Ana Paula Figueroa wins Greenwalk Awards with recycled footwear dress, securing a place at Saint Martins

The fourth edition of the Greenwalk Awards took place on September 25 at the Sant Boi and Xperience Sant Boi shopping centres in Barcelona. The event was hosted by Paloma Lago with Alejandro Gómez Palomo as its patron. It brought together eleven students from eight educational institutions across Spain. The winner was Ana Paula Figueroa, a 21-year-old Peruvian designer based in Madrid.

Her design was a dress constructed from leather extracted from second-hand shoes. This stemmed from the concept that footwear holds physical and cultural information about its wearers. These imprints can serve as a material archive, reflecting on how to give new value to existing items.

The jury unanimously supported this vision. According to Alejandro Palomo, “sustainability is no longer an option, but a necessity, and it is essential that new designers incorporate this mindset from the beginning”.

Gabriel Nogueiras highlighted the conceptual value of the design: “It does not just reuse materials; it presents a coherent narrative about the lifespan of objects and what happens when we stop seeing them as waste”. Artist Eduardo Jairycovich emphasised its aesthetic dimension: “The wear and tear becomes texture, a language that connects with the user's memory and experience”.

With this award, Figueroa gains a place on a course at Central Saint Martins, a platform that has shaped the careers of numerous international designers.