BCN Handmade – Fina Badia

The lovely Fina Badia

Some time ago, I spotted some XXL knitted and crochet items on a Facebook post and was taken by what I saw. Investigating a little, I found out who had made the items (the lovely Fina Badia) and quickly got in touch. An email exchange followed and finally, a few weeks ago, I went to Fina’s studio to meet her in person (what a delight!) and take the photos I’ll be sharing with you in this post.

Showing a recent project

Fina Badia is a very bubbly person who is super passionate about she does, and she chatted a mile a minute about her past projects as well as her current ones, opening cupboards and drawers and pulling out different items to illustrate her story…

A great professional, with a helluva lot of experience under her (skinny) belt, Fina knows absolutely everything there is to know about knitwear and crochet and knows how to transmit it too. No wonder she has been teaching for some time now. Her pupils must be enchanted with her! I certainly was, in the relatively short time I spent with her, and learned about her internship in the UK, her years working for various fashion brands and her new project which is so very dear and personal to her. So much so, that all items are named after her loved ones, starting with the woman who was such an influence on Fina, her beloved grandmother.

The result is a delightful collection of very lovely decorative and practical items, and some of these have been infused with light to make them even more special. See for yourself, in the images below, and read more about Fina Badia in her own words afterwards.

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Where are you from?
Barcelona

What does Barcelona mean to you?
Barcelona is a small big city. Barcelona is modernism.  It’s culture. It’s cosmopolitan. It is the city in Spain most visited by foreigners, and the third of Europe. It’s the sea. It’s Tibidabo. It’s Les Rambles. It is quite possibly the city where I’d want to live had I been born somewhere else…

Favourite spot?
If  you don’t mind, I have two:
– during the day: the market on Plaça de la Llibertat in Gràcia
– at night: a drink at Mirablau enjoying the view

Favourite restaurant?
Again, if you don’t mind, I have two:
– “Cal Pep” in the Born
– “Bilbao” in Gràcia

Background?
I graduated with honors in Art and Fashion Techniques with knitwear as specialty (Ramon Llull) 1996. I teach in the specialty Fashion Knitwear.
In 1997 I created the first collection of garments for use at spas and health resorts. I was surprised to see it on television and in El Periodico the day after the show, something I remember with a smile, it really thrilled me.

How did you get here?
16 years ( from 1995 until 2011) dedicated to designing collection of knitwear for fashion firms such as Vittorio & Luchino, Guess, Burberry’s or Laserre, among others.
The road has been marked by two constants: commitment and dedication. Learning has been and is a daily thing.
Evolution is completely positive, but I have also experienced – with great sadness, believe me – the closure of alarge part of the textile industry which Catalunya specifically had. Anyway, I think the road has not been easy
for any company that is dedicated to designing and manufacturing textiles.
Knit Studio Fina Badia was born from evolution and the acquired knowledge of knitwear applied to spaces. This evolution was planned since 2010. I always believed that when I worked for myself, on a personal project, it would be something totally new. Knit Studio Fina Badia tries to dress spaces in order to transmit sensations.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by my origins, memories. Surely also by my grandmother.
I am inspired by the project itself, to do something different.
I also find smells very inspiring …

How does inspiration strike?
When you least expect it… I believe that while sleeping, inspiration strikes… Stability inspires me to create. Travel also helps. Knitting itself is a constant source of  inspiration, the more I learn, the more I want to know and learn more… The fact that believing that everything can be made in knitwear is a great motivation for me.

What do you find inspiring about your making process?
Everything: from proyecting the knitting or crochet to a space, product or garment… Anything imaginable can be designed and made in knitwear. To develop, create, produce and apply it to the space it was mentally designed for.

Dreams, hopes?
A better world for our children. With lots of knitwear.

A very personal collection

Thank you very much, Fina, for sharing your story with us, and welcoming me so very warmly into your studio. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the near future and wish you the best of luck to achieve a world filled with knitwear!

Check out Fina’s website for more details and info on her lovely collection, and her Facebook page for the latest updates. I know she’ll be at several fairs very soon, so make sure you don’t miss them!