I spent most of my time going to charity shops with friends and couldn't help myself.

These experiences shaped my hands-on approach, and I enjoyed the treasure hunt.

We spend months or even years collecting specific fabrics and designing them into limited editions, sometimes coming up with a seasonal theme we want, sometimes we're trying to figure out how to show them at their best.

There are a lot of beautiful sustainable materials that can be used for 3D printing. Consider the innovative company Pure, whose 3D-printed material neutralizes greenhouse gases by capturing and converting carbon dioxide into inert minerals.

I've tried everything, going to auctions, going to vintage shows, contacting sellers, going to trunk fairs, you name it, I've done it! But now it's a little easier because factories and suppliers are aware of it, and building awareness and knowledge is critical.

Our approach is to wake up and give new life to products that have been produced and forgotten by the industry. We use garments, fabrics and threads from unsold and surplus products in supply chain warehouses throughout Italy to create unique products by restructuring and reassembling recycled materials. Italy has always been recognized as the home of artisans.

We must redesign the entire industrial chain and form a new process. Eco-futurism is a way of life, a way of behaving, and a way that values drawing inspiration from all aspects.

We learn from the wisdom passed down through generations from our local communities how to protect Mother Earth while making fashionable products.

The Latin American continent has a precious cultural heritage, one of its characteristics is rich textile resources. Truly contemporary Latin American design upgrades itself. We seek out alternative materials, work with local communities, and value craftsmanship.

Last spring, we opened a tailor shop next door to our flagship store, where customers can bring their cherished Bode pieces to be remade, repaired or "saved." We are also starting classes in the community to teach people how to keep clothes and fabrics from generation to generation.

I believe that all artists should draw inspiration from their surroundings.

I launched my own brand in Lima, the capital of Peru, using traditional Peruvian textile technology, spinning alpaca wool, cotton and wool from Peru, in order to promote the development of the circular economy, but also to cooperate with local craftsmen to pass on their skills.

Mass production is not our goal. But we wanted to grow into a bigger company, and doing that required us to scale up.

We are getting closer to that goal every quarter. One way is to combine vintage fabrics with new fabrics, recycled fabrics, or overstocked stock. But our main idea is to use vintage fabrics, which has always been our iconic identity.

The biggest advantage of 3D printing is that once you've made a digital design, it's easy to modify it to fit other body types. If you want to make a larger piece, you can even automate it algorithmically.

But most 3D-printed materials can't be stitched, either by hand or on a sewing machine, so we can't sew zippers or buttons by hand. To solve this problem, we 3D printed some carefully designed closure devices, which was a good solution at the time, but not ideal for the wearer.

After that, we started 3D printing on top of the tulle fabric, which made the garment lighter and softer, and we could eventually smoothly stitch the zipper together.

We pride ourselves on the uniqueness of each piece and are not interested in seasonal one-off fashion. Each of our clothes is done by hand, and the process can be long. Usually starting with the fabric, a single textile takes years of planning and conception. We recently completed the transformation of a 19th century Edwardian wedding dress into a coat and it sold within 24 hours of launch.

A gorgeous Edwardian wedding dress from the 19th century, transformed into a coat By Walid.

Most 3D printing materials aren't as soft and durable as traditional silk, but it's getting better and better. For a technology to replace an entire industry, you need all brands to start working with it, and that hasn't happened yet.

This is why 3D printing is expensive compared to traditional clothing production. So, in theory, 3D printing could spark a revolution in new sustainable materials without production waste, but only if many brands commit to the use of the technology and machines.

I have been promoting sustainability strategies in many art schools for the past decade, and I am delighted to hear that more and more students are practicing recycling. After all, this is for us, and for our children and grandchildren.

We don't believe that traditional fashion has a future. In the long run, reuse and upcycling are the only future for fashion. Therefore, our advice to young designers is: there are countless waste materials that need to be disposed of in real life, continue to explore new ways of "recycling and reuse"!