Sequins, ruffles, glitter and flowing fabrics dominate Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid and play an important role in Spain’s fiesta-happy society.
Craftsmanship and attention to detail can be seen in evening wear and bridal wear, but could also be seen in ready-to-wear concepts such as those from Pablo Erroz and Acromatyx.
It was less clear that this was autumn/winter 24 in the collections, which often relied on a bright, colorful color palette – such as Custo Barcelona and Ágatha Ruíz de la Prada – as well as light, flowing fabrics. Probably also because of the climate. After all, temperatures in the Spanish capital climbed to almost 20 degrees during Fashion Week over the past four days.
Nevertheless, there were also some concepts that were at least partially designed for worse weather. Acromatyx showed a collection inspired by electronic music such as techno and house, which would also fit in Berlin with its transparent fabrics, clean cuts and preference for black. This included some black and glittery oversized coats as well as skirts, shirts and coats in the style of rain jackets. But the pieces that were particularly memorable were those whose material was reminiscent of crumpled paper. This could be seen on various long jackets as well as accessories such as a bag whose shape was itself based on a paper bag.
Wild pattern mixes
Custo Barcelona, who presented the first part of his collection during New York Fashion Week and then moved on from Madrid to Milan, showed despite the summery color palette some voluminous puffer jackets, which were also equipped with a material mix of neoprene and sequins. But shimmering inserts, space suits with quilting, retro tracksuits with triangle prints and typical Japanese patterns with koi fish and cranes were also part of the overloaded collection.
He wasn’t the only one who juxtaposed different patterns and materials. Odette Álvarez brought together pieces such as skirts, trousers and dresses, whose cut and decoration are reminiscent of the flowing Indian sari garment, with harder materials such as leather. But the collection also included a coat with a pattern that looked like a Moroccan carpet and was decorated with glittering sequins, as well as hoodies that had colorful fringes like salsa dresses.
Overall, cultural references seemed to play a special role and some collections with their elegant dresses that featured wide, long sleeves and ruffles were reminiscent of the pieces of flamenco dancers. Hannibal Laguna and Enrinar in particular make particularly strong use of these distinctive features for the Spanish style. The result was extreme depictions such as extra-long sleeves and the use of a particularly large number of folds.
Duyos also relied on inspiration from his own country, but incorporated the flora and fauna of the Canary Islands. The catwalk already brought Tenerife to Madrid with its sandy and stony landscape. A color palette of soft coral colors and pearl white, alongside shimmering gold and bronze as well as accents of blue together with the selection of light, transparent fabrics, color gradients and flowing silhouettes also transported the island within the collection.
stone on stone
Meanwhile, Simorra also found inspiration in a rocky landscape. With the “The Memory of Time” collection, the label, which has particularly scored points for its craftsmanship in details and materials thanks to its almost 50-year history, dared to take a journey into the evolution of the earth. The focus was on fossils, which were presented in the form of applications on clothes and accessories such as belts, brooches and necklaces, fish scale patterns and the earth itself, whose layers were depicted in denim pieces, among other things. But real stones, which were modeled for a ring, among other things, were also part of the collection. In terms of color, the collection relied on earth tones, but also red tones such as Bordeaux and a radiant note.
The basis of Marcos Luengo, who worked with Iván Pañal, was completely opposite. The audiovisual artist’s work — a mix of tools like sound and artificial intelligence — formed the basis for the collection’s prints, which were reminiscent of looking through a kaleidoscope. But the avant-garde cuts were also convincing. Square necklines and angular balloon sleeves with higher armholes, together with leather hoods, shaped the collection.
In the spotlight: Elio Berhanyer
The absolute highlight of the more than 20 collections was the collection by Sergio de Lazaro for Elio Berhanyer, who brought the label back to life after the death of the founder of the same name. The new creative director, who has held this role since last year, honors “the master", as De Lazaro calls the creator, with an ode that draws on archive-inspired pieces. His first collection for the fashion house offers more than 70 looks that represent different phases of a time that is said to have particularly influenced Berhanyer: the death of his father, who died in the Spanish Civil War.
The collection begins with the mourning phase, which is accompanied by dark music and a candle in the background. It starts with looks in black, which are then complemented by the first color accents such as red, orange, brown tones and olive green. These are intended to represent the return of soldiers from the war, De Lazaro explained to FashionUnited before the fashion show. Outfits made from curtain fabrics, which are used in the collection alongside materials such as alpaca and doubleface, are intended to represent the post-war period in which makeshift materials became clothing.
But there were also some looks made of denim that were generally not very important this fashion week. In the next phase, things slowly develop for the better and things become a little happier – you dare to make a new start and the looks become more attractive again with suits and knitwear. This moves into the final stage where celebrations resume with a touch of glamor – silky, flowing silhouettes and a bit of glitter too. Nevertheless, this final phase also has the fear of the outbreak of a new war in the back of our minds, which is illustrated by a naval uniform as the final look. It has come full circle.
De Lazaro shows a harmonious concept that is reinforced with flowing and gender-fluid silhouettes, a sophisticated choice of materials and technical elements such as reversible jackets and modifiable elements, such as a scarf on a jacket that can be supplemented with a zipper. For this achievement, De Lazaro was awarded the “best collection” award during fashion week by L’Oréal, cosmetics group and co-sponsor.
