Moraduix was born in Mallorca during the confinement. As Angie Vallori tells us, "I was left without an apartment in Palma, where I lived, and I returned to Selva, my village. The idea was to return to the city, since I had a small shared workshop there, but with the repeated confinements and restrictions it was very difficult". It was then, in this situation of uncertainty, that Angie and Carlos began to give free rein to their imagination. They designed, drew, played. They explored possibilities and, little by little, the project took shape. Then, they started a search process to check if the plan was viable and launched a small collection with three designs and an online store. Moraduix had just been born.
The reception was really good so, with the return to normality, they went to the first markets. There they came face to face with reality: "We immediately realized that the designs we were offering were very similar to those of other projects. So we decided to give a twist to the concept, which, in reality, was a return to Mallorca's roots".
They began to contact illustrators to whom they proposed themes related to the island's art and culture: folk tales, the sea, gastronomy... which have become a source of inspiration and a hallmark of the brand's identity. "At the end of the day, the references that inspire us are from here, but the themes are universal," Angie explains.
"Everything we do looks like us. We do what we like and how we like it."
And it's true. Their prints, in collaboration with mostly Mallorcan illustrators, are a tribute to the cultural roots of Mallorca: the trempó, the ferreret and even the piglets in their latest collection are authentic, so authentic that the latter are inspired by Iggy and Pork, the piglets that the couple has in the house where, for the time being, they have stayed to live. "Everything we do looks like us. We do what we like and how we like it," says Carlos. To be sure that this is the case, before printing, the illustrations go through a very interesting filter: they show them to Llorenç Vicenç, nyegos, an environmental educator friend who gives his approval only if the drawings reflect reality.
Their latest capsule collection perfectly reflects this desire to unite creativity, freedom and culture. To create it, they have been inspired by Antoni M. Alcover's rondaia, N'Espardenyeta, a classic of the island's children's literature. From it they have borrowed elements that, after revising them, have given rise to a collection "for boys who do not want to save princesses and girls who want to climb, jump and laugh out loud".
The process to create a collection like this is long: choosing fabrics, creating patterns, receiving proposals from illustrators, printing and, finally, producing the pieces by hand takes months of work. In fact, they work a year in advance, so now they are already working on next year's fall winter season.
To make it all roll, Angie is in charge of the aesthetic concept and the direction of video and photography, Carlos of social networks and logistics (now, in addition to the online store, they distribute to stores in the Balearic Islands, Valencia and Barcelona). Together, with four hands, they live the creative process, something they carry in their veins: Angie, a teacher by training, has spent years in the fashion world with other personal projects and Carlos is an art historian. In addition, for some time now, they have had the help of Aina Alzamora, who is in charge of sewing the garments.
However, during these years they have encountered some obstacles that they still deal with on a daily basis. "In Mallorca there are hardly any workshops left and there is very little labor, so we help each other when we need it. Sometimes Carlos sews labels, I cut fabrics or discuss some patterns with Aina to get her opinion," says Angie. Another surprise they have had when contacting suppliers and distributors has been to find out that "from the mainland people don't think of Mallorca from an industrial point of view, even though for decades the island was a major producer of high quality footwear", they say in their workshop, paradoxically located in an old shoe and accessories factory in Selva.
"We are sustainable by conviction and by necessity".
However, despite the difficulties, at Moraduix they are clear that there are some unbreakable rules: everything here is produced by hand, designed to last, and the fabrics are made of certified organic cotton. Sustainability is also an inherent value of the project, although not only by will. As they explain, "we are sustainable out of conviction and necessity. When you have limited resources, every centimeter of fabric counts and you think very carefully about how to design the print so as not to waste fabric".
Moraduix's journey has not been a bed of roses, but the captains of this ship value all the positive things that Moraduix has brought them: the possibility of fusing art and fashion design, bringing local products to the little ones and receiving feedback from the customers who receive their garments gives them strength to continue. That, which is no small thing, and that innate curiosity of entrepreneurs: "if you ask us why we continue... I don't know, I guess we are motivated by seeing how the project has grown in a year and we want to see how it evolves in the future. Yes, this is the goal: to continue growing organically, naturally, without forcing anything. As we have been doing so far.
