Barcelona Fashion Week: Spring / Summer 2015

We recently returned from our latest immersion in Catalan fashion, which was hosted as usual in Barcelona, where the current edition of their increasingly popular bi-annual 080 Fashion Week  took place. With  35 fashion shows spread over five days, these were some of the collections that shone like the sun in this magical city;

Desigual

As a brand, Desigual still have semi-pariah status in the fashion world, but for SS15, they seemed to strip back the garish pattern clashes for a more streamlined look, based on Hawaiian tropical prints. Let’s be clear: Desigual is never going to have a Miuccia-esque spin on this theme, they are a high-street brand, and as a result everything was jolly, with prints complementing rather than contrasting. I was surprised by how much I liked it, especially the jazzy printed lace-up espadrilles – perfect for a beachside stroll. I was even more surprised when a mermaid closed the show. But then again, why not.

Guillem Rodriguez

Back in serious fashion-land, the double-show of Georgina Vendrell and Guillem Rodríguez showed some seriously good menswear, that would sit perfectly alongside those showing at London Collections last month. Rodríguez’ simple shapes and sharp cutting of block colour pieces flirted with gently with monochrome patterns and heavily with a JW Anderson-inspired approach to masculinity – leather zip-fronted long vests (aka dresses) were a highlight, but the slightly shorted pleated tanks were much more wearable.

Georgina Vendrell

This season, Vendrell went for a full-on sportswear-inspired collection. Encompassing tailored joggers, boxy t-shirts, elasticated detailing, technical fabrics, cagoules and short shorts, her collection was noted for its wearability and balance between design ideas and commercial possibilities. I hope a London retailer takes notice of her; on the basis of just the last two collections, I feel like it’s high time that Vendrell was better known.

Josep Abril

Last year’s award-winner Josep Abril’s tailoring was somewhat toned down from last season, but beautifully-finished once more, with particular attention paid to the fabric quality this time. Soft checks in greys and mid-blues worked particularly well in complex-construction boilersuits with multiple layers, as well as short-sleeve suiting. Perhaps a few more key pieces in brighter colours would have added even more interest to this season, but overall  Abril’s tailoring mastery ran the gamut of shapes and silhouettes and did not disappoint.

Yerse

Yerse’s womenswear was more of a literal translation of sportswear, but the mix of stripes, geometrics and florals gave it a sophisticated feel. Take out some of the overdone styling (gym socks, visors, mirror sunglasses), and the pieces revel themselves to be simple, luxe staples that would look as good on a Raval street corner as it would in Shoreditch.

Miriam Ponsa

This year’s prizewinner (€20,000, if I’m not mistaken) was Miriam Ponsa’s nomad-inspired collection. Last season’s yetis were a little too much for me, but this time the softer fabrics and neutral colour tone was much less harsh, bringing a soft scirocco to the catwalk, emphasised by desert shemaghs. Leather accessories were particularly strong, and Ponsa’s expertise with intricately woven fabrics was really given a chance to shine. A well-deserved winner.

Txell Miras

Txell Miras experimented with drapery, pulling jersey fabrics and stiff neoprenes this way and that, cutting a deep curve out of a jacket to reveal an asymmetric hem. It could have been a total disaster, but the architectural approach to layering and perspective was intriguingly beautiful, and the complex cutting revealing a huge amount of delicate craftsmanship.

Plenty of other labels and ideas were on display, from a very entertaining underwear show from Punto Blanco  to a bizarre trend for using tennis racquets as styling props. These seven though were my pick of the bunch, displaying a great spectrum of creativity and array of interpretations of a Catalan summer.

So another captivating season from Barcelona, set this time against the the beautiful modernist architecture of the  Hopsital Sant Pau which is seriously worth a look around if you’re in Barcelona any time soon, although I can’t promise that Jon Kortajarena will be there.