The move towards greener companies is nowadays an obligation, not merely an option to contemplate. The superabundance of industrial processes and the consequent mass production of the last century are inconceivable in the 21st century if we fail to take into account the impact they have on the environment.

The industry has inherited an unsustainable development model based on the misuse of social and natural resources with consequences for the Earth which for decades have been evidenced in a frequent and increasingly common way: the increase in the temperature of the planet, the large-scale deforestation, the increase in greenhouse gas emissions or the expiration date of many natural resources and energy sources due to irresponsible use without considering the consequences. In short, the dreaded climate change we are already experiencing. Today we talk about environmental crisis, a type of global recession that adds to the financial, economic or industrial consequences with which we are too familiar. Quite apart from the large-scale ecological disasters, if adequate measures are not taken to stop this phenomenon, the environmental crisis can lead to social conflicts and the inability of companies to continue maintaining their economic activities.

Rosa Pujol: “Sustainability is a necessary collective commitment”

Aware of the situation, we believe that new opportunities also arise from the crises and those companies that commit to the new “green economy” will be the ones that will have competitive advantages and will position themselves as leaders. “Gratacós wants to grow and accordingly understands that other parameters must be taken into account. Sustainability is a necessary collective commitment in all sectors, ”says Rosa Pujol, creative director of Gratacós. There is a growing need and demand among consumers for sustainable and ethical products, especially among new generations that have greater sensitivity. “We create collections for generations of the future because change is in them and they are asking for the industry to take action,” says Pujol.

Rosa Pujol: “We create collections for generations of the future”

In this sense, at Gratacós we have been working for a sustainable future based on efficiency in the use of energy and natural resources. In the Barcelona offices and the Canovellas warehouse we have opted for an energy efficiency policy and a new BOP lighting system (with plasma base) that is currently the most technologically advanced product on the market. In addition all the plastic material we use for the packaging of our merchandise is supplied by a company that certifies its manufacture with 100% recovered material, whilst the cardboard in boxes has the REACH certificate that controls and restricts the use of chemical substances.

One step further

Currently our mission in the field of sustainability also extends to the production processes and a gradual commitment to innovation and research of sustainable fibres and fabrics that are already being integrated into the collections of each season. “We are talking about a change that affects weaving with regenerated and recycled fibres and the commitment to bio fabrics. Right now we are working under these guidelines, ”explains Rosa Pujol.

In the current Autumn-winter 19/20 collection, some recycled and regenerated fibres have already been introduced, but our real and palpable commitment will take shape in the next summer 2020 and winter 2020/2021 collections: recycled polyester, recycled or regenerated cotton and cupro are, among other innovations that we are already presenting at international fairs. This move towards greener attitudes is unstoppable!

This commitment to sustainability has a certain handicap. “These fibres are a bit more expensive because they have gone through a regeneration process. Gradually the customer will come to understand this added value, ”argues the creative director of Gratacós.

Could 100% sustainability be achieved?

The sustainable commitment is gradual but unstoppable and our intention is to strengthen and work in this direction in the coming years. “Right now it makes no sense to speak for so many future years because what matters is the position and attitude of the company looking for new formulas for sustainable development,” explains Rosa Pujol. And she adds by way of conclusion: “If we do not do so, we have no future.”

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

We kick off the season talking about another exhibition that extols the female figure and gives a new vision of the “body-fashion” relationship. Its title is evocative: ‘El Cuerpo Inventado’. (The Invented Body). A sample organized by Collectors Collective in Madrid that highlights the aesthetic canons that have remained in fashion since the early twentieth century to the present day, providing a new dialectic of evolution and changes that are especially appreciated in women’s clothing .

4 silhouettes and a century

The silhouette is responsible for creating the spirit of time beyond colours, fabrics or trimmings. It is precisely the silhouette that captures the aesthetic canon of an era.

