- The Calahorra Town Council will distribute a total of €7,000 in prizes.
- Registration to participate in this original parade of costumes made from vegetables closes on 23 February.
The Calahorra City Council has approved the rules for the 5th Annual Fashion Design Competition for the “City of Vegetables” Fashion Show.
This unique fashion show will take place on April 24th as part of the 30th Annual Vegetable Gastronomic Festival, declared a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest.
The “City of Vegetables” Fashion Show is one of the central events of this festival and offers an innovative vision of fashion through vegetable designs, highlighting the produce grown in Calahorra’s orchards that have made Calahorra the “City of Vegetables.”
This fashion show merges fashion, art, and gastronomy, as all submitted outfits must be made and decorated with vegetables, whether fresh, dehydrated, or in other processed forms, always maintaining their natural appearance.
This year, the competition introduces a new category, “Enogastronomy,” in which designs can be made with vegetables and products related to the world of wine. The Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin Regulatory Board sponsors this prize, which includes a €1,500 award.
In addition, two prizes will be awarded: €3,000 for the best outfit in the “Original Design” category, and €2,500 for the best design in the “Inspiration” category.
Participants and Categories
The competition is open to dressmakers, designers, fashion students, pattern makers, and design enthusiasts, both professionals and amateurs. Minors may also participate, provided their registration is submitted by their legal guardian.
There are three categories:
“Original Design”: unpublished creations not previously submitted to any competition.
‘Inspiration’: designs reinterpreted from creations by renowned designers.
‘Food and Wine’: in addition to vegetables, products related to the world of wine must be incorporated.
The maximum number of outfits selected for the runway show will be 12, for women and/or men, which must be modeled by adult models.
The outfits submitted to the competition must be for women and men of adult age and must be decorated and/or printed with vegetables, whether fresh and/or dried, or in any other form.
They must be made by hand or machine with an exquisite finish and the use of interfacing and trimmings.
The competition rules allow the use of certain products whose sole purpose is to give the vegetables a shine, but the color of the vegetables cannot be changed.
Registration and Competition Phases
The registration period for participation in the competition will remain open until February 23, 2026. Registrations must be completed using the form available on the municipal website (www.calahorra.es), by requesting it via email at pasarelaverdura@calahorra.es, or by certified mail delivered to the Tourist Office.
The competition will be held in two phases:
Phase 1 Registration: submission of the design project, sketches, materials, and required documentation.
Phase 2 Follow-up: submission of photographs of the production process and an explanatory video of the design, maintaining anonymity before the jury.
The selected designs will participate in the final parade and competition, which will be held on Friday, April 24, 2026, with a preliminary presentation before the jury.
Prizes and Grants
The competition includes the following cash prizes:
‘Original Design’: €3,000.
‘Inspiration’: €2,500.
‘Food and Wine’: €1,500.
In addition, all outfits that are presented but do not win a prize will receive a €300 grant to cover participation expenses, except for those that are disqualified.
The winning outfits will become part of the organization’s collection and may be exhibited at the Vegetable Museum or other exhibition spaces, with full credit given to the designer.
The complete rules of the 5th ‘City of Vegetables’ Fashion Show Competition are published on the municipal website, in the Official Gazette of La Rioja, and in the National Database of Subsidies.
