When Reusing Materials Becomes Hope: The Magical Night of “Leather and Studs”

• A runway show in San José showcased the power of sustainability, craftsmanship, and female empowerment through a collection born from upcycled aircraft leather.

San José, Costa Rica became the backdrop fora story of talent, determination, and new opportunities thanks to CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and Southwest Airlines’ Repurpose with Purpose program, an award winning global sustainability initiative that upcycles aircraft seat leather and transforms it into new products.

Ten women, trained in CATIE’s Leather Workshop, presented their first collection, Leather and Studs on an unforgettable runway that went beyond fashion to become an affirmation of identity, resilience, and handcrafted dreams.

The collection, presented at Café Mundo on May 22, was born from the Repurpose with Purpose program, an initiative by Southwest Airlines that, since 2014, has recovered materials from more than 12,000 airplane seats following their overhaul every four years.

Rather than discarding these materials in landfill, they are given new life in the hands of over 200 rural women from Turrialba who aretrained at CATIE’s Leather Workshop. Through this initiative, Repurpose with Purpose has invested over USD 1.3 million to empower, transform, and generate hope in communities through capacity-building.

In 2025, the drive of Innov8 Productions S.A. and the vision of designer and brand advisor Víctor Alemán took the dream further byencouraging 10 women entrepreneurs to design fearlessly and to tell their story beyond the Turrialba countryside.

The result of the Leather and Studs collection is a blend of creativity, fashion, and a powerful message: it is possible to change reality, community—and why not, the world—by reusing materials and giving new meaning to the lives of rural women.

“We’ve evolved. We’re not just the women of the CATIE Leather Workshop. We are designers,” said participant Marcela Durán with pride, giving voice to her peers and bringing visibility to their artistic work.

Desiree Cedeño, from Innov8 Productions, noted that Costa Rica has always been a global benchmark in sustainability, and joining this dream was a concrete way of making that commitment a reality.

Víctor Alemán, creative director of the collection, said, “Empowerment means creating real opportunities for women in their communities—women who are with their families but also want to grow, generate income, and transform their lives with dignity and design.”

The runway show was a display of elegance, strength, and beauty through fashion. Each design, worn by local models demonstrated that fashion can also be a tool for dreaming, rebuilding, and inspiring.

The magical glow of Leather and Studs lit up the hearts of those who believe in a fairer and more resilient future. “At CATIE, we reaffirm our commitment to sustainability, to the Turrialba community, and to the generation of knowledge that transforms lives,” said Evelyn Chaves from CATIE’s Unit of Environmental Economics and Sustainable Agribusinesses (UEAAS-EfD).

To close the event, Eliecer Vargas O., the coordinator of the Repurpose with Purpose program – CATIE Leather Workshop, expressed his gratitude for the ongoing support from Southwest Airlines, and invited anyone interested in learning more about the art created by these Turrialba women to write to cuero@catie.ac.cr.