In spite of its apparent richness and variety, the history of Western feminine dress has been repeating its forms throughout the centuries: there are only a handful of silhouettes with which the dressmakers have invented their creations. For example and focusing on the last 100 years, the silhouettes that have had more relevance in the twentieth century are four: tubular silhouette, triangular silhouette and double triangle silhouette, globular silhouette and anatomical silhouette. In addition, all of them have a history in previous centuries. Of course: the prevalence is not exclusive. The silhouettes can coexist in time, although the protagonism of one of them will be the one that defines the era.

In turn, the exhibition also proposes a reflection on “the tyranny of the invisible” and the naked body, a movement that has been consolidating in recent years to reach today unsuspected limits.

Collections and creators

‘The Invented Body‘ is formed of pieces by important fashion collectors (Antoni de Montpalau, Quinto, Maite Mínguez and López-Trabado), as well as three prestigious international renowned museums such as the Costume Museum of Madrid, MUDE : Lisbon Design and Fashion Museum and the Fashion Museum of Santiago de Chile.

The exposed designs are part of the most relevant names on the international scene such as Lanvin, Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Mainbocher, Versace, Yssey Miyake, Azzaro , Azzedine Alaïa , Pierre Cardin , Yves Saint Lauren, Pucci, Christian Lacroix, Commes des Garçons or Gucci. There are also first-class Spanish designer models such as maestro Cristóbal Balenciaga, Pedro Rodríguez, Lorenzo Caprile , Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, Jesús del Pozo, Leandro Cano, Ernesto Artillo , Antonio Velasco or Josep Font.

Trendy icons of yesterday and today

Throughout the history of the suit, fashion has used influential people to spread itself. Until the nineteenth century, it was the aristocracy who used to have this mission, but at the end of that century this trend begins to change and it is women in the field of culture and entertainment who become fashion prescribers for the dissemination of fashions. Next to a specific silhouette there is usually an influential woman legitimizing it: how could we disassociate the silhouette that narrows the waist, projects the breasts and widens the hips of actress Marilyn Monroe?

Therefore, the exhibition also includes the role of these famous women who have consolidated the different aesthetic canons, taking a tour of the most influential names in fashion of the twentieth century, with dresses that belonged to Madonna, Claudia Schiffer, Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Lady Gaga, or even her majesty Doña Letizia, among other relevant women.

‘The Invented Body ‘ of Collectors Collective opens next Thursday, September 12th at General Perón Avenue in Madrid and can be visited until December 15th.

Fotos: Alfonso Ohnur

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

After Barcelona, ​​it has been Madrid’s turn for catwalk shows. Again, Gratacós has been present in some creations for the upcoming season thanks to the support of Spanish designers who confide in us. Coming up, we analyze some proposals seen in the 70th edition of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Madrid in the Spring-Summer 2020 collections. Do you recognize the fabrics?

Dominnico The new generation

The winner of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talent, Domingo Rodríguez presented the award-winning collection on the Madrid catwalk: ‘ Harajuku Kids ‘ is a proposal that appeals to the young people of the Z generation inspired by Club Kids , the London generation of the nineties and also In the new digital age. A proposal that also takes into account the urban tribes of Japan and is conceived as an agenda , away from labels with extravagant shapes and silhouettes that are an invitation to individualism and to one’s own character.

The Dominnico collection, with a vast range of Gratacós fabrics, is imbued with textures, sequins, rolling, tulles, overlays and volumes wrapped in a range of pastel colours. Thus, inheritance, current affairs and even future were mixed thanks to an unusual sweetness and femininity in Dominnico that advances to gain maturity in its style.

Brain & Beast: Is released from the clichés

The Brain & Beast creative team, led by Ángel Vilda, presented in Madrid the second part of their proposal based on totems and taboos, initially introduced in Barcelona. If in 080 Barcelona Fashion , Vilda criticized the clichés and conventions that people impose on themselves, in ‘ Taboo ‘ the liberation of the alter ego was shown , the projection of real desire. On the catwalk no shortage of printed message such as ‘Happiness is a lack of fear’ in the most striking garments. Iridescent and satin fabrics coexist with classics that flee from the sober appearance combined with atypical proposals that give rise to renewed styles. The scenery, as always impeccable: a disco ball presided over the stage symbolizing the totem, while the chairs placed in the middle of the catwalk symbolized the taboos.

