The designer Anabela Marques created from recycled materials fashion accessories that depend on a technique she invented with Pet plastic and outdated magazine images. The Idict due to its innovation is present in several museum shops and cultural venues in and out of Portugal.
How did appear Idict?
Anabela Marques: Began two and a half years ago, I started with small pins for my friends. The loved them and were always surprised positively. Ended up asking me why not commercialized the pieces until an opportunity arose to do it in Barcelona. I had a short sale in a craft fair city that went very well and from there put for sale on the pins in two outlets . I was in town doing a postgraduate in superior design, returned to Portugal and decided at the suggestion of other friends to expand the collection. Then I started to make bracelets, necklaces, but wanted to continue with reusable materials that were the purpose of the project, performing pieces from recycled materials. Earlier, I used bottle caps, old buttons, magazine paper, finally things found on the street. Then I started with Pet plastic, heating it and worked it in various ways and thought that it would be interesting and would have little leeway only with the transparent plastic, so I decided it combines with the images of the magazines that had at home that were on the shelf, with no purpose and gave them a use, although for some it is a crime to cut them, for me I think it was a utility that I gave to the old magazines.
What are the challenges you face regarding the materials you use?
AM: Right now only use the Pet plastic that then fill with images of magazine and a covering underneath. The biggest challenge was to find the way to make it sturdy, durable, and the end of time do not get damaged. It was and still remains, because the project has little time. Still be a challenge to find out what are the ways to make it enduring, because I have no model to follow, it is an original technique, the os material used in a way that is not usually used. I do tests in the piece, but always counting on the feedback from customers, repairs are free, but so far never had any problems.
The pieces you already have created which ones stand out?
AM: The pieces that stand out most are the largest and most showy necklaces.
Who are the women who wear your pieces? Can you do an analysis of your type of customer?
AM: From the works of art can please cosmopolitan women cosmopolitan sort of speak, with a certain aesthetic taste. However, the art is very diverse, if we think of ancient art or Portuguese tiles in this way also can please a more conservative public. Turning to contemporary art, customers are more daring, is so vast is the range that I can please women, modesty aside. It is because of the versatility of the pieces themselves, I am now preparing a collection for the "festival in" and continue to emerge huge models of necklaces because I draw the base from an image. Even more when I'm free, when I have no orders and the exhibition is not very targeted, it leaves room for greater creativity. It is very difficult to create a collection, because the image is randomly chosen and therefore cannot create six models of identical necklaces for example. These pictures dictate what the final result of the accessory will be.
So this is always a source of inspiration?
AM: Yes, always.
Idict are on the market but you still have a link trade with Spain?
AM: No, when I left and brought some pieces at this moment I do not have anything. I was thinking to explore the market of galleries, already sent the information of my project to the Miro museum, often only by e-mail does not arrive at the destination, but I would like to have a point of sale in Barcelona. It was there that it all began. Right now I'm in two places in Italy.
And in Portugal?
AM: I have pieces in the national tile and the contemporary art museum in the store in Serralves and Coimbra, Aveiro, Évora in and that is it.
Have you ever imagined that idict would take you here?
AM: In the beginning when I thought about in a remote way during my experimenting , but always with that feeling that it was possible and felt I was doing it was something special. And then developing the technique, design, innovating, promoting, always with this aim of greater visibility through the media and retail outlets. But, I think so, despite being very dreamy, I am cautious. I think things are possible, but always with my feet firmly on the ground.
So what are the next steps for the brand? Do you have any goals set for the future?
AM: Yes, I want to get to the Central European market. I have an exhibition scheduled in January in Paris and this will be a great starting point for my project. I will also send pieces to Sweden and Denmark; the Scandinavian countries are very sensitive to this type of recycled materials.
And you intend to explore new materials?
AM: Right now, no. Girded me with my technique with Pet plastic and I concentrated on it. I started with a large range of materials, but then it was reducing the scope and it was through this reduction that the project began to work better. What I can do is increase the articles, because there's plenty you can still do by using this technique that has not yet been explored, is a matter of time.
