We count down the best bits from Barcelona Fashion Week.
Amid all the furor surrounding the big name fashion weeks, you might not have noticed that Barcelona had its very own five days of fashion earlier this month. 080 Barcelona Fashion, now in its 17th edition, attracted over 42000 people with the usual host of bloggers, buyers and press all present and correct – including, of course, Wonderland. As well as a packed schedule of shows and presentations, the event’s organisers found time to honour one of Spain’s most iconic fashion exports, the legendary Manolo Blahnik. Minister of business and knoweldge, Jordi Baigetthe, praised Blahnik, highlighting “the talent, the creativity and the penchant for meticulous work” shown throughout the shoe maestro’s illustrious career. As for the collections shown, what better way is there to catch up with proceedings than with an easily digestible list of our top seven looks? Exactly.
Miriam Ponsa
Miriam Ponsa channeled ’90’s Helmut Lang and the moody-futuirst spirit of Rick Owens for her standout collection this season: bondage strap detailing, a colour palate of black and grey, and a whole lot of heavily zippered outwear made this a seductively dark vision from the Barcelona-based designer.
Pablo Erroz
Pablo Erroz kicked off his show with a kinetic dance display and a high-production value lightingscape – a fitting opening to a collection preoccupied with re-contextualized activewear. Slinky, blooming wool trousers were belted with mountaineering clasps and sport-bottles were slipped into utilitarian, fleecy pockets: some genuinely fresh takes on sportswear here, that very well-trodden pool of inspiration.
Aldomartins
It was a bo-ho inspired affair over at Aldomartins this season, with patterned ponchos and puffed sleeve-heads lending a flouncy, airy quality to proceedings. Elsewhere, cosy outerwear with fur trim and wide cut trousers nodded at the ’70’s without descending into pastiche.
Brain & Beast
A shock to the system amid more some of the more conservative designers at 080 Barcelona, this punchy postmodern collection from Brain & Beast meshed a Moschino-esque appreciation of logo culture with diverse casting and a high-camp political streak: tongues were placed firmly in cheeks.
Lupo Barcelona
Usually known for their handbags, Lupo Barcelona expanded things this season with a full range of apparel. Highlights were arctic-ready cropped parkas in pillowy cream woolens and diamond down quilt dresses. Not forgetting that killer luggage and accessories too.
Menchen Tomas
Menchen Tomas served up a wide selection for AW, with everything from stark black knitted looks and zip front shirt dresses, to an oversized, draped purple cardigan with sorbet yellow collar. Gucci flavoured fussy detailing came thick and fast too: think bows, fishscale sequins and plenty of embroidery.
Torras
It was a very snug looking collection at Torras, with Siberia-worthy fur hats on show, a slew of beefy winter leathers, parkas, and even a dusting of snow on some of the models’ heads. A stark contrast to the Barcelona weather but perfect, in fact, for the London club queue.