Genderless and sustainable, this is the firm Curated by
Founded by Albert Esteve and Max Enrich, this young label from Barcelona is dedicated to genderless objects and clothing made with a conscience. Among his collaborations, a collection of porcelain plates with Brianda Fitz-James and a cheese board with Clara Díez.
If 2020 achieved anything, it was to make us stop. Until March of last year, everything was going very fast, perhaps too fast, and the covid stopped activity in its tracks. Fashion brands had to reset and look for new formulas, not only for sales, but also for concepts. And so the term sustainability began to acquire a new dimension.
However, sustainability, craftsmanship or the circular economy were concepts on which many brands that found their niche to grow were already based. Firms committed to the environment and to a new way of consuming that defend a job well done and honest.
Curated by, a young Barcelona brand founded by Albert Esteve and Max Enrich, is dedicated to unique objects and garments made with a conscience. "The brand was born from an interest in design, quality and craftsmanship. We looked at Japanese and Nordic products until we decided to launch ourselves to create our own catalogue", say the creators, trained in the world of fashion and design. Esteve has a background in Business, which he complemented with design and fashion studies in London; while Enrich is a furniture and object designer.
Company and communication tasks, along with fashion design and some product design, are mainly managed by the former. And Max is in charge more of the product and the productions. "The team supports us throughout the process. We like that they get involved in all phases," they point out.
Their challenge for 2021 is to grow as a brand, open their own point of sale and always thinking of expanding their catalog with new collaborations that provide versatility. And they find the inspiration to carry out their creations everywhere, although they prefer to look in what they use daily, even in anonymous or unknown design, than in the trends that occur on the internet.
Limited Editions
Curated by pays special attention to detail."We have good suppliers and artisans, with whom we have a very close bond. We consider ourselves a family, in which we incorporate both the team and to outsiders," they say. Its strong point is limited editions, sustainability and design, as well as collaborations with artists, designers and artisans. In recent times they have collaborated with Brianda Fitz-James, with whom they have created decorative hand-painted ceramic plates inspired by medieval shapes, and Clara Díez, the young cheese guru who is a success in her Formaje shop in Madrid. Together with Díez they sign a basalt table that can be used to serve cheeses as well as for cooking.
They usually say that Curated by is not a fashion brand, neither accessories nor decoration... What is it then? "We are lucky to swim between two waters: fashion and objects. For us they are complementary, since we develop products that tend to satisfy basic needs offering added value. Both in clothing and in the home"; assert.
What's so special about your articles? "What is special about them is defined by the consumer. We create a line of objects with a singular character, well developed and very neutral. Simple products with personality, which we would buy for ourselves," they explain. His collection includes everything from soaps, candles and combs to stools, sun loungers or vases.
For their part, the garments are simple and timeless. Curated by always bets on the genderless, even for the unique sizes and they do not pretend to follow the trends. "Despite the fact that both men and women of different ages are interested in Cuaretd by, the common denominator of our public is that they are people with interest and sensitivity towards design and sustainability, who live consciously," they point out.
Albert Esteve and Max Enrich look at the products we have at home. "In the basics. And then we try to come up with a simple idea around a basic product for daily use and give it a twist, a twist," they point out. For them, the best design is the one that is used daily. ? "But we always have references from all fields. We have grown up in an environment where culture has a lot of weight, where it is appreciated from reading, music, architecture. And we have a historical burden that precedes us from which we continue to be inspired. No there is another culture like the Mediterranean", they conclude.