Barcelona Fashion Is Not What You Think

Catalonian fashion brings to mind vibrant colors, bold prints and frilly things. If you’ve ever walked through Gaudi’s Park Guell—or popped into a Desigual store, for that matter—then you know the people of this lively corner of Spain aren’t afraid to show some flash, or flesh. But don't sell the local style short; there were plenty of unexpected runway moments at Barcelona Fashion Week, aka 080 Barcelona. These three designers piqued our interest...

Der Metropol
While many designers turned to the Spain's Gothic history for inspiration, Mario Francisco eschewed Inquisition robes in favor of puffer jackets in an explosive monarch butterfly print. In his men's collection, fabrics were heavy on sheen, so Francisco threw in a few more wearable options, like a zip-front track jacket paired with red shorts. It was a smart, almost conceptual take on athleticism.

Manuel Bolaño
Wallowing in the dark side, Manuel Bolaño was influenced by mental institutions, the military, and Nazi Germany for fall, practically daring you to look at his models with (thankfully fake) bruises and bloodied noses. Layers of raffia, photographic prints, and striped jackets showed a good understanding of print and proportion—like a procession of Otto Dix paintings come to life, but without the disfigurement.

Yiorgos Eleftheriades
Men in skirts aren't exactly riveting these days. Hell, we’re probably a season or two away from seeing leather kilts at Target, but Yiorgos Eleftheriades offered a more viable option, a pant-skirt combo in leather and wool that hit just the right androgynous note. Women’s oversized liquid leather coats and two-tone knits had a slouchy quality, balancing out the hard edges of an aggressive collection.

Alexis Reyna
Alexis Reyna’s adventurous show took the crowd in a few different directions. What started with tribal wrap dresses quickly veered into white gossamers, menswear style jackets, and most surprising, a hooded tangerine terry-cloth cape. Needless to say, there was a lot to take in, but sometimes sensory overload can be a good thing, particularly when Reyna tackled printed outerwear. It was some of the best of the week.

Toni Francesc
The liquid silk shirtdresses and double-breasted jacket with dropped lapels were some of the standouts in this quietly excellent show from Toni Francesc. The tone was somber and elegant, but a couple of Francesc’s more unique pieces, like a sheer knit gray jumpsuit, gave one pause. Otherwise the strongest pieces came in the form of dramatic tailoring, like in a one-shoulder print top with a voluminous silk trouser. It was a great reference to 80s tailoring, minus 80s styling, thankfully.

Josep Abril
Barcelona loves a touch of the Gothic, which might explain why Josep Abril’s collection was so well-received. Well, that and the clothes were pretty spectacular. Navy and teal plaid pieces were sharply tailored and effortlessly stylish. There was also a vaguely Arabian theme throughout the collection, with male models in sandy desert prints and wrap turbans. It's not hard to see these clothes making the transition from runway to real life.

• Posted Jan 31, 2012
• Comment
  Tweet

São Paulo's Brightest

As everyone knows by now, there’s a lot more to Brazilian fashion than string beachwear and Gisele's rocking bod. The underground scene in the world's third-largest city is thriving testament to this. Since 1997, André Hidalgo, journalist and owner of the red-hot Clube Glória, has been fostering the city’s avant-garde, assembling some of Brazil’s most interesting young designers through the Casa de Criadores (House of Creators) series of runway shows.

Casa de Criadores also has establishment support, including Brazil’s major fashion colleges and Texbrasil, the Brazilian Fashion Industry Export Program. Together they sponsor the event’s Pont Zero contest for young designers, a program that launched the career of Brazil’s newest Project Runway winner, Cynthia Hayashi.

Aside from the contest, the 30th season of Casa de Criadores brought together 29 labels—ranging from students to hometown heroes like Walério Araújo—at Cine Joia, a newly refurbished movie theater in the city’s historically Japanese Liberdade neighborhood. The style spectrum ran from badass biker to the theatrical, with many looks in the buttoned-up goth mode that’s been on the worldwide street-style scene for a while now. The three-day whirlwind is enough to give anyone a case of fashion whiplash, but here are four names with extra-Brazil potential...