Juan Vidal: An ode to classic beauty

The Alicante designer specialized in enhancing the femininity of women presented a collection of Renaissance dyes dedicated to the goddess Venus, a classic beauty ideal. In this way, Juan Vidal collected all the Roman and Greco-Roman references and transported them in urban and contemporary with a pure and bright proposal, which empowers women. The goddesses of Juan Vidal wear white with brushstrokes of blue and gold, until they reach rigorous black. Skirts were seen constantly throughout the show, as well as the flowing garments, the XL shirts and the suggestive volumes. We loved seeing some of our fabrics in this powerful collection!

The 2nd Skin and Co: workshop crafts

‘Atelier Madrid’ was the new proposal by The 2nd Skin Co. and refers to the location of his workshop with clear French touches. In this sense, the Spanish firm aims to merge Madrid aesthetics with the details of Haute Couture. Once again, designers Antonio Burillo and Juan Carlos Fernández seek to deconstruct patterns with a work that transform each garment so that what is traditionally hidden in a design comes to light and shapes it. This is how creations that look semi-finished look and some labels are visible. The main aspect of this collection are cocktail dresses with mini cuts, corseted bodies and voluminous skirts. The ties and floral motifs become the guiding thread of some proposals in which fuchsia color has a significant presence.

The exhibition: Juan Carlos Pajares

Within the Madrid Capital de Moda (MCDM) program, in parallel to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week , we make special mention to the exhibition by Juan Carlos Pajares in the Cecilio Rodríguez Gardens of the Spanish capital. That’s where the designer presented his collection ‘Yes, take the risk ‘ in a solid commitment to research new creative languages ​​that are out of fashion conventions.

Pajares worked in collaboration with the music producer Meneo who tried to put sound to the 5 families of different ensembles that represent the 5 phases of the feelings that inspire the collection in a fun performance. The new proposal itself speaks of risk and courage through contrasting colours and fabrics such as silk organza and mikados, twill, crepes, neoprene and sequins. A collection for those who want and feel, value fashion, but, above all, that end up listening to that inner voice and express themselves with it.

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

The rise of Dominnico was foreseen . It was just a matter of time for his meteoric career to take off. And this ascension has only just begun. Now, the restless Domingo Rodríguez has landed himself a new achievement that consolidates him within the map of young promises of Spanish fashion : becoming the winner of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talent.

“Winning this award means fulfilling a dream.It represents the start of my firm and the beginning of a new stage for this project “, explained the young designer after winning the prestigious award.In fact, the designer has already begun to gain fame outside our borders.At only 24 years of age, Dominic has dressed personalities from the world of entertainment such as Lady Gaga, Rita Ora or Rosalía, who have worn the outfits ,made in part with our fabrics on tours around the world.

His impeccable dressmaking, his huge national and international projection, his early maturity and his commercial outlook have been some of the attributes that have fascinated the jury. A project with a speech of its own and true to its essence that has made him the winner of the 14th edition of this contest that rewards young talents.

Domingo Rodríguez: “inning this award means fulfilling a dream and the beginning of a new stage for Dominnico”

An ode to Generation Z

The award-winning collection , presented on the Madrid catwalk , is called Harajuku Kids and it is inspired by Club Kids, the London generation of the nineties, but also in the new digital era, centreed above all on social networks. Artists like Andy Dixon, Antoni Tudisco, Six N. Five, or the influencer Ruby Gloom have also been taken into account in the conception of the collection. A proposal that also takes into account the urban tribes of Japan and is conceived as agender, away from labels with extravagant shapes and silhouettes that are an invitation to individualism and character.

The collection, replete with Gratacós fabrics, is impregnated with textures, sequins, laminates, tulles, overlays and volumes wrapped in a range of pastel colours. In this way, inheritance, actuality and even future mix thanks to a sweetness and femininity unusual in Dominnico that advances to gain maturity in its style.

