Miriam Ponsa is more than a fashion designer; she is an activist through her creations. Dissatisfied with materials, curious about techniques, and above all, socially committed. It is from this activist commitment that she draws inspiration for the themes of her collections.
Respect for roots and cultural heritage, local production, and artisanal processes are three fundamental points of her manifesto. In fact, every single design from this brand is conceived, cut, crafted, and distributed from their workshops in Catalonia, combining modern techniques with the most traditional ones. This concern for the recovery of artisanal techniques and local culture was the inspiration for some of her early collections like Trementinaires (Spring-Summer 2010), Bugaderes (Fall-Winter 2011-12), Fiesta Mayor (Spring-Summer 2012), La Cosecha Dorada (Spring-Summer 2013), or Raiers (Spring-Summer 2014). All of them were inspired by traditional local professions or festivities.
Collection La cosecha dorada (spring-summer 2013) by Miriam Ponsa.
Social injustice as a source of inspiration
Social injustices, the environment, and political struggle have also been the common thread of many of this designer’s proposals. “I Have a Dream” (Spring-Summer 2019), inspired by the figure of Martin Luther King; “L’Exili” (Fall-Winter 2015-16), about the exile caused by the Spanish Civil War; or “Muses” (Spring-Summer 2020), a tribute to women’s empowerment, diversity, and self-acceptance; are just a few examples. This latest runway show marked a turning point in the designer’s shows, as it broke beauty standards, and the brand’s catwalk has since welcomed models of different ages and sizes.
Muses Collection (spring-summer 2020) by Miriam Ponsa.
For her latest collection, “Mar de Aral” (Fall-Winter 2020-21), Miriam Ponsa drew inspiration from one of the most dramatic ecological disasters caused by humans: the disappearance of the Aral Sea. In 1960, the Aral Sea was the fourth-largest lake in the world. However, water channeling projects by the USSR in the arid plains of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan for irrigation and extensive cotton fields turned the lake into a desert of salt and toxic substances. The volume of the sea has been reduced by more than 80%, leaving behind a graveyard of rusted ships on the saline sands and serious health consequences for the region’s population.
“Mar de Aral” is her Fall-Winter 2020-21 collection
It is in that salt desert and in the rust of the abandoned vessels that the designer found inspiration for this collection. To capture that fusion of iron with desert sand, of man’s artificial footprint on nature, various techniques were used. One of them is the colors. The shades of orange, camel, brown, and copper transport us to the Aral Desert. The shapes follow the line of the brand’s previous collections: oversized and organic to create comfortable garments that allow freedom of movement.
Mar de Aral Collection (autumn-winter 2020-21) by Miriam Ponsa. Images by Jordi Saragossa.
Fabrics and textures also stand out. Natural fabrics like cotton, silk, mohair, cashmere, and wool are the protagonists of the collection. In addition, macramé, knitting, embroidery, and artisanal basket weaving techniques add volumes and textures to the designs.
The choice of materials is made under the premise of quality and environmental consciousness. For this brand, sustainability and the culture of recycling and reuse are fundamental parts of its creation process. A philosophy closely linked to the history of the Aral Sea region, which demonstrates, once again, that the fashion industry should never harm the environment where it operates. The effort of brands and economic policies now lies in finding alternatives so that the impact on the territory is positive.
Mar de Aral Collection (spring-summer 2020) by Miriam Ponsa. Images by Jordi Saragossa.
Miriam Ponsa represents conscious and consciousness-raising fashion; far from standards; created by and for women and conceived and produced 100% in Catalonia.
Images courtesy of Miriam Ponsa.