Arnaldo Ventura
Tron meets tradition in Arnaldo Ventura’s winter collection, from the show-stopping circuit-printed bodysuits to the infinitely more wearable little black dresses and sparkly loose knits. The luxe factor is high in rich brocades and deep persimmon, plus luxuriously draped camel-colored coats.

Alé Brito
Multi-colored leather recalls the city’s booming rock-and-roll scene, with separates in head-to-toe silver, white and matchy-matchy metallic lilac and blue. The moto jackets, bare midriffs and skintight trousers are nothing new, but the bold approach to color adds a new and naughty sex appeal. This is the stuff cool girls dream of.

Danilo Costa
Cutesy, playful and just this side of twee, Danilo Costa’s casual clothes for boys and girls conjure images of the perfect couple dressed for brunching. The girls get low-key dresses and maxi skirts plus sneakers while the guys go sweetly masculine in dandyish bowties and muted pastels.

Gabriela Sakate
Leave it to a designer from the show’s Projeto Lab group of up-and-comers to create one of the season’s most sophisticated collections. Inspired by the play of light around Paris’s Opéra Garnier, Sakate used touches of plastic, metal and transparent tulle to recall the city at night in a refined, understated collection.  

• Posted Jan 09, 2012
• Comment
  Tweet

Alumna of Alexander McQueen, Conchita Perez Was Destined to Provoke

Karl Lagerfeld, Shoniwa, and Paloma Faith are just some of those championing Spanish-born, London-based designer Conchita Perez. Meanwhile, the video for her fall 2011 collection, Invisible Warriors, smacks of Alexander McQueen, with its corseted blazers, cocoon shapes, and impossibly snug leather reminiscent of jet-black petals from an exotic, toxic flower. Which isn't surprising, since she was schooled by the late British icon before starting her eponymous label. Perez herself, as it turns out, is a rare breed...

Conchita Perez and the Self-Esteem Salon, your showroom-cum-cafe, sound like a holistic burlesque act. What do you reckon?
Definitely. In my view, if art is about expressing yourself, then fashion is one of the most interesting and accessible forms of art. Art exists everywhere, and the best art you find in the strangest of places. This is one of the reasons why it's so good to be living and working in London. It is such a vibrant place with so many people trying to make sense out of this crazy world we live in. It’s the best medicine!

How was being a costume designer different from creating ready-to-wear? Which do you prefer?
As a cutter and maker, I wanted to increase my knowledge in the different techniques of constructing clothing and learn various methods of cutting. Theater and film use a lot of details from different eras of costume history. To be involved in that environment is like diving into the unknown. But I wanted to bring that spark to ready-to-wear and create something more imaginative and playful.

How did you get your start in fashion? What first motivated you to become a designer?
I come from an artistic family in Barcelona. My great uncle was a famous tailor back in the day. His name was Paco and he was openly gay, something that was obviously not part of the mainstream back then. But he was proud and made a good business out of the attention he got. My mother had a clothing shop and was always designing and making beautiful clothes for us. We were always dressed in the latest trends! My brother is an amazing sculptor and my older sister was a fashion designer already when I decided to move to London at 19 and carve out my career. I knew I wanted to express ideas and stories. I found clothing was the best tool for me to do this.

Tell us about your time working for Lee McQueen.
I was really excited when I got the job. I made the sample pieces for the autumn 2006 collection, machining silk dresses and hand sewing laces. That's one of my favorite collections of his. He has been a big inspiration for my work. Not many people have been able to take an old tradition such as tailoring and turn it on its head, making it accessible in a completely new way. I love him for that. And working with him opened my eyes to the fact that making clothing is so much more than fashion.

You exhibited during Paris Fashion Week last season. How was it?
Paris is great. Fashion Week there was amazing. We exhibited our spring 2012 collection at Tranoi [trade show]. In fact, we’ll be presenting autumn 2012 there again in February. Next year is going to be a very exciting year for us. We’ll be presenting in both London and Paris. Shows are a very important part of the label. It becomes a physical experience.