Next stop Georgia

Beyond the recognition, the prize includes the possibility of a catwalk next November at the international Mercedes-Benz Tilti Fashion Week in Georgia. A moment in which the designer from Alicante will already be presenting the winter collection of the following year. In this way, Domingo Rodríguez joins the successful group of great young talents who got this award back in the day, such as Outsiders Division, Célia Valverde, Juan Carlos Pajares, Ela Fidalgo, Xavi Reyes, María Clè Leal, David Catalán, Ernesto Naranjo or Pepa Salazar.

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

It is not a novelty this season, but it is reluctant to abandon the podium of trends. It has no rival in terms of strength, brightness and daring and has gone from being a simply radiant colour to becoming a symbol for generation Z.  We are talking about the most shocking green: in neon, lime or pistachio. It is the true “king” of summer that permeates the street style with its rebellion and youth.

Almost a year ago this carefree colour began to resonate as a trend. Lime green in its fluorine version was slipping into the winter closet . The greatest impact was achieved through Instagram when it stormed surprisingly into the  timelines of various fashionable influencers. This gaudy tone caught everyone’s eye through one viral garment: a tight-fitting perkins-neck sweater that was displayed brazenly with the same blinding force of a lightning bolt . Fluorescent green in all its glory! This garment was shown in different versions and by several different companies – both design and low cost – who adapted it in their own way. The lime green jersey became the most coveted trend of the moment.

Subsequently this vibrant tone was one of the most repeated and adapted by those attending the international parades. It was worn in trousers, dresses and coats, also flirting with accessories-though to a lesser extent. The big brands reinforced their power by protecting neon colours -including the green in question – as one of the trends this summer. It is curious that of all the newly-popular colours this type of green was the best-acclaimed in the street, the thermometer which helps the sector to know what really people will wear or not, regardless of what fashion dictates.

A prominent role was played by the power of attraction of world-wide influencers and celebrities ,  who did not hesitate to dress in lime green: Kendall and Kylie Jenner , Chiara Ferragni and Blake Lively  dressed in looks favouring this colour and even dared to wear it in makeup. On the cat-walk this shade has seduced Balenciaga, Versace , Stella McCartney, Vetements , Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana, all of which have not hesitated to include lime green in their latest summer collections. Long live the most fashionable indiscretion!

And how is it worn ?

It is not easy to combine lime green. The key lies in the alliance of neutral tones such as the range of beiges and skin-colours or the incombustible white and/or black that represent the simplest and most practical option. Satin fabrics give the lime green more light and are flattering in flowing garments like skirts and dresses with movement. Smooth or stamped? Although the first option would be the most effective, it can also be mixed with prints and textures with relief . Our choice is for fabrics which play as different shades of lime green through geometric motifs, floral prints or embroidered sequins and in turn introduce other harmonious colours. Sometimes you don’t need to go for the strident version, you can still be trendy by discreetly opting for pastel colours. Here we are leaving you our inspirations in bold lime green. What do you think?

The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum has just inaugurated an exhibition that elegantly conveys the creation of Cristóbal Balenciaga with the tradition of Spanish painting from the 16th to the 20th centuries. It is an unusual show where the most admired and influential fashion designer of all time co-features with some of the paintings by great names in the history of Spanish art, one of his main sources of inspiration. This is how ambitious the exhibition ‘ Balenciaga and Spanish painting ‘ is .

The exhibition is curated by Eloy Martínez de la Pera, who has selected for the occasion a total of 90 valuable pieces of clothing, many of them exhibited for the first time and leased from the Balenciaga Museum of Guetaria, Madrid Costume Museum and Barcelona Design Museum, ​​as well as national and international private collections. They are accompanied by the dresses , an exceptional set of 55 paintings, among which are works by El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo, Carreño de Miranda, Zurbarán, Goya, Madrazo and Zuloaga. Altogether it is a selection of paintings from private collections and national museums such as the Prado Museum or the Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts.

The tour of the rooms follows a chronological itinerary through the paintings, accompanied by the dresses linked to each style or to each painter. This creates connections based on conceptual elements, on forms and volumes, on chromatic complicities, which present a fascinating dialogue between fashion and painting, between the creativity of the great Basque designer and his sources of inspiration.

