When high fashion and football unite

We have already written about Matea Benedetti: she has made it her mission to raise ecological awareness, which she pursues with all her heart. She is constantly searching for new, innovative eco-sustainable materials, and thus has attracted the attention of the world media and all those who recognize high quality products and industry innovations.

During the Ljubljana Fashion Week last autumn, she presented her new collection, which was created in cooperation with the Slovenian football star, Jan Oblak, who plays as a goalkeeper for Spanish club Atletico Madrid. How was this interesting cooperation born?

"It was actually a happy set of coincidences that led to mutual consideration, friendship and exchange of ideas. I say that it was written in the stars, as I have never really believed in coincidence" says Benedetti.

"For me this cooperation is of utmost importance, not only because it unites fashion and football, but also because of the environmental message we communicate together and our action to raise people’s awareness. Football is the most powerful global communication tool; it speaks in a simple universal language, while fashion transforms this language into a tangible product and allows people to embrace this message in the most intimate way. Everybody understands football and its structures, while high fashion is less accessible and targets a more restricted circle of people."

Benedetti is treading the path of sustainable fashion with courage, wishing to make a change. She is fearless, even visionary; her collections explore all facets of sustainability, combining environmental aspects with social accountability. 

Matea Benedetti and Jan Oblak decided to focus on one product with his signature, which will be sustainable, universal, wearable, communicative, symbolic, intimate and stylish. The collection is intended for all generations, from the youngest to the oldest, for men and women. The creations are designed for casual, everyday wear.

It should be noted that up to 99% of all garments in shops, and in particular in sports shops, are made of synthetic materials. This means that once discarded, these garments will need more than 500 years to break down naturally, and during this process they will produce gases more harmful even than CO2 that use oxygen, pollute the soil and so forth. 

"The fashion industry is the third most toxic world industry. So I was happy to undertake this small, but important project together with Jan.  We have developed a non-toxic and biodegradable product. The T-shirt is made of bamboo, and all the labels and Jan’s box with autograph card are made of locally handcrafted sustainable paper. Production of the T-shirt respects the principles of Fair Trade, securing fair pay for the workers, without child exploitation and with a water print without heavy metals," say Benedetti who makes "leather" jackets from pineapple. Her last collection was inspired by parrots, which due to the persistence of illegal trade in wild-caught birds catering to people who want to have them as pets, and the loss of their natural habitats, are now an endangered species.

The collection is available from the Football Association of Slovenia outlet in the centre of Ljubljana and online at www.benedetti.life.