Organic cotton t-shirts, cups or bags made from recycled materials are some of the products that Dolores Caamaño designs for this firm that pays homage to the origins of its creator and that goes beyond clothing with outreach actions on the consequences of consumerismPaula QuintásOffered by:
Pataca. That is how she called Dolores Caamaño, her father, when she was little and that is how she wanted to name her sustainable fashion brand, a proposal with which she also wants to raise awareness about the importance of thinking before consuming. «What planet do we want to leave our children? And what children do we want to leave to our planet? Others like us, who are killing it?" Reflects the head of the Galician firm.
“My father called me Pataca because when I was born I was round and brown like a pataca. He called me that all my life », explains the Coruña, who was born in Switzerland. Precisely, an anecdote in this country would originate the full name of the brand. And it is that some Germans took care of her and she barely spoke Spanish or Galician, so her father always told her "Say mom, say dad, say pataca."
The brand is a way to remember those moments and a nickname that will always be with her. The name of the brand was put by Dolores Caamaño's father and the typography, by her mother. "The logo, as it is, is my mother's handwriting," says the person in charge of Di Pataca, who adds: "The slogan Dípataca y sonríe was with which I began after confinement to convey a little joy, a yes we can, to forward. I also used a bit of the play on words when you are going to take a picture of yourself ».
A casual birth
"There was no intention of creating a business or starting a business," explains Caamaño, who has worked for years in a telephone store. This woman from A Coruña planned to open an art exhibition on March 14, 2020, but the outbreak of the coronavirus changed everything. Thus, Caamaño considered the possibility of transferring his paintings and drawings to cotton garments or bags, among other products, to give to people who attended the exhibition once normal activity had resumed after the pandemic.
The idea took shape little by little and this entrepreneur began testing different suppliers and small local companies with which to collaborate. The Pegadas screen printing firm, located in Pocomaco (A Coruña) provided him with a catalog of Stanley Stella, who works with organic cotton. "It was clear to me that if I did something, I would do it with quality," says Caamaño firmly.
The brand, however, began to grow and the success it had in Carballo, where she lives, led her to consider the creation and design of new products. Now more aware of the importance of promoting responsible consumption, the woman from A Coruña investigated the different organic and recycled materials that she could use and concepts such as sustainable fashion, slow fashion or fast fashion. Thus was born the project that he develops today.
Dipataca's products
“I used to be a consumer of clothes. We buy two-euro t-shirts that after washing them are disgusting, but we think that overall, for what they cost, we buy another one. We do not realize that with this we are promoting an industry that is polluting for people and for the planet,” reflects Caamaño.
The garments proposed by Dípataca are basic and timeless, designed to be worn both today and "in ten years". Let's make the planet fashionable is the new slogan of this Galician brand that is clearer than ever about the importance of promoting sustainability. Precisely, the woman from A Coruña wants to raise awareness about the importance of buying few durable and quality clothes as opposed to quantity and using and throwing away.
Dípataca's t-shirts are made of organic cotton and the phrases they carry are written with vegetable inks. The first ones that Caamaño launched had a basic design, but the initial success and the demand from her clients led her to launch a children's collection that she called Pataquinhas, from which her bodysuits also emerged. The boys were the next to be able to wear one of the garments of this sustainable brand, which in this case opted for a green one and a white polo shirt. "I don't play too much with colors, they are neutral, which can be mixed with other types of clothing," explains the promoter of the initiative.
The bags and toiletry bags are made, in most cases, with recycled and certified materials and, like clothing, are produced in small quantities. La Coruña also has cups available to customers, which she created with the idea of being able to start the day drinking from a cup of Dípataca, while the Amoriño collection of paintings represents motherhood and is dedicated to the two children of the person in charge of the brand.
A solidarity project
Caamaño continued to give free rein to his creativity and, in addition to applying the knowledge acquired in terms of sustainability to his fashion garments, he opted to create stationery products from recycled materials in those who capture their drawings. Greeting or welcome cards, as well as notebooks, are other of the proposals of this woman who is committed to what is "handmade".
This allows you to provide the consumer with a complete pack that includes not only the shirt but also a personalized card, as well as a charitable gift whose amount goes entirely to an NGO. "Currently I collaborate with ¿Por qué no?, which is in Novo Mesoiro, and with Peludos Negreira, which is the protector of abandoned cats and dogs where I adopted mine", explains Caamaño, who adds: "We collaborate together on projects for of development or education.
People interested in purchasing any of the products of this Galician brand can contact their manager through Instagram or Facebook, as well as their email, to request the organic cotton t-shirt or the recycled material notebook that you like the most. The fully personalized shipment arrives in compostable bags with which Caamaño seeks to minimize the environmental impact of sales.
Dissemination of sustainability, essential
Caamaño's project gradually took shape and the company from A Coruña decided to take values such as sustainability beyond its products, giving way to dissemination actions to raise awareness about the consequences of consumerism and the so-called fast fashion. "Something has to go wrong for a garment to cost two euros and the company to win," reflects the entrepreneur.
Educating and informing are two of the most important tools for sustainable projects like Caamaño's, which indicates that there is still a long way to go to achieve full awareness of the problem. To this should be added, in addition, the prices, since an organic cotton garment is much more expensive than another without any type of guarantee on its respectful origin with the environment. «Before buying you have to think about whether I need it or if I can buy a jean that instead of costing me 8 euros costs me 50 but it is recycled and does not have artificial dyes. This jean is going to have a more timeless cut and it's going to last me much longer, and it's not something you buy every month”, exemplifies the person in charge of Dípataca.
“It is the second most polluting industry on the planet. Do you know how many liters of water are spent to make a single cotton t-shirt? 2,900 liters of water", indicates the creator of Dípataca. Organic cotton is grown without chemicals or additives, so it is not harmful to the people who grow it and requires less washing, saving a lot of water. «Washing another garment would be equivalent to 32 million Olympic swimming pools at the end of the year. Where does that water that carries so much chemistry go? ”, Reflects Caamaño.
Another of the fundamental factors in the way this brand proceeds is the protection of the "dignity and health" of workers in the textile sector. Here, Caamaño indicates, it is essential to pay attention to the origin of the garments and not only to the material with which they are made. "The labels, for example, are made in a business next to my house where the seamstress embroiders and sews them because the production is local," explains the head of the Galician firm that has come to leave its mark and contribute to change.
TOPICS:CarballoGalician companiesGalician brands
