Fashion
How Amanda Forastieri Is Helping Revive Puerto Rico’s Garment Industry

How Amanda Forastieri Is Helping Revive Puerto Rico’s Garment Industry

Forastieri also leaned into sustainable practices, using natural dyes to create the larger-than-life prints the brand is known for. “I learned a lot about how wasteful dyeing with Pantone colors is,” she says of the collection, which includes some synthetic dyes. “So I tried to find a way to reduce that waste without sacrificing the vibrancy of the colors.” She partnered with other creatives for this pursuit: For example, for the magenta color in the “El Amanecer” (the dawn) top and pants, Forastieri tapped Brooklyn-based artist Cara Marie Piazza, who has previously worked with designers like Jason Wu, Eckhaus Latta, and Mara Hoffman, to create the shade from flowers. Forastieri says she’s looking for other ways to tap creatives in Puerto Rico who are using organic elements, like algae, to create original shades for future collections. “Those are alternatives that are much more in balance with our natural habitat,” she says.