues related to the festival are also promoted. This year in the Rec meeting area GenÃs Roca will give a talk about digital transformation. For movie lovers Zoom, the International Audiovisual Content Festival of Catalonia, will feature the screening of short films and innovations on the small and the big screen. Finally cuisine is also a highlight, with areas set out for local producers and KM0 cuisine where chefs will offer local food in the various pop-up bars that have been expressly built for the festival.
The new edition of Rec.0 begins today and will take place until November 9 in the Rec quarter of Igualada.
