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Clàudia Cànovas Buitrago, a student from IED Istituto Europeo di Design in Barcelona, was recognised as the runner-up in our GFWi23 International Accessories Award Supported By Crisden. This prestigious recognition highlights Clàudia's exceptional talent and creativity in the field of accessories design. The award is a testament to her dedication and hard work, showcasing her potential to make a significant impact in the industry. Congratulations to Clàudia Cànovas Buitrago for this remarkable achievement.


Are there any key messages or themes in your project that you would like people to take away? If so, how did you choose to communicate them?

My main objective with this collection was to convey the value of know-how and craftsmanship. Music is also part of the concept of the collection, since it represents the volumes, materials and motifs of the pieces.

The shoes are inspired by furniture that has cavities, such as chests of drawers, and instruments. High-heeled sandals and mules have been designed based on collages and moulage on the foot. Afterwards, the sketches have been transferred to programs such as SketchUp to create the entire wooden structure and start making the prototypes.

All the accessories have been made by hand working with wood and leather to convey the value of the craftsmanship of the project.

The jewellery transmits sounds and melodies through wooden necklaces, walnut rings and hand-woven bags with strips of wood.

How do you feel about being a winner or runner-up for a GFWi23 award?

I feel super honoured to be one of the winners. It is a pleasure to receive this award with all the talent and creative people participating in the contest.

What are your plans for the near future?

My plans are to continue growing as a fashion designer and pattern maker, gaining experience in the workplace, in other fields within the fashion industry.

I am currently learning a lot in my internship as a leather pattern making intern at Loewe and I would love to continue expanding my knowledge through my internship. Moreover I would also like to dedicate time to my personal fashion projects.

What form does your final product take?

My final project consists of a collection of fashion accessories, in which we can find bags, rings, necklaces, shoes and earrings.

As one of the concepts of the project is based on know-how based on carpentry, I wanted to use materials from this trade such as wood. This is why we can see wooden rings, wooden heels... The research and development process of this material was done together with other rigid materials to test its use for the creation of fashion accessories. My father is a carpenter, so I was able to carry out extensive research during my project about how wood is worked and its different types.

What is an aspect of the fashion industry that you would like to help improve or have a positive impact on?

I would like to be able to contribute to the fashion industry by transmitting the idea of reusing other unconventional materials such as wood, as I did in my project.

The accessories in my entire collection were made from the scraps of wood that my father generated when building furniture. I loved this idea of being able to use materials that will no longer be used and give them a second life with a new different creation.

What skills did you learn and develop during the project?

By doing this project I learned a lot about the carpentry trade and the shoemaking trade. In the the first case, the main material was wood, so I made many samples and tests on how to adapt the wood to organic and moldable shapes in order to create accessories. And in the second case of the shoemaking trade, I did a lot of research on how shoes are made through visits to local shoe stores. I learned how the shoe adapts to the shape of the foot and how it has to be made to maintain its durability over time.

What was the inspiration starting point for your project?

The main inspiration for the project was wood, craftsmanship and know-how.

What were some challenges that you faced in your project, and how did you overcome them?

The most difficult challenge of the project was the design and creation of the shoes. I had to combine a design that transmitted the concept of the collection but also that was a design that allowed to be able to walk with it and it gave foot comfort. Finally, I found a perfect balance between these two points and designed shoes that represent the collection and at the same time were practical.