One week on from the glorious week that was 080 Barcelona Fashion, and reporting from rainy, gray Paris, we’re thinking about the designers who excited us the most and who we’re looking most forward to seeing being worn by Europe’s hottest young things in the coming weeks. Check out our roundup of the ones to watch from the Barcelona runway below. 

THE ARTELIER 

Founded by Alba Ayza in 2020 The Artelier is a punchy label exploding with quirky graphics and psychedelic prints, all created with OEKO-TEX certified water-based inks, produced and handmade in Barcelona, rendering each piece entirely unique. In one of the most diverse castings of the season, models paced the runway clearly buzzing with excitement and confidence in the clothes they were adorned in. It felt like a party amongst friends, one we were lucky to be invited to. The collection itself reflected this party energy, entitled “Retiens la nuit” ; it was inspired by the iconic song by Johnny Hallyday. Alba Ayza wants us all to put down what we’re doing, lay down our stresses and revel in the moment, valuing the short time we have together on this earth. 

www.theartelier.es 

@theartelier.es

VICTOR VON SCHWARZ 

Already laying claim to having dressed Spain’s hottest export this side of the century, Rosalia, Victor von Schwarz, a Catalonian native was one of the most talked about designers in the run up to the shows. Launching his own label in 2013 after completing his fashion studies he quickly became accustomed to dressing stars and musicians alike, lending himself a name in the industry for his show stopping pieces and rock and roll persona. The collection did not let down its reputation, entitled “American Dream” it was an homage to 1970s Hollywood, think cheeky cut-off cowboy styling in pink, denim, rhinestone and tweed. His menswear pieces were particularly stand-out, featuring ruching, silks and fur in pastels, and shimmering body-hugging fabrics. 

www.victorvonschwarz.com 

@victorvonschwarz

PAOLO LEDUC

Probably one of the most technically well realized collections, Paulo Leduc’s “Gambler Tailor” FW23 collection featured exquisite mens tailoring delicately deconstructed and reworked to a perfection. One jacket resembled the early stages of a classic tuxedo with tailor’s tacks still visible running in thin lines up the vertical seams of the jacket. Others featured leather patches, some contrasting fabrics, in shapes that suggested flames or a fire had ridden its way through the pieces leaving way to a beautiful under fabric below. Utilizing digital print and trompe l’oeil fabric manipulation Leduc showed off his creative flair with a technical precision honoring artisanal practices without shying away from a Baroque-esque print and color palette. 

TXELL MIRAS

The FW23 collection from Txell Miras was a lesson in construction and drama. The runway show was a true spectacle, with the first two runway looks giving more art performance than fashion show: the audience was instantly captivated and enthralled by the looks that were to follow. Impeccably constructed, patchwork tailoring in bright colored shearling was mixed with nude, bondage headwear and footwear. It told a dramatic tale of a life in the wilderness, away from the city’s protection and laid bare to nature’s whims. It was afterwards, when reading the show notes where the designer explained her plight for the ever increasing climate crisis we are facing that it became evident how well executed her show really was. Dramatic and thought provoking, Miras is envisaging a new way of designing for a future of uncertainty, where clothes become increasingly necessary for protection and supplies become increasingly limited. 

www.txellmiras.eu

@txellmiras

FREE FORM STYLE 

Another brazen example of 080 Barcelona’s beaconing example of diversity and inclusivity (in full genuinity and beyond the typical gimmicky nods to inclusive fashion we are accustomed to) is Free Form Style. The first Spanish label, perhaps the first label worldwide, to design fashion specifically adapted to the lifestyle and needs that come with different disabilities. Founded by fashion journalist and stylist Marina Vergés, and IT expert Carolina Asensio, it’s a collection that is designed to be comfortable but fashionable, functional but trend-setting. “The collection follows the principles of British tailoring combined with the influence of punk and new romantic movements to create a design without barriers fashion. The functional, comfortable pieces dress diversity. To normalize a situation of physical diversity, with difficulties in dressing and with different stages of mobility. We have created fashion without losing the essence of the label, which is no other than dignifying all body types.”

www.freeformstyle.com

@free_form_style

OUTSIDERS DIVISION

A celebration of all things art, pop, play and color, Outsiders Division is an independent label founded in Barcelona by David Méndez Alonso in 2012. It’s an outburst of wild imagination, transgressing reality and breaking all boundaries of typical dress wear in a whimsical, satirical and downright daring fashion, winning him collaborations with some of the top retail giants including, Adidas, Converse, Nike, Levi’s, and Reebok, developing  Clashing colors, prints, knitwear, embroidery, appilqué, not one notion of creativity is unturned as the designer exercises his skills in fashion design, drawing, sculpture and painting. The clothes speak for themselves…

www.outsidersdivision.com 

@outsidersdivision

DOMINNICO 

And no round-up of 080 Barcelona Fashion week would be complete without a mention of Dominnico. The already buzz brand, established in 2016 by Domingo Rodriguez Lazaro, is an established favorite amongst some of music’s biggest icons, Lady Gaga, Rosalia, Beyonce and Dua Lipa to name but a few. With an established season of shows under his belt, including Mercedes Benz and Milan fashion weeks, and a spattering of awards such as the twice-won “Who’s Next” award from Vogue magazine, Dominnico’s show this season was a continuity of its offering which champions slow fashion, attention to detail and all the freaks in the world – freedom being its battle cry.

www.dominnico.com 

@dominnico