What do you do when you're in need of inspiration?
Inspirations are never-ending. I look at art, music, cultures, people on the street. When I ride the Tube or when I’m at a party, it’s a passion that I live out 24/7. 

Visit Conchita Perez

• Posted Dec 11, 2011
• Comment
  Tweet

Erïk Bjerkesjö's Men's Shoes Are Not What They Seem

Not long ago, men's designer Erïk Bjerkesjö decamped from Sweden to Florence and its promise of Tuscan perfection. He promptly enrolled in the prestigious Polimoda school, where he took an advanced footwear course with instructor Patrick de Muynck and director Linda Loppa, a fashion legend in her native Antwerp.

They clearly teached their young pupil well because Bjerkesjö's shoes, like most of the finer things in life, are made to look simpler than they really are. In an homage to the Vienna Heel, the most dignified of historical men's shoes, each of Bjerkesjö's leather derbies is crafted with 18 eighteen-carat gold pins inside, while etched on the upper is the archival emblem of Tuscany.

The shoe line has recently expanded to include men's clothing, but Bjerkesjö, a believer in a "post-modern synthesis," has made sure his Nordic aesthetic exudes from every stitch. That he's never without his handmade replica of Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic glasses pretty much says it all.

Visit ErikBjerkesjo.com

• Posted Nov 15, 2011
• Comment
  Tweet

The Esoteric Tradition Is Alive and Well in Germany

You can count on Germans to be esoteric. Take, for example, howitzweissbach, a tongue-twisting new line from Leipzig-based designers Eva Howitz and Frieder Weissbach, who come out with collections whenever they feel like it, thankyouverymuch. Their latest, High Class Robbery, plays with proportion and transparency, and comes with a list of rules, among them "Speak little or incoherently, as it suggests depth of thought" and "A slight stiffness of neck can be very advantageous for your posture."

While you chew on that, know that every howitzweissbach garment and accessory—i.e. shoes, socks, bags, scarves—are produced in the Ore Mountains in the Saxony region, where a textile industry has existed for centuries.

Visit Howitzweissbach.com

• Posted Nov 07, 2011
• Comment
  Tweet

The Bodylovers Is Not Your Father's Couture Tracksuits

With the audacious mission of giving style to comfort, the Italian men's line The Bodylovers debuts for spring. And these aren't your father's couture tracksuits either. Hailing from Armani, Fabio De Felice designs artisanal knitwear, transforming the finest-grade cotton, silk and cashmere into daringly simple shapes inspired by nature, the kind we imagine a monk of the future might wear. A deep-V hoodie? Who would've thought that was even possible?

Visit TheBodylovers.com

• Posted Oct 31, 2011
• Comment
  Tweet

Meet Hogan McLaughlin, Twitter Stalker and Daphne Guinness Protege

You know a big break is coming when Daphne Guinness, the avant-heiress and fashion fanatic, decides she wants to make your sketches a reality. It may sound as out-there as Guinness’s towering footwear, but that’s exactly what happened to Hogan McLaughlin, a former dancer from Chicago who had never sewn a stitch in his 22 years. And it all started on Twitter.

This past summer, the upstart designer was able to turn his somewhat macabre, Edward Gorey-esque drawings into a mini-collection of eight romantically gothic pieces and present them during New York Fashion Week. Among them was a sequined sheath with the look of modern-day armor that Guinness wore to the opening of a self-curated exhibition of her clothing at the Museum at FIT, placing the first-timer alongside the likes of Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, and Gareth Pugh.

From his parents' house in Chicago, McLaughlin talked to Hint about his Twitter adventure, his upcoming move to Brooklyn and his plans to follow up on a stellar first act...

