Young Entrepreneurship

Without financial resources to open their own business, the venture was made possible through an exchange with the Residents Association of Barreira do Vasco: in exchange for running training courses in sewing and crafts for the community, the young women were allowed to work in a space in the community in which their ideas and creations could be realised. The association also helped by donating some sewing machines. From there, they began to manufacture products and sell them, and promote the work. But they still lacked the resources to purchase materials, that was when they began to work with scraps and businesses began to donate offcuts of fabric.

Companies such as O Globo and Osklen are some of the partners that donate scraps which are used in the classroom to produce pieces for the community and for sale at bazaars held on site. Retalhos Cariocas had the support of Natura for the production of the first fashion event in Barreira do Vasco with the TV Jam crew  recording the entire event.