This anomalous 2020 has also upset the calendar of the interesting informative talks by the Color Community. association. A private initiative, which we have followed closely since its creation, led by a group of three professionals who love colour: the architect Pere Ortega; the designer specialized in Colour & Trim, Eva Muñoz; and Rosa Pujol, Textile & Colour Stylist and creative director of Gratacós.

This year, the biannual and face-to-face meetings at the Old Damm Factory in Barcelona have been converted into digital format, thus via screen respecting the security measures imposed by the current health situation. Despite the difficulties, Colour Community was able to present the new colour chart that will serve as a guide for the Spring-Summer season 2022 in an orientation report that serves as a source of inspiration for creative professionals who are dedicated to fashion, design, advertising or architecture, among other areas. 

Within a current social and economic context marked by instability and uncertainty, the new broad and global creative proposal Wait… SS22. A concept that articulates the entire chromatic range and which symbolizes the preamble to an infinity of optimistic possibilities, guided by the real need to make better decisions as a society and also in relation to the environment. This “waiting” is essential, according to the association, “to appreciate and value life with humility and simplicity, and its functional daily life to structure the whole future.” For this reason, it will be necessary to design from practicality, but without forgetting beauty or creativity.

“The new creation symbolizes the preamble to celebration,

play and optimism”

“Wait…” also symbolizes the beginning of celebration, play and optimism, opening seamlessly to coexistence with digital reality. As for colour, it materializes like never before, conveying human emotions and being the conductive support of these senses.

In turn, the ‘Wait…’ colour scheme is structured through four ranges of colours, textures and materials named Wait… & Listen, Wait… & Wish, Wait… & Enjoy and Wait… & Grow Up. Colour Community sums it up with a claim to a final message of hope: “Wait… & tomorrow”. Wait and there will be a tomorrow.

Below, we summarize each creative proposal:

Wait… &Listen

This first range is inspired by attentive waiting: ” one that is willing to receive information and learn from it “. A proposal that is based on learning from the proximity of natural society and human knowledge. Wait… &Listen is built from neutrality and naturalness, presenting colour with renewed subtlety. That means that we speak of natural realism, of materials and finishes that connect with a well-manipulated origin, worked from harmony and sustainability. As for the colour palette, relaxing neutral tones abound, such as natural white, basic ecru and calcareous grey, among other soft colours that structure and soothe. The designs mark a return to the simplicity with linear shapes and geometric  basics such as the circle. Rough textures, natural and imperfect finishes, wrinkles and rustic aesthetics return. This trend is also seen in fabrics that are expressed without decorative excesses. Clean-looking matt cotton, linen, hemp, poplin and satin threads abound. Finally, natural fibres coexist with recycled and regenerated synthetics.

Wait… &Wish

The second range appeals to desire, this concept that cannot be materialized and that activates the most creative part of the human being. According to Colour Community: “desire is not satisfied with the tangible and looks for something else as far as possible”. Under this premise, Wait… & Wish seeks to rediscover the secrets of craftsmanship, revaluing all its specific features. In turn this range also focuses on the plant world, but this time it focuses its attention on that nature that we know, but that we rarely touch or experience consciously. The colour is inspired by the apparent chaos of natural beauty, its uniqueness and exuberance with rich, bright and contrasting chromaticism: vegetal green, bright blues, gold foils or crimson brushstrokes. The designs seek to seduce by their elemental, organic and abstract geometries, hand-drawn striped prints, paintings in their freest version and colour combinations that reflect the chromatic chaos of nature. As regards materials there are many works with artisan natural dyes, semi-gloss yarns, die-cuts and laser cuts, utilitarian clothing and satin looks. Finally, in fabrics we are committed to sustainability and comfortable and practical fabrics that do not abandon design. In the fantasy section, Jacquards abound with geometric structures, mesh fabrics, nets and refined weavings such as reliefs and embossing.

Wait… &Enjoy

The third inspiration is the opposite on a conceptual level to the first two: it wants to project the future in an optimistic and creative way, exploring concepts such as freedom, evasion and extroversion. A creative enjoyment that will become limitless, but consistent and thoughtful with the common good. In this range, Colour Community features a creation enriched and loaded with subjective personality, but always coherent and respectful with the environment. The colour palette is based on fresh, cheerful, playful and sensual tones full of positivity and ready to be combined with neutrals. Vital tones such as geranium,  fresh mint, chlorophyll, pink and vitaminised lime which combine with neutrals like white and sand-coloured. The designs are seduced by the power of the flowers and the magnetism of the most exuberant vegetation. Leaves, petals, gardens, green spaces … plant nature also takes centre-stage in summer fabrics. In addition to the flower motifs there are beautiful yarns for new colour sensations, shiny fibres, fluid fabrics that create transparency, textured organza with iridescent yarns, Jacquards with reliefs and piqué. In general, the fabrics express that intention to celebrate and dance again through movement.

