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About María Lafuente
María Lafuente is a renowned Spanish designer who stands out for her commitment to sustainable fashion and her innovative approach, where she fuses art, culture, nature and innovation. Throughout her career, she has taken her collections to more than 20 countries, becoming one of the main international representatives of responsible fashion.
In September 2024, she participated in World Fashion Week® and the World Fashion Exhibition® in Shanghai, where she received a prestigious award for her outstanding contribution to sustainable fashion, proudly representing Spain. This recognition is in addition to the 2022 Designer of the Year award, granted by the Faculty of Communication and Arts of Nebrija University, where she became the first woman to receive this honor.
María Lafuente is a pioneer in incorporating sustainable materials into her designs. She was the first to present a collection with PEFC-certified fabrics at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), reaffirming her commitment to sustainability and innovation.
In addition to her design work, she has collaborated on projects such as the creation of corporate identities for the Spanish Olympic Committee and Paradores de España, as well as costume design for film, television and theatre, always integrating her philosophy of respect for nature and human connection.
Their dedication to sustainability, art and social empowerment continues to inspire new generations of designers and consumers, promoting a more conscious and responsible future for the fashion industry.
Collection lines
“HENKO”: Conscious transformation through fashion
The Henko collection by María Lafuente is inspired by a Japanese concept that symbolises a profound and irreversible change, a point of no return that transforms us and leads us to rethink what is essential. In this path, Henko is an invitation to reflect on our relationship with the environment, the decisions we make and the human connections we weave in times of adversity.
Partnerships to Create Value
Jeanologia: Technology and innovation at the service of sustainable design
Henko marks a milestone in designer fashion by collaborating with Jeanologia, a world reference in technology applied to denim. This alliance unites the artisanal excellence of María Lafuente with the innovation of Jeanologia, which allows the denim fabric to be worked using laser, die-cut and frayed techniques, achieving three-dimensional patterns inspired by the lotus flower. These designs not only evoke movement and depth, but also minimize environmental impact, reducing the consumption of water and chemicals in the process. This collaboration is a tangible example of how technology can be an essential ally in conscious design, uniting craftsmanship and technology for authentic sustainability.
Cement Design: Fashion and architecture in dialogue
Another Henko pillar is the collaboration with Cement Design, a leader in eco-friendly decorative coverings. In this collection, Cement Design brings an innovative cement base that, combined with fabrics recovered by Humana, creates a bridge between fashion and conscious architecture. This approach symbolises the dialogue between disciplines, showing how industrial materials can be transformed into unique and meaningful design pieces. Fashion and architecture, two creative expressions, meet here to demonstrate that sustainability and aesthetics are inseparable.
The silver of our land: Merino wool, a conscious luxury that revitalizes communities and traditions
María Lafuente, in step with Henko, relaunches merino wool, transforming it into a symbol of conscious luxury. Defined by the designer as "the silver of our land", this fibre of profound historical and cultural value, with exceptional properties of breathability, durability and softness, is reborn as a key piece in the Henko collection.
In collaboration with DehesaLana and the ACTYVA cooperative, the transformation of local wool is promoted, creating exclusive designer pieces that intertwine tradition and sustainability. Henko celebrates this fiber as a bridge between generations, strengthening communities and promoting a living territory, while redefining luxury as a connection between fashion and purpose, beyond the ephemeral.
PEFC-certified Santanderina fabrics: Elegance in balance with nature
Henko fabrics include a careful selection of materials such as tulle, lace, sequins and PEFC-certified tencel from Textil Santanderina, which guarantees that it comes from sustainably managed forests, demonstrating that fashion can be a conscious act in which luxury and responsibility coexist in perfect harmony.
The selected colours, such as white, beige, black, salmon and khaki green, convey serenity, subtlety and a deep connection with nature, fusing luxury and sustainability in every detail.
Henko's philosophy: Rebirth in adversity
The inspiration for Henko was born from an experience lived by María Lafuente during the DANA in Valencia. Trapped on the highway for day and night, that moment transcended the personal and resonated like a collective echo, showing us that in the most difficult moments the best of us emerges: solidarity, mutual support and connection as a community. This moment is Henko, the point of no return where what we have experienced transforms us and drives us to sow new causes from a renewed consciousness.
The collection is symbolised by the lotus flower, which blooms in the mud and contains both the seed and the fruit, reminding us that in the most murky waters opportunities for renewal and creation germinate. Henko is not just a fashion collection; it is a manifesto that celebrates the human capacity to transform adversity into purpose and fashion into a vehicle for change.