A deeply personal fashion collection inspired by Alzheimer’s disease will take to one of Spain’s biggest catwalks this September after Delia Arteaga, a 21-year-old designer from La Laguna, was selected to showcase her final degree project at Madrid Fashion Week.
Her collection, titled Quisiera Recordar (“I Wish I Could Remember”), pays tribute to her grandmother Ana, who was raised in Tegueste and has been living with Alzheimer’s for nearly 14 years.
A Collection Inspired by Memory
Having recently graduated in Fashion Design from the IED Madrid (Instituto Europeo de Diseño), Delia created six garments that explore the gradual loss of memory caused by Alzheimer’s.
Rather than simply designing clothes, she set out to preserve through fabric what memory can no longer hold.
“I wanted to preserve in the material what can still be remembered,” Delia explains.
Each design represents a different stage in her grandmother’s life, from childhood and marriage to the progression of the disease, illustrating how vivid memories gradually become fragmented and fade away.
Personal Memories Woven into Every Piece
The project is especially meaningful because Delia never had the opportunity to learn sewing from her grandmother.
Although Ana used to sew, Alzheimer’s prevented them from sharing that experience together.
Instead, Delia transformed family photographs, treasured memories and meaningful materials into wearable pieces that tell her grandmother’s story.
Among the collection’s most symbolic elements is tow fibre (estopa), an unusual material in fashion but one with deep family significance. It was once used by her grandparents while working in their transport business and became a way of weaving family history into the garments.
Other pieces feature delicate lace, organza, embroidery, hand-dyed fabrics and distressed textures that symbolise the gradual loss of identity and memory.
A Journey Through Alzheimer’s
Each of the six designs represents a different stage of the disease.
The collection begins with a bright white garment inspired by her grandmother’s wedding day, symbolising clear and complete memories.
As the collection progresses, silhouettes become distorted, fabrics darken and materials begin to unravel, reflecting the confusion and emotional impact of Alzheimer’s.
The final look features a delicate organza cape tied at the neck. As the ribbon is untied, it reveals a vintage-inspired bodysuit beneath, representing the fragile and deeply personal nature of memory.
Selected for Madrid Fashion Week
Quisiera Recordar was chosen for Madrid Fashion Week after progressing through three stages of judging by a panel that included fashion designers, journalists, lecturers and representatives from the Royal Academy of Fashion.
On 9 September, six professional models will present Delia’s collection on the runway, marking the beginning of her professional career while paying tribute to the woman who inspired it.
For Delia, the project is about much more than fashion. It is a way of preserving her grandmother’s story through creativity, ensuring that even as memories fade, they can continue to live on through the garments she has created.