Costa Rican Women Create Sustainable Fashion

In Costa Rica, two women, Mauren Castro and Marta Sosa, have transformed their lives by joining the all-female Piel Marina cooperative, which turns discarded fish skins into sustainable fashion items such as jewelry and handbags. Previously dependent on their husbands' fishing incomes, the women now utilize fish skins thrown away by local fishermen due to new sustainability regulations that have limited fishing practices. With training from the NGO MarViva, they learned to scrape, tan, and dye the skins, creating products that are both environmentally friendly and economically beneficial. The cooperative not only empowers these women but also helps reduce waste and pollution in their community. Castro and Sosa illustrate their process, which takes several days and results in odorless, waterproof leather. Their initiative contributes to a growing trend of utilizing waste materials in the fashion industry, addressing global environmental concerns.