080 Barcelona Fashion

A/W 2015/16 Drassanes Reials

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  Not so much a catwalk show as a SPECTACLE! That would best define the Brain & Beast collection which drags us into our worst nightmares like the classic terror films, and which we can’t get enough of. Dogs, psychedelic prints, kids, torture and childhood trauma are just some of the themes explored, which as we’ve already made clear was a great show. Impossible not to be reminded of the great Galliano and his rule-breaking approach. It’s not Galliano however but Brain & Beast, current bad boys of Barcelona Fashion scene who always manage to create surprise and great expectation. With the Maniac collection Brain & Beast clearly show how to represent something as fascinating as the power to self-destruct which we are all susceptible to, in terms of complex patterns, highly desirable fabrics and fun prints.

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  Mango! Mango presented its SS ’15 collection as usual bringing together many well known faces such as the iconic male model Mark Vanderloo, fashionista Fiona Ferrer, Jaime de Marichalar, and soccer star Dani Alves as well as a long list of national ‘celebrities’. The show was clearly inspired by the 1970s, without exaggerating we could almost distinguish the love filled crazy hippies here …. Fringes, macramé, shorts, earthy colours, off white … define the palette favoured by Mango for this upcoming season.

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  With the Miriam Ponsa collection we were shown how to reflect something as intangible as exile, cruel and severe but nonetheless very real. That concept provides the inspiration for Miriam’s work, featuring large knitted wear, weighted elements attached to backs and very well cut pieces, defining an almost mystical approach. The highlight is the hand made crafted nature of the collection, prime quality wool and the use of latex.

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  Perhaps the most eagerly awaited show, certainly the most anticipated: Sita Murt after Sita’s departure, Sita without Sita as it were. Just a few months after loosing one of the most emblematic Catalan designers Sita Murt, leaving an unfillable void on the Catalan fashion scene. The collection however was well up to the standards set by Sita and which we have become accustomed to; impeccable knit wear, highly structured dresses, sober colours, practical garments, easy, comfortable and above all with the Sita stamp clearly evident.

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  Isometric, the outright winners of this edition, chosen by the Generalitat for a new national award given to promising emerging designers. The ‘Psyche’ collection made a strong impact on all, working with concepts like the subconscious, trauma and inspired by filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Luis Buñuel the collection could only be described as fascinating! New men’s wear is being forged here, Isometric’s collections are the proof, with somewhat ambiguous pieces, inner linings which become outer wear, the reinvention of classic tailoring in terms of current trends, highly desirable clean and sharp cuts. Congratulations guys!

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  Right now Krizia Robustella is on the crest of a fashion wave, given that the Sport Deluxe aesthetic has even reached as far as Chanel – no further comment is necessary. Krizia has been mining this seam since her first collection and as we suspected with her 'sicky sweet bears' collection she has created a master class in sweetness, melancholy, childhood memory and all done through the language of the tracksuit. Pastel tones, gangster haircuts, oversize everything, cute and impossible head gear, a veritable sugar rush for all with this very ‘loving’ collection.

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  With a title like this 'Frog me a kiss' it’s not hard to imagine the nature of the new collection by Pagè, a new fashion label formed by Gerard Angulo and Paulina Canales. Sophisticated, golden... as in real gold! Fun and elegant, would be the best way to describe the work presented by Pagè, which at its core aims to bring luxury and exclusivity to a younger public, responding to a definite gap in the market. The classic savoir faire values, touch stone for dressing well and feeling/valuing what one is wearing. The frog prints and green swamps were the stars of the catwalk.

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  Taking as its staring point The Passions series of videos by artist Bill Viola in which he paints and draws his own feelings, Menchén Tomàs created a collection that combines sober tones, classic prints with eye catching colours, vibrant textures and acid greens to express contrasts. Sophisticated pieces sailing through a sea of contradictions.

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  Custo Dalmau or Custo Barcelona (which is the same thong really) surprised many at this edition of 080. Beyond the iconic multicoloured prints, shapes and textures Custo presented a much more sober collection filled with black and white tones in tartan patterns, deconstructed dresses, oversized coats and fur covered boots coming up to the knee. Personally I thought, along with many others that this was a good move, this subtle and agreeable shift in focus. We loved it! It also happened to be the best attended show of the entire week.

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  Divas Eastern wrapped in stardust, clay and paper idols, marginalized by society, searching here and there ... Silk and cardboard textures mixed up together in his dreams, lights, camera, action ... Who is looking at who?” Manuel Bolaño’s collection could be described with this emotive title, 'lame pigeon'. A collection where the fabrics play a key role and are also key in their own right. Highlights included the jacquard silks, floral prints, embroidered tulle with crystal rhinestones and a myriad of details that made 'lame pigeon' the most 'zany' collection in terms of mixing things up and the most creative in terms of the Catalan fashion. The sound track provided by Carousel, by Baccara, could not have been any more appropriate for a spectacle like this.

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  A change of pace is provided by Oscarleon whose collection Enfants Trobleurs explores themes such as trauma, psychological disorder and mental illness, where darker moods are on display. Strange expressions, reinterpreted classic pieces and low voltage colour tones go towards the overall feel of a slightly ‘off’ collection.

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