Spanish flamenco fashion sector protests in style
Just a month before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a national lockdown in Spain last March, the Andalusian capital hosted the 2020 International Flamenco Fashion Show displaying around 1,700 dresses by 80 designers to a maskless audience over the four-day event.
A year later, with the cancellation of Holy week festivities for a second year in a row, the fall in tourism and the closure of flamenco venues, the sector has no source of income, protesters say.
"The other day we were asking who cares about the flamenco fashion sector, and after a year waiting, we can assure you now that nobody cares," said Jose Galvan, a flamenco fashion designer.
Before the pandemic, Spain's flamenco fashion sector generated more than 600 million euros per year, providing income to 1000 families across the Andalusia region, according to the "#Lunar off" association, which includes different companies of the sector.
