Photo compliments of IFIL.
MAKE YOUR OWN
Knitting is no longer just a pastime for old ladies. Over the past few years it has enjoyed a huge renaissance and now everyone seems to be knitting their own scarves and bobble hats. IFIL (Torrent de l’Olla 161) is a shop specialising in interesting and unique types of yarn that also runs workshops and courses on knitting. Their 20-minute express workshop is completely free and goes over all of the core techniques. Best of all, it can be taken any day, any time—just walk in and ask. See here for more information.
Learning the art of sewing and designing clothes is another great way to create different, original pieces. Lantoki (Doctor Dou 15) is a co-sewing space where people can rent a desk with a sewing machine from as little as an hour up to months at a time. They run lots of different courses, with everything from basic introductory classes to how to make a shirt from scratch on offer (www.lantoki.es). L’Atelier del Raval (Cera 1) is another workshop/boutique that runs long-term workshops at civic centres around Barcelona. These include classes on patchwork, purses and bags.
FROM TRASH TO TREASURE
Recycling clothes is a sustainable and creative way to stand out from the high street wearing crowd. There are plenty of second-hand markets around Barcelona where you can buy and sell old threads. The oldest and most popular in Barcelona is Flea Market in Plaça Blanquerna, which happens on the second Sunday of every month. Others include the monthly Lost&Found at Estació de França, as well as Two Market, which usually runs a few different second-hand markets every month.
There is no shortage of vintage shopping in the city either, particularly in the Raval. Carrer de la Riera Baixa is famous for its many vintage shops and the little street market they collectively put on every Saturday. Others in the neighbourhood include Flamingos Vintage Kilo (Ferlandina 20), which operates a pay-per-kilo system, and HoLaLa Vintage (Valldonzella 4), but taking a stroll through the area will unearth many more places catering to all styles and eras. For more upmarket clothing, head to Le Swing (Rec 16) in Born, where you can find luxurious old designer pieces.
Whilst not as popular as they were a few years back, clothes swap parties are as good for switching things up as ever. It’s a fun social event, eco-friendly and an opportunity to raid the wardrobes of your most fashionable friends. Why not throw one? Just don’t forget the essentials: wine and snacks.