Read More

• Posted Oct 03, 2011
• Comment
  Tweet

It's All Greek to Mastori*Motwary

An all-over flower print dress by Mastori*Motwari Studio—aka Maria Mastori and Filep Motwary—features all over the poster for a fashion exhibit currently on view at the Mode Museum Hasselt in Belgium. In very good company, the duo counts Hermès, Pucci, Dries Van Noten and Lanvin as fellow contributors. It's just the latest triumph for the Athens-born, Paris-based designers. Here, they discuss their Grecian formula...

The two of you are well-known as a Greek fashion partnership. Can you describe how you got together?
Filep: It was never planned, really. We were both working for a designer [in Athens]. Maria was responsible for the jewelry and I was working as the first assistant designer. We would only say hi or smile to each other. Then I left for Paris to see if I was meant for this business. Maria supported me in this decision. I decided to stay in Paris, working as an intern for John Galliano, Dior, Chloé and as a sales boy for Erotokritos. Two years later I went back to Athens. Maria wanted some costumes to present her new jewelry pieces with. I guess the rest is history.

Read More

• Posted Jul 28, 2011
• Comment
  Tweet

Jan-Jan Van Essche Makes Men's Clothes as Chill-Pilled and Dreadlocked as He Is

I met Jan-Jan Van Essche at his studio-cum-store, the Atelier Solarshop, tucked away in a non-gentrified neighborhood of Antwerp. Chill-pilled and dreadlocked, Jan-Jan was accompanied by his better half, Pietro Celestino, who likens himself to a cheerleader ("Go, Jan-Jan, Go!") "Pietro is the first person who sees my collection," Jan-Jan clarifies, to which Pietro replies, "Yeah, someone who gives him the first objective view," eliciting from Jan-Jan: "What are you saying? You're never objective."

It's a miracle anything gets done, which may explain Jan-Jan's one-collection-per-year maxim. "It's my philosophy and a way of life," he says. "It means I can concentrate on one collection at a time. I would go crazy if I had to design three times a year. Besides, I don't wear different stuff throughout the year. Winter or summer clothes are not so different for me. You just pile on more clothes during the winter and take some off in the summer."

Primarily a line of high-end basics for men, Jan-Jan's clothes also possess a vaguely ethnic, urban nomad, unisex appeal. "In fact," he says, "half of my customers are women and the fit is just as good, where the female body flows." To prove his point, when a woman came in and tried on a shirt, on her it became a loose shirt-dress that, when worn with a luxurious wool leggings, looked fantastic.

Not everyone could be equally inspired by Mali and Madeleine Vionnet, but Jan-Jan isn't like everyone. "I was in Mali and loved the fluidity in the way they wear their clothes. Everything had a perfect place when draped. So I decided not to design in sizes; my pieces are cut to fit. Madeleine Vionnet has also been a huge inspiration for me, especially the early years. I like the way she used ethnic patterns and draping to let the body speak for itself. She did this in a very avant-garde way and I can only imagine how liberating her clothes must have been for women in the 1920s."

After only two collections, there is already a cult following of early adopters who share a penchant for his unaffected, Muji-esque looks (albeit with a more sophisticated price range). "I am quite lucky. I know a lot of my customers. I see them and talk to them. It's growing steadily. It's worth all those long dark years."

Visit Jan-Jan Van Essche

• Posted Jun 30, 2011
• Comment
  Tweet

Delfina Delettrez Makes Conceptual, Cheeky Jewelry Far Removed from Her Fendi Roots

At only 24, jewelry designer Delfina Delettrez, who happens to be daughter of Silvia Fendi, proves with her latest and perhaps cheekiest collection that she's blazing a trail all her own. It was just a few years ago that the fashion crowd first became smitten with her surreal, conceptual, gothic, sometimes morbid sensibility. We caught up with the junior jeweler to talk stones, collaborations and phobias…

Your latest collection, Roll in Stones, seems to be built around the idea of motion. What sparked this curiosity?
I was deeply inspired by movement and would define the jewels as kinetic. I was also inspired by the idea that pieces could transform into other shapes. I love the idea that a rigid cuff can become soft by morphing into a fringe, or that a flat and skinny bangle can open up and blossom like a flower.

Read More

• Posted May 08, 2011
• Comment
  Tweet