Sustainable clothing for the introspective yogi: Florencia Fiocca’s Argentinian brand is making waves in the international market. Sublime discovers the story of Ropa Calma and why it’s an essential for both ethical leisure and athletics.
Clean designs that drape practising yogis in gentle textures for intentional wellbeing inside and out, Ropa Calma is a retreat for body and mind. There is harmony in each shape – produced on a small scale, each pattern is hand-cut into curves and counter-curves that flow with the body through each yoga pose, all in neutral colours and combined textures.
‘We are yogis designing yoga clothes, and with our experience we have found a way to improve the clothing we wear, taking into account the conscious movement, body temperature and sensory mood,’ says Florence Fiocca, founder of Ropa Calma. She explains the values at the core of the garments:
‘being eco-conscious, we set out to be zero-waste as we reuse and recycle all byproducts and textile compost to make yinyoga rugs and bolsters – this is an essential process of our creating our athletic wear’.
Take the 2020 GUIA collection, for example – after analysing what would work best to ease the posture of a beginner yogi and perfect the posture of an advanced yogi, Fiocca and her team came up with the idea of introducing guides to their clothing. She Explains,
‘Loops of textiles can be gripped onto, allowing strong and safe positioning and encouraging deep and conscious breathing,’
‘We focus on the movement and temperature of the body, emphasising the visual aesthetics. By working with a variety of textiles, we present two worlds – clothing that’s made from natural fibres and improved by technology,’ Fiocca says. Made from high-quality cotton from Peru and linen from Brazil, knitted together and produced in Chaco, Argentina, Ropa Calma pieces offer flexibility and stretch for ease of movement. She adds,
‘Modifying our patterns provides comfort, support, and a guide through yoga asanas. Plus, our production takes place in workshops chosen for their quality, locality, and values, using advanced technology that allows us to cut patterns with almost no waste,’
Fiocca is one of the designers to graduate from the University of Buenos Aires, participating in the very first Buenos Aires Fashion Week in 2002 with her brand FFIOCCA. After practising as a yoga teacher, she dedicated herself to Introspective Design, where she aligned her passions of visualisation and action and founded Ropa Calma in 2015, soon enough winning the Seal of Great Design five years in a row.
Today, her innovations take a prime place in the Investigation of Argentinian Design archives in Buenos Aires, and you can find the Ropa Calma line across the United States, Japan, China, Canada, and Spain.
Credits and Thanks
Models: christinasunae flowravioli julia.gira sofiasagalés chula.galvez
Photos: dorotheaschroeder and maru di rago
