'Wallafoc', the Second-Hand Clothing Market of the Hogueras

In 'Wallafoc', you can find everything from a mini beauty queen's dress, a men's waistcoat, to a girl's Alicante skirt. The Santa Domingo plaza de Tomás Valcárcel bonfire has launched an ingenious system to help foguerers clear out their wardrobes.

Whether it's the gala dress from the year after being a lady or the work outfit that hasn't fit for over a decade, everything finds a new home through this commission's initiative. Agustín López explains that the idea emerged during a meeting when several foguerers mentioned that some people couldn't afford the festive attire. Simultaneously, they considered the amount of clothing each had at home, making it a great idea to give these garments a second life.

'Wallafoc' attracts people with various needs and interests: those who love the festival but can only attend for a day, mothers with children who outgrow their outfits quickly, men needing a new waistcoat, or a lady debuting in the bonfires as a friend of the beauty queen.

"What we do is take clothes on consignment and sell them, hence the name 'Wallafoc'. We recover garments that are sitting in wardrobes and put them back on the street to be used again," explains Agustín. He acknowledges receiving all sorts of items, not just textiles but also accessories, braids, or any detail a foguerer might need.

The difference between 'Wallafoc' and the usual second-hand market at the festival is that they have a stock of 200 garments. Instead of negotiating each dress individually, anyone can contact them via social media to visit the racó and search through all the outfits for what they need. This broadens the options and is why the initiative is so successful.

Agustín is most surprised by the emotion with which people bring their festive clothes to 'Wallafoc'. He was recently moved by a mini beauty queen's dress that "was frame-worthy", and an espolín brought by a lady who said, "It took a lot of effort to buy it, but rather than let it spoil in a wardrobe, I'd prefer to see it in a parade and know it's mine." "She was even crying," Agustín remarks.

This foguerer not only receives donated garments but also searches through second-hand sites for those requested. This month, he needs men's waistcoats, as "they are also in high demand," he notes. This garment, along with 18th-century dresses for girls, are the most sought after at 'Wallafoc' by the foguerers.