Wait… &Grow Up

Finally, Wait… & Grow Up represents an evolution of the previous range. It is based on the imperfection of growth, the acceptance of the passage of time and integration of the past in order to understand the future. This range is “a reunion with the most chromatic geometry with a high expressionist content”. Products designed from a future perspective, with this range of colours, will be approached with a stimulating and light-filled mentality in which multicoloured harmonies generating multitone patterns will play a prominent role. The colour palette is thus multifaceted, symbolic, versatile and adaptable to all sectors: mauve, yellow, intoxicating pink, coral, orange, green, grey, blue and sophisticated brown. In designs a mixture of antagonistic, strange motifs and visual surprises is prioritized. With regard to fabrics this last range follows the line of the previous three and has a clear intention: to better production via recovered or recycled yarns, reducing the chemical impact and water consumption, in order to face a future with hope. Finally, the proposal is based on tactile fabrics that provide an extroverted, colourful and highly visible look.

They have done it again. Mans Concept Menswear has won another distinction that recognizes the originality, good know-how and future projection of this revolutionary men’s tailoring firm created by Jaime Álvarez (Seville, 1994). 

This time, MANS has been the winner of the 2020 Vogue Who’s On Next award, a prestigious award that after nine consecutive years supporting emerging talent has become the most important in Spanish fashion by being endowed with 100,000 euros to develop a business plan, thanks to the collaboration of Inditex. This awards also includes enrollment in ACME (Association of Fashion Designers of Spain) without passing the vote of the General Assembly and the opportunity to participate in the next edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid. In addition to the support and editorial coverage of Vogue Spain magazine. Thus, Mans Concept finally prevailed over the other two finalists for the award: Dominnico and Ynésuelves.

A conceptual twist on traditional tailoring

And why Mans? What makes it special? If you still do not know the firm, you should carry on reading.  Mans Concept originates in 2017, in the thesis project of the young Sevillian, Jaime Álvarez after his studies in Fashion Design at the IED in Madrid. Its purpose was revolutionary: to forge a new concept of masculinity through tailoring, challenging its more traditional codes. Actually, the name Mans comes from Demans, which is of German origin and one of the surnames of the designer and creative director of the brand.  Shortening it to ‘ Mans ‘ indicates the search for a new, more personal and updated tailoring. A new approach to modern man. And that’s the main purpose of this visionary pret-a-porter brand.

Thus, Mans Concept focuses on bespoke men’s tailoring based on the reinterpretation of classic patterns. In fact, the firm is influenced both by the ‘ Saville Row ‘ workshops and by Japanese techniques, both present in all its collections. What makes Jaime Álvarez’s signature different is that emphasis on lines, refining cuts and achieving an avant-garde image in silhouettes and finishes that do not lose the traditional essence. The firm seeks a masculine aesthetic adapted to today with clean cuts, colours at the service of the concept and innovation in the fabrics that are personally chosen by Álvarez himself and are exported from England, Italy, Japan and Spain, Gratacós being one of its regular suppliers. With all this raw material, Mans Concept designs and produces locally, two annual collections with clothing that is positioned within the medium-luxury sector and in which each piece has its own detail. The objective is to offer a complete and hybrid masculine wardrobe with basic quality garments, versatile and a progressive design, focused on people who are sure of themselves and what they are looking for.

In its short career, Mans Concept has participated four times in the 080 Barcelona Fashion catwalk and has received the Best Emerging Design award on three of them, and has also walked the MBFW Madrid catwalk on another occasion.

The announcement of Mans Concept as the winning firm of the ninth edition of Vogue Who’s On Next also marks the verification of the creative drive of a new batch of Spanish designers whose common link is the love for clothing made in Spain, the appreciation for craftsmanship, the breakdown of gender barriers, and an international projection that leaves its mark on various red carpets. They call it the WON generation, made up of winners from previous editions such as Marcela Mansergas (2012), Juan Vidal (2013), Maria ke Fisherman (2014), ManéMané (2015), Moisés Nieto (2016), Leandro Cano (2017), Palomo Spain (2018), Carlota Barrera (2019) and, the latest incorporation Mans Concept (2020).

Congratulations Jaime Alvarez for this distinction!

 

September leaves behind the balance of the first Spanish virtual catwalks, held in Madrid and Barcelona in a linked way. Despite becoming digital platforms, the presentation format of a collection remains practically intact: through a catwalk show, adapted to the new times. Gratacós has been following each one of the presentations and, as always, we have managed to identify some of our seasonal fabrics in the original garments presented by the designers who support us. Once again, thank you for your trust!

