A month of heavy rain hits the Rio Grande do Sul. The tragedy sparked a wave of solidarity, with reconstruction efforts coming from both within and outside the state. The sector of modalike everyone else, was severely impacted. THE Fashion Revolution Brasil spoke with small local producers, brand owners and thrift stores, who reported the damage and, above all, the power of collective work.
This “power” manifests itself in the mobilization of helping to clean the neighborhood, collecting basic supplies for the affected families, carrying mattresses, and holding a solidarity raffle with thrift stores across Brazil. “We meet at the Vila Flores Cultural Center, in the Floresta neighborhood, in Porto Alegre”, says Pietra Scheffel, creator of Akitti, “we have been without access to the place since the beginning of May. The studio itself was not affected, because it is on the 2nd floor, but the community was.”
Akitti arose from the idea of creating modular accessories that can be assembled and disassembled, allowing constant innovation and preventing users from getting tired of the product. Pietra’s main focus at the moment is cleaning Vila Flores, as those who stayed on the ground floor, he reports, lost a lot of things.
Looking to the future, Pietra sees signs of hope, but also a lot of concern. Akitti sustains itself thanks to “Akitti Lovers”, a loyal audience who, for the most part, reside in other states. However, the recent heavy rains should permanently change the dynamics of Porto Alegre, for example, in the price of rent. “It could be that rents increase a lot, insuring things become more expensive”, he points out, also remembering the difficulties of maintaining a physical space since the end of the pandemic.
The Justa Trama sewing cooperative also faced serious problems. “Some members lost everything, others partially”, points out Nelsa Nespolo, founder. The headquarters, located in Porto Alegre, became a center for receiving and distributing donations, serving around 700 families in the region. “We will return to activities on June 3rd, we spent this month assisting the community and without electricity.”
Nelsa describes the panic caused by the intense rain: “The water started to take over and our fear was the fabrics, because we would lose everything, there is no way to dry them”. As a damage containment measure, they managed to call a truck to take the materials to a place where the water would not reach them. The decision cost 2,500 reais.
Natalia Guasso, creator of the Brick de Desapegos thrift store, also from Porto Alegre, reflects on the next steps: “I foresee a very difficult year. What I can see now is that only collective and supportive actions can change our future in the medium and long term.” Natalia is part of one of these actions, called “The biggest thrift store raffle for RS”. Created by Espaço Ruta, the initiative seeks to reduce some of the losses of each affected thrift store. “It is important at this time to help and support with whatever we can and take collective action to minimize losses. We have a destroyed state”, he states.
Near Porto Alegre, Rafael Zahn da Silva, creator of Wayward, has helped with rescuing people, carrying mattresses and making small adjustments to clothes received as donations. Within the context of his business – handmade caps – he had very large losses: in stock, machinery, material such as modeling, fabrics, scissors, furniture. Webber is from Canoas and says that his neighborhood, Harmonia, one of the hardest hit, has always had problems with drainage.
Wayward, in fact, experienced a material loss resulting from heavy rains in 2015. “A hail storm destroyed the roof of the house, which was completely flooded. I decided to sell some caps that I had made for myself and decided to continue with the project.” Webber’s “luck” is that some of the unique piece models, made from upcycling, are in a studio he shares with friends in the center – there, he managed to leave three machines. Now, while he is still accommodating his family, he is helping the community.
From a point of view that she considers “privileged” for living in a high-rise neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Helena Soares, psychologist and psychoanalyst and creator of Brechó de Troca, assesses the population’s emotions as “we are walking around like cockroaches, putting out fires”. While helping those affected on the psychological side, she sees the future of the thrift store as still a wish. Before the rains, the idea was to take it to the interior, now, that moment will have to be postponed.
Brechó de Trocas brings a different proposal, in which Helena states that she still sees it from her place as a psychoanalyst. “It’s a convivial space where exchange is an excuse for us to meet”, he explains. She opens the circle and lets people present their clothes: “I really believe in the idea of a wardrobe as a collection, a library, that is being built”. The thrift store, says Helena, is also an act of resistance against the Fast Fashion and textile waste.
Fashion responsibility
Excessive clothing is a prominent feature of these tragedies. The Post Office, for example, has already suspended the collection of clothes and shoes. “These cards on social media that we see ‘donations are not waste’, we have experienced this for decades”, says Helena, who takes the opportunity to highlight the lack of a structured recycling network. “We have specific focal points in campaigns by some companies, but these are actions not coordinated with government bodies”, he highlights.
Nelsa exemplifies how public management can join forces with local brands: “we got a contract with Grupo Hospitalar Conceição, we will supply sheets and pillowcases for a year”. She also highlights the importance of communication for more sustainable consumption, so that people know, for example, the dangerous amount of pesticides in conventional cotton.
This perspective is part of what Nelsa builds at Justa Trama: “I think it is something that gives us a perspective of a more preserved, more cared for environment. A perspective of looking ahead and seeing that we can do our part.” Pietra also talks about behavioral change in consumption. “More and more brands are emerging that have a concept of sustainability, but they are unable to stay alive in the market”, he states.
She takes the opportunity to recall the belief that consumption would be more sustainable post-pandemic, which has not become true. “We had the opposite, an absurd advance in Fast Fashion. How can we show that it’s cooler to have a capsule wardrobe? Or do you buy it from a thrift store?” he asks.
Working with upcyclingWebber also talks about combining environmental concerns with customer interests. “Sometimes, if you make a reuse-only product that isn’t interesting to anyone, it won’t be well received. Every artistic expression has its value, but it is also important to meet the needs of customers”, he reflects. For him, the time is now to join forces and carry out collaborations between brands and projects, “supporting each other, thinking together and reducing the amount of waste”.
The population of Rio Grande do Sul, highlights Natalia, has felt the climate crisis since 2023. And it comes from a costly post-pandemic recovery. “Many brands were unable to work this month and we know that for a small brand, going a month without revenue is complex, because we don’t have a large cash flow”, he explains. For now, the state governor, Eduardo Leite, estimates six to one years to rebuild the region, but we know it won’t be just that.
The climate crisis is ongoing. This time it was Rio Grande do Sul, but it has been Manaus (AM), Petrópolis (RJ), São Sebastião (SP), Acre, Maranhão, Pantanal. To avoid a next time, public authorities need to mobilize now with prevention, adaptation and mitigation plans.
And these actions involve the sensitivity of listening and working together with the local population, just as civil society in Rio Grande do Sul – and the small fashion and thrift stores interviewed in this article – has shown daily. There is a new Porto Alegre to be built, and it must be so within social, environmental, commercial and intrapersonal relationships.
