The idyll between politics and clothing brands has a somewhat dark historical past.From the fervent Nazi Hugo Boss and his preparation of the uniforms of the Hitler youth, the SA and the Waffen SS, to the ultra -right and violent link of Three Stroke or New Balance celebrating Trump's victory and becoming involuntarily into the symbol of the symbol ofWhite supremacists.Can clothes represent an ideology?The examples are left over, and do not always come from the right.

This Tuesday, the leader of Podemos and candidate for the government with Unidas Podemos appeared in the debate of Atresmedia with a garment that did not leave anyone indifferent.Pablo Iglesias wore a black sweater with a small logo belonging to the 198 clothing brand, often used by him and other members of purple formation.During all the time that the electoral debate lasted, the three figures were among the highlighted searches on Twitter, to the point that their website collapsed before the rain of requests.

His other rivals wore suits that would also belong to some brand, but none had the promotion that Churches provided to 198. In the beginning, back in 2012, they defined themselves as "the brand of change", but now in their slogan they postulate as"The clothes of those who know how to win."

It does not usually happen that a private company makes a box with its political ideology, but 198 is openly republican and left.In fact, although the garment chosen by Iglesias stands out for its sobriety, in its catalog there are sweatshirts with the Cuban flag, flags with the papers of Bárcenas, sweatshirts with the shield of the international brigades and even guillotines against the cuts.But it all started with what it was and will continue to be his star product: the shirt of the Republican football team.

"The play was round: a political claim through football, which was the largest speaker in those moments. That gave us the capacity to open the store in Malasaña," says Eldiario.es Eduardo Garrido, founder of 198Next to the one who is now a deputy and communication secretary of Podemos, Juanma del Olmo, and the brother of the latter, Eduardo.After the separation of Juanma -who continues to wear models in Congress -now there are only the two eduardos.

Although his alliance with Podemos continues through these public samples, Garrido declares that Marca and Party are "parallel projects" and that 198 has his "own ideological and social orientation."He also explains that they appeared before, in the heat of 15M, as a self -employment project "that had at the same time some conscience and political burden to influence the environment."

Moreover, the founder regrets that we can have "very abandoned republican claim.""While certain parties minimize or exalt Franco directly and with the departure of the mummy of the Valley of the Fallen, the republican model should be claimed in contrast," he adds.Even so, there was a time when the leader of Podemos appeared in the photos of the catalog and even asked the twist spectators to support the program buying in the 198 store.

But it was not the only one, so Garrido lists other famous "models" who did not have the impact of Pablo Iglesias: Cayo Lara and the root singers, the sticker or boycott.However, he assumes as inevitable that, "if the media traffic is now generated by that party, it is normal to end up contaminating a little purple everything that touches."He includes a clothing line.

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Social responsibility and contradictions

In addition to stamping the republican flag on the neck of its poles, how does a private company hold a leftist ideology?Eduardo Garrido confesses that he faces contradictions, especially with capitalist philosophy, and that is why he always tries that "profitability or profit margins do not prevail over social responsibility."

Within that responsibility is to manufacture short runs "so that there is not so much dwasting clothes", donate the surpluses "to a couple of associations in Palestine", commission the lines "whenever you can" in Spain -although sometimes it is not sometimes it is notpossible- and "visit the workshops" to ensure that the labor rights of workers and workers are fulfilled.In addition, all its products are made with ecological and good quality materials to avoid irrational consumption.

Sometimes, they also collaborate with associations to which they allocate a percentage of the benefits obtained by selling their slogans.But unlike the garments that directly sell certain platforms, Garrido confesses that "donations are not the purpose, because we arise as a form of self -employment, not to make visible any concrete collective."

That last is the case of Top Manta, the clothing store created by the street vendors of Barcelona "with the aim of improving the living conditions of the manteros and continuing with the fight against racism and the persecution they live."Union explained to this media that their lawyers already work in the brand's registry, which will serve - according to the collective - to dodge the crime of industrial property that is committed with the use of falsified material.

Es frecuente que los portavoces de asociaciones antirracistas luzcan camisetas de "legal clothing, ilegal people", o con mensajes contra las concertinas que recuerdan que "ninguna persona es ilegal". Lo mismo ha ocurrido con la línea lanzada por la asociación feminista Teta&Teta, cuyo objetivo era acabar con la censura del pecho femenino. Ellas también han donado parte de sus beneficios a la investigación de cáncer de mama y han fomentado iniciativas para impulsar la lectura entre las mujeres presas y apoyar a los locales que permiten amamantar.

198 does not intend to compare with these other lines of clothing that generate "more social than political" awareness and applaud that "they make a hole through associationism with how hard it is."However, Garrido does not believe that they are incompatible initiatives because "they create a synergy with us." His role in that union would be to "balance SMEs towards a working and left -wing consciousness."

But they recognize that the business model would be more similar to that of Spagnolo, the brand that raised the right -wing parties for their logo formed with the crossing of two flags of Spain."They are also a SME that uses flags to identify, the difference is that it is not our symbol, we only use it a lot because we are republicans," says Eduardo Garrido.

As for whether they are able to create political awareness, the creator of 198 believes that they have "enough messages and elements for people to use them, such as support for freedom of expression or feminism, without having to be identifying any partyspecific".They also create a red line with other social campaigns of great brands such as Nike or Zara that use it "as a marketing tool, not as an end. We use social and political content as an end: to influence".

In short, 198 they trust that his apolitous face in half and crowned with a laurel tiara remit the spirit of 15M, to the outraged who left the shadows and to those who ask for an empowerment of the civil.But the doubt is maintained: will they really be able to separate from the colors of a party in these elections?