Dominnico embraces science fiction

If there is something that Dominnico has, it is that, in a short time, he has managed to create an identifiable style, aesthetic codes and his own language on and off the catwalks. And it is not easy at all with the times we are living in. The brand Domingo Rodríguez Lázaro exhibited his credentials in the last edition of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid. How? Embracing the retrofuturist aesthetic, his taste for the Bauhaus art movement, pop culture, and manga. Now, Dominnico has taken science fiction as a reference to devise the woman of the future. Thus, in UHURA, the collection for next summer, the Alicante designer has drawn through his enigmatic designs a space traveler, empowered and fighter, technological and romantic. The eccentric Leeloo from The Fifth Element; the stylish officer Nyota Uhura from Star Trek; the sexy Vanessa Kensington from Austin Power or the exotic Nina Williams and Ling Xiaoyu , Manga muses from Tekken par excellence, are some of the characters that emerge in the creator’s imagination.

The colour of the new collection travels between watercolor tones such as water green , storm blue, lilac and pastel yellow or other more earthy tones such as tile; the brand’s characteristic holographic bright colours, without forgetting black and white passing to more resounding ones such as red and orange. In terms of materials, guipure plays a leading role in this new proposal, deconstructed and mixed with leather with laminated textures and fur, introducing lamé, sequins, elastic crepe and fringed lurex. Do you recognize any of our fabrics?

Katherine Hepburn inspires Angel Schlesser

Angel Schlesser, under the creative baton of Juan Carlos Mesa since June, was inspired by the actress Katherine Hepburn as an icon of contemporary, independent, personality and risky women. An actress who, during her professional career of more than six decades, maintained her own style that moved perfectly in ambiguity: she defied the masculine and feminine codes, being equal to or more modern than contemporary actresses. A series of virtues that represent Angel Schlesser’s urban and cosmopolitan woman, who always lives in the present with one foot in the future and without renouncing her past.

The lines of the collection are simple, of great purity in the cut and in the finishes. Fluid silhouettes, designed for comfort without restricting movement. Garments such as shirt dresses, cape skirts, narrow, straight, wide trousers, trouser-skirts; trench coats , kaftans , short and long evening dresses. A whole series of garments to give women freedom and not limit their choice with a wide range of fabrics and noble materials to cover all needs, cotton poplin and voile, linen, silk twill and satin, jaquards and printed sequins, metallic and lame effects. Juan Carlos Mesa does not set limits to honour the Schlesser woman.

Brain & Beast celebrates 10 years of transgressive fashion

The irreverent signature of Ángel Vilda turns 10 years old and has celebrated it again on the catwalks, doing a double in Madrid and later, in Barcelona. At Brain&Beast nothing is what it seems at first glance and behind each collection of deconstructed garments, printed t-shirts, layer-by-layer looks and a mix of colours, fabrics, reliefs and prints, there is always an easily recognizable identity and a hidden message, an intentionality and this is ambiguous because if something characterizes Vilda’s signature is the game, the double meanings and the fun that later invites reflection. The rogue fashion that stirs consciences. In fact, Angel Vilda first builds stories and those stories are translated into clothes. Then, those clothes end up in the wardrobe of other people who in turn interpret new stories, dressed in those unique clothes.

On this occasion, Brain & Beast presented in Madrid the ‘Dogma’ collection for next spring-summer 2021. A new proposal that combines a new philosophical doctrine that serves as a starting point to present genderless garments on the catwalk that rightly combine emotion with models that represent a display of diversity: professional mannequins with friends of Angel himself are the best ambassadors of these fresh and carefree collections designed for an unprejudiced public. In Barcelona, Brain & Beast prepared a whole show to celebrate this first decade by displaying those closest to them in a great party with bizarre hues. Like it or not, Brain & Beast is just like that, unconventional.

Menchén Tomàs pays tribute to light in a brilliant proposal

Menchén Tomàs, led by Olga Menchén, kicked off the last edition of 080 Barcelona Fashion with a splendid collection to honor her 25 years of know-how. As usual, the proposal focused on the festive universe with a catwalk show dominated by dresses and sets of two pieces that suggest sensuality and elegance in each movement. Silhouettes of refined cuts, delicate and silky fabrics, pure colours and a palette inspired by the tones of the sunset make up the collection called ‘Reflexos’.

Mans, between ready-to-wear and bespoke tailoring

Mans is one of the most interesting Spanish menswear firms in the country. Creative director, Jaime Alvarez has managed to build a powerful brand identity moving between the ready-to-wear and made to measure tailoring. In fact, Mans’s goal is clear: to offer a complete hybrid wardrobe with quality, versatile basic garments and a progressive design, focused on self-confident people who know what they are looking for in fashion.

