Trece (Spanish for 13) is a new brand out of Madrid and was launched in October 2022 with an event at Welcome skateshop. It was mainly started by Fernando Moré, who grew up with the DIY ethos of the skate scene in the late 80s and early 90s and brought his experience from making clothes, and photographer/filmer Renan Garcia. Fer had a workshop where he was working with classic textile for 17 years before Trece started. Soon they changed from the workshop in Madrid’s Sierra to the city center and teamriders started helping producing the clothes. The idea is to create an engaging and ethical brand that mainly uses local fabrics and showing the style of the Spanish capital. The fifth batch of clothes is released right now, they already created two zines (with riso printing) and now it’s time for the first video. Here we go!
Fer: South of the Pyrenees, brands have always been seen as something that copied what was done in the US or Northern Europe. We want to create our own image, and I think that burden of being a Spanish brand doesn't help us much.
Renan: Things can be a bit challenging in Spain. With lower salaries, there’s less to invest, and people have limited spending power. However, the people power is great and homies are starting to get together more and more to create good stuff. Today, new skate brands are surfacing and making their way into international markets, like Cleaver, Damage, and so on. There’s sense of community even though the skate scene here is smaller compared to the rest of Europe, so you've got to carve your own path. However, opportunities like the one with you guys are a lot already. The journey is long, but we're working towards creating something genuinely compelling.
Fer: We have a very rich graphic culture, and we draw inspiration from classical Spanish art, Gothic, Baroque, and Surrealism, as well as the traditional crafts that have always been part of Madrid's culture.
Renan: Tough question… I would say definitely! Here in Madrid streetwear would be something that defines what urban tribe you’re affiliated to, kinda like a uniform. When I got here in 2015 it almost felt like people outside of skateboarding or any other subculture wouldn’t put it at the forefront, nowadays you get more and more people into streetwear as a trend or a simple way of dressing.
Fer: Remaining faithful to our production values and continuing to do what we love. Obviously, we would like to make money and take some trips. Right now, we’re a bit precarious because it’s the beginning, and we sell just enough to sustain the workshop, recover, and keep going.
Renan: Keep the flow going – more clothes, photos, videos, and printed stuff. Planning some rad skate trips too.
