SUSTAINABLE FASHION
THE CREATOR
THE GIRL WITH ROOTS
In 2015, Brazilian designer Helen Minuzzi, seeking alternative ways to express herself through fashion, created her first sustainable pieces, jacket and pants, from used truck canvas. The result was unique garments, with a rustic style and a contemporary identity.
While matching sustainable design with aesthetics, her creations made from ecological and upcycled materials seek the concept of zero waste production.
Helen Minuzzi has recently added accessories to her collections such as backpacks and bags made with PVC waste from textile companies as well as from the automotive sector, recovering scraps of fabrics used in the manufacture of bus, car and subway seat covers.
From her native southern Brazil, she moved to Rio de Janeiro in search of sustainable innovation and finally to Europe where she is now based in both Paris and Lisbon. Inspired by her seamstress grandmother, her creative Brazilian roots have led to a literally local artisanal production nourished by and embracing her itinerancy.
OUR CONCEPT
UPCYCLING HANDMADE PRODUCTS
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MANGUE is a brand of sustainable clothing and acessories that gives longer life to textile waste using upcycling techniques.
Born in Brazil with minimal and contemporany language, MANGUE (man·gi) refers to the ecosystem of the mangrove which maintains balance in its environment, just like the ideals that keep us alive.
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Changes happen when we question the status quo. Ours about breaking the current paradigme of production and offering affordable alternatives for a conscious lifestyle.
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This story belongs to a cycle. There is no beginning and no ending, it’s part of a whole.
MATERIALS AND PROCESS
FROM ECOLOGICAL FABRIC TO RESIDUES SEARCH
During the creation process, we integrated sustainability with aesthetics since the beggining, developing elements of style aligned with upcycling concepts.
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MANGUE has a minimalist style, creating squared models that generates less waste during the cutting process. This is known as "zero waste" technique.
In addition, our fabrics are environmentally friendly, like organic cotton or recycled polyester made with plastic bottles. Also, we mainly work with PVC leftovers.
Our creative work becomes much more elaborate, when visiting fabric and automobile companies, to rescue the textile waste used to cover car, bus and subway seats. Collecting materials is an adventure, because we find it in different sizes, colors and thicknesses. After this search we start creating the collection, according to the available materials.
That is why our pieces are always limited editions, since we will hardly find the same material again. That is what amuses us,
making creation an artistic activity.
