Who Is Sarah Inchaurtieta?
“When I was really young, I already wanted to be a fashion designer. I remember being […] 10 years old and creating flip flops out of cardboard and an old pair of jeans for Mother’s day.”
This is how it all started for the emerging designer behind the futuristic fashion brand Atalaya. Born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland to a family rich with creatives, it’s only right that Sarah’s desire for expression through the arts started at such a young age.
But like many creatively-wired individuals living in cities unknown for their fashion scene, she found herself growing up to pursue a more business oriented study in school for the sake of stability. Had it not been for the drastic impact of COVID, she might’ve missed the redirection needed to go back and learn about her true passion: fashion design and technology, a study in which she’s finishing up her third year of at the International Fashion Academy (IFA) Paris.
A Fusion of Fashion & Tech
Atalaya. A hill where Sarah’s parents live, a landmark of personal significance, and the name of a futuristic fashion brand that simply couldn’t be described in three words. Sarah tells us Atalaya was born from a mix of inspirations taken from the Genevan environment and the family she grew up in, as well as the cultural-social dynamics of the friends and people she’s encountered, especially in Paris and London. Atalaya as a brand is fluid, consistently shifting through the living vision of the designer. When you ask Sarah what kind of clothes she makes, don’t expect her to answer in terms of silhouettes or garment type. For her, it’s all about confidence attire: pieces worn as if a shell of confidence, empowering and protecting you from the world.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
What goes into making such confidence attire? The creative and production process for Sarah is never truly the same. At times she finds herself going down the more traditional, well-paved route: manifesting a vision onto paper, accompanied with brief notes and illustrations that are then transformed into patterns and final productions. But as of late, she’s been taking a different approach with garment making: upcycling, the practice of deconstructing an already made garnet before reconstructing it into something new.
In her eyes, upcyclying aligns with Atalaya’s brand mission of sustainability. Sarah calls it, “working with things that are already there,” by venturing to thrift stores, picking out visually interesting items, and giving them a second chance at life instead of letting them wither off in landfills. This process, because her material is limited to the original item(s) she thrifts, requires a level of meticulous planning and precision. When she’s ready, she lays out her selection on a floor and starts visualizing new designs based off of the fabric, color, texture, and just how much she has to maneuver with. It’s quite a challenge, Sarah says, but a fun one that exercises her innovative abilities to generate.
TECH TALKS
One thing that seems to make this process more enjoyable is Sarah’s implementation of technology as a tool of creation. When it comes to tech in fashion, or any art medium in general, she is aware of how many believe modern tech takes away from the genuine nature of traditional craftsmanship. But she believes otherwise. “It would be a shame not to be curious about how far we can push it in an intelligent way,” Sarah adds. For example, making her sketches on her iPad and creating 3D models of her garments using digital software. Or even saving money for all the tools and time she’d end up having to invest into, which also speaks to her mission of sustainability.
Sarah’s intrigue with technology is apparent, so when asked what is one piece of tech she is curious about, the answer is artificial intelligence. The relatively unknown yet quick-learning software has already shaken many fields since it’s recent introduction to the world. The creative industries has also been no stranger to its impacts—both of the positive and the unwanted.
“I know it’s super scary for a lot of artists,” Sarah says with a smile. She acknowledges the general fear of it taking over the developmental works and passions of humans in fashion. In her eyes, however, AI can truly be utilized as yet another technological tool. Although she isn’t familiar with this new-age intelligence, Sarah is curious to see how other designers might end up using AI and maybe even apply it into her own work.
Final Interview
Sarah answers some of our final questions.
Who is the person or the audience you design for?
I design for young minds that want to change the world. I think fashion is a great way to spread messages of tolerance, love and progress. I speak to these people who are sensitive to fight their convictions through the art of wearing them. It’s everyday activism. It is not about age or location, it’s about what we believe in.
Is there an audience you’d prefer to not be represented by your brand?
I don’t want to be represented by those who I don’t share any values with. I try to make everything with meaning so it wouldn’t make sense for people who are so drastically different from me to wear my creations. I don’t think they would find any interest to my work anyways.
What is a piece of advice you’d give to emerging designers/creatives like yourself?
Practice art in as many shapes and forms as you can. It doesn’t matter how disconnected to fashion you think it is, it never really is. Singing, writing, dancing, painting, acting, they all bring so much depth and passion to your final work. I would also say always make things with meaning. The industry grows in an industrial direction where we lack attention, that’s the saddest thing to me. The only way to really identify with your work is creating with purpose. In the long run, people will connect a lot more with what you offer and the virtuous circle starts.
If you were given the chance to show at any major fashion week, which would you choose? What would be your collection/runway concept?
London without any doubt. I lived there for about a year and it was incredibly eye opening for me. I recognized myself in people more than anywhere else and it reconnected me to fashion in a different way. I am currently working on my final year collection which is about the difficulty for the younger generations to find our way through life. The current state of the world and its economy is making it impossible for us to find a sense of purpose and serenity. I illustrate this idea through the aesthetic of the backrooms, which is a dark universe created by people of the internet depicting a sequence of rooms all more and more dangerous and difficult to get out of. I know people would connect with it there.
If you could choose any other aesthetic/style to design your garments based off of, which would it be?
I always wanted to lean into the Punk style. I’ve been a huge fan of Vivienne Westwood for ever, not only as a designer but also as a person. She created a scene for forward-thinkers and made me want to do the same. The punk movement speaks to me both conceptually and aesthetically so I’d love to borrow some elements from them.
The Future of Atalaya
For Atalaya, over industrialization is not an option. The production and extreme consumption of fast fashion doesn’t align with Sarah. She believes it’s time for the industry to make way for the embracing of slow fashion practices. She also envisions working with more like-minded, unique, and talented artists, whether that’s through her creative process with seamstresses, concept artists, or designers, or even with those in different mediums like singers and dancers.
Sarah believes the idea of leveraging diverse creative elements to bring a story or art piece of deep and rich meaning will truly push her forward in the future.
Check out Part 1 & 2 of Sarah’s exclusive interview below!
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Immerse yourself into the design world of Atalaya by following Sarah and her brand at @whoisatalaya on Instagram and TikTok. We at Style Cartel continue to cheer on her endeavors!
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All images courtesy of Sarah Inchaurtetia & Atalaya.