Balenciaga with Spanish art and culture

References to Spanish art and culture were always present in the work of Cristóbal Balenciag a. The simple and minimalist lines of religious habits or the architectural volume of these fabrics are a constant in many of his pieces. The air of a bata de cola of a flamenco dancer that is seen in the ruffles of some dresses or the flashes of a bullfighter’s suit of lights translated with mastery to the embroidered paillette of a bolero jacket , are some examples. Balenciaga continually reviewed the history of art and, with his strong personality and style, maintained those influences even in his most avant-garde period, recovering historical works and reinterpreting them in a modern way.

Cristóbal Balenciaga: “A good couturier must be an architect for the bosses, a sculptor for the form, a painter for the drawings, a musician for harmony and a philosopher for the measure”

Apart from following the chronological trajectory, the route of the exhibition allows us to review art from a different perspective, focusing on painters as creators and transmitters of fashion, and as masters in the representation of fabrics, textures, folds and volumes. Inevitably the exhibition in its entirety pays tribute to black, one of Balenciaga’s fetish colours, and for many of his great trade-marks such as barrel line, sem-tailored , balloon-skirts, tunic , sackdress or baby doll , which conclude at the end of the 60s in abstraction.

“Balenciaga and Spanish painting” is undoubtedly the most ambitious of exhibitions and represents the most complete presentation of this Spanish dressmaker since the first retrospective that was dedicated to him in 1973. The exhibition can be visited until September 22, 2019 at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid. The project has the collaboration of Herbert Smith,  Freehills and Las Rozas Village .

A life influenced by painting

Balenciaga was born in Getaria (Guipúzcoa) in 1895, son of José Balenciaga, fisherman, and Martina Eizaguirre, seamstress. As a child he began his craft with his mother, who sewed for wealthy families in the area, including the Marquis of Casa Torres, who spent summers at the Aldamar Palace in the Guipuzcoa town, also known as Ona view . It was there that the young Cristóbal came into contact with the taste of the aristocratic elite and where he could admire costumes and fabrics from the best tailors and fashion and textile shops in London and Paris. It was also there where he had the opportunity to contemplate and enjoy the magnificent collection of art that the marquises owned and their extensive library. This excellent introduction to the world of fashion and art, coupled with his extraordinary sensitivity, was what undoubtedly led him to dedicate his life to design from a very early date.

In 1939, Balenciaga was directly inspired by Velázquez for the design of his Infanta dress, a modern reinterpretation of the costumes with which the painter portrayed the Infanta Margarita of Austria and which the designer presented that same year in Paris. Three years earlier, in 1936 and as a result of the outbreak of the civil war in Spain, Balenciaga had moved to the French capital. He was already in a period of full creative maturity, having founded in the previous decades fashion establishments in San Sebastian, Madrid and Barcelona and having among his clientele high society and the Spanish Royal Family. In August 1937 he opened his workshop on George V Avenue in Paris. The creations of Balenciaga in these years were impregnated with the cultural context of their country of origin, turning this period into a tribute to the aesthetics of ‘all things Spanish’.

With his innovative style, total mastery of couture and a high level of demand, he soon became one of the most influential designers on the international scene. In Paris he came into contact with a cosmopolitan clientele and also began to attract the attention of the media around the world that elevated him as the “king of haute couture”. He had a predilection for weighty fabrics, which he enriched with handmade embroidery, rhinestones or sequins. With scarcely any cuts or seams he created dresses with straight or rounded shapes, giving his garments a perfect, almost sculptured finish. His sense of proportion and measure, handling of technique and search for excellence brought him the admiration of his contemporary colleagues -like Christian Dior, who considered him “the master of all of us”, or Coco Chanel, who described him as “the only authentic couturier ” -; and in his workshop or with his advice some of the most important designers of the 20th century were trained, such as Hubert de Givenchy , Emanuel Ungaro , Óscar de la Renta or Paco Rabanne.

Photos: Leased by the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum