And after Madrid it was the turn of the fashion week in Barcelona with the new edition of 080 Barcelona Fashion held, as usual, in the Modernist Venue of Sant Pau. This year the Catalan catwalk did not have as many designers or brands as previous editions, but the initiative covered these local absences by reaffirming its commitment to international companies and the inclusion of new exhibition formats of the collections that adapt to the needs of the smallest of small designers. Once again at Gratacós we are following some fashion shows of designers who rely on our fabrics to come up with their proposals for the next Autumn-Winter season. These were the most hunted looks!
Eiko Ai
This young Barcelona firm debuted on the Catalan catwalk with ‘Quantum One’, a collection inspired by quantum energy and the unity of the cosmos that represents an evolution of its previous proposal. It was a feminine creation with a galactic theme, where several Gratacós fabrics were on display in a range of textures and transparencies: organza, flocking, jacquards, metallic finishes, sequins, technical fabrics, steams, satins and crepes combined with floral and geometric-inspired drawings with a print that precisely evokes those magical worlds.
The stars and flashes of the Milky Way influenced the colour palette with shades full of light, artificial colours, lilacs, mints and off-white looks. From out of the immense darkness of space emerge jet black and midnight blue. And from the planets and cosmic materials come the reds, nudes and deep pinks.
En su conjunto, Eiko Ai designed a whole collection inspired by a daring and feminine woman with delicate designer clothes and a contemporary spirit which stand out for their artisanal creativity as well as for the quality of materials and local production.
Menchén Tomàs
The sophisticated note of the latest editions of 080 is added by Menchén Tomàs. This time Olga Menchén was inspired by the busy night-life of Manhattan in the 70s, just at that time of sunset, when lawyers, brokers and office workers have left the streets and when with nightfall other characters appear on the scene, from diverse classes, cultures and origins such as millionaires, the homeless, artists, DJs, pimps and prostitutes … A mixture of disco, decay, drugs, the gay scene, the mythical Studio 54…
To shape this amalgam of people and nocturnal inspirations, Menchén Tomàs came up with a creation full of flared trousers, sleek jackets, billowing short dresses, oriental-inspired pieces, never-ending collars, embroidery, bias and lace finishes. They highlighted fabrics that radiate light, others hand-produced and embroidered, together with unique prints.
The colour palette used was intense and contrasted with impossible mixtures of great visual impact: pistachio green with fuchsia, pink with purples, glitters, sequins, and, of course, black and white.
Juanjo Villalba
Juanjo Villalba Bermúdez opened the last day of 080 dedicated to capsule collections presented in more free and open formats than in traditional parades, with more scope for the creativity of each designer via presentations that resemble artistic performances. This designer took advantage of his participation in the Catalan catwalk to present his personal project: ‘Emotional mythology’ through 12 looks which at first sight seem unrelated but whose detail maintains their essence. Each look represented a love story told through the costumes and where each model represented a divinity. At the end of the parade attendees could view the collection from close-up and touch the garments directly.
Emotional Mythology was Villalba’s letter of introduction as a designer -before that he was working in fashion marketing- and it was a throw of the dice which opened up new professional opportunities in the fashion industry.