The garments of the new spring-summer 2021 collection are inspired by the colors, silhouettes and above all by the attitude of the characters portrayed in them, which are rescued from the photographic work of Slim Aarons . In this new proposal, an inventive line can be identified in the collection and its patterns, based on the bucolic multiculturalism that Aarons expressed in his images. Robes and tuxedos that transport us to the parties portrayed by the American photographer in which we are presented with an idealized society, according to the environment of the location. From Capri to Palm Springs, passing through the gardens of Marrakech. This reality portrayed in the images has been represented by the use of the brand’s own prints, where nude silhouettes and more abstract prints make a parallel between the idealization of the works and the anatomy of the body and nature.

ONRUSHW23FH debuts on the Catalan catwalk

The young designers Albert Sánchez and Sebastián Cameras, aged 24 and 22, are the creators of ONRUSHW23FH, one of the debuting firms at the last edition of 080 Barcelona Fashion. A brand that is part of their final degree project and that consisted of the creation of a collection presented in 2019, later being consolidated in the current project. In fact, the Sánchez and Cameras tandem already had our fabrics in their project and now, in their premiere at 080, they have counted on us again. 

ONRUSHW23FH presented the collection ‘ Almost There ‘ with a reflection in the background at the Sant Pau Modernista Campus. In fact, the designers started from the idea of ​​a liquid society and the immediacy that it implies developed by the sociologist Zygmunt Bauman to base a collection that is inspired by the movement caused by doing things quickly. A utopia that brings the dynamism, wrinkles and simplicity of chaos that are part of this proposal. Among his designs, we find a rich visual imagery that reveals the immediacy and agitation of arriving at your destination at all costs. Garments that are twisted, overlapped or with silhouettes completely displaced from their centers are created from a novel process that mixes 3D prototypes of toile on the mannequin. A technique that allows you to make a selection that is later digitally transformed to achieve more interesting volumes. The result is a timeless and genderless collection that works as a satirical portrait of the concept of haste that marks us as individuals.

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

This year is being atypical in every way due to the global coronavirus pandemic and this uniqueness is also fully affecting the bridal sector that has seen its event calendars altered. It is precisely in spring and summer when more ceremonies are held and in these months, when the big world fairs and exhibitions display their novelties to show and organize the preparations for the ceremonies of the following year but everything now is uncertain.

Obviously, it is still too early to predict whether bridal fashion will be affected by this stage of uncertainty. What is fore sure is that there are certain trends that adjust to the preferences of millennial brides, who still represent the bulk of bridal fashion consumption, and the new generation of generation Z brides that is beginning to appear timidly in the market.

Analyzing the new collections of the main specialized firms and as manufacturers of bridal fabrics, these are some trends for brides that will mark 2021.

1. A change in silhouette

There are as many dresses as there are brides on the market. And it is no longer a single piece per ceremony. Now bridal clothing goes beyond the “unique dress” and other accessories are introduced, such as the evening dress or other looks to wear during the day before or at rehearsal, at the banquet and at the after party.

In any case, the ceremony dress continues to be the centrepiece and symbol of bridal fashion.  Analyzing the last years, there is a tendency towards sobriety that affects the shape. Simple and elegant lines, combined with dazzling veils with appliqués or lace are one of the most popular formulas. Minimalism triumphs combined with controlled doses of pomposity. As for the silhouette, there is a certain predilection for the most fitted dresses and a less “princess” look. Two-piece dresses are also worn a lot of thanks to that combination of style and comfort, which is especially liked by younger brides.

As for trends observed within the bridal designs themselves, special sleeves are worn such as puffs, sophisticated round neckline closed collars, volumes on the skirts if it is a two-piece suit, ruffles, long sleeves for autumn or winter ceremonies, buttons especially in retro-style dresses and transparencies.

2. Fabrics and details

As fabric manufacturers, with a wide range of articles dedicated to brides, we can say that there are fabrics that are infallible, and that despite the passing fashions, they always have a print such as floral embroidery, lace, crêpe, organza and tulle. In general, the former define the outer part of the dress, and are the most striking, and the latter the skeleton or interior or details such as transparencies or the veil, although it is no longer possible to speak of generalities due to this heterogeneity in taste and the preferences of the current brides. In any case, special fabrics are also sold very well, those that go beyond the ABC and that provide a plus of sophistication: articles with decoration, precious stones or even the sophisticated feathers that give ethereal and beautiful point in a bridal gown.

In any case, from Gratacós we invite you to re-enter our space and marvel at the new bridal fabrics. We have many dreams to fulfil for the brides who are still waiting for that yes I want.

3. The bridal colours

Although the silhouettes or fabrics change, depending on the trends of the moment, there are classics that still remain and in terms of colour, current brides still prefer white to say I do. In fact, it continues to maintain comfortable leadership in its pristine version. Of course, competitors have emerged for years: from the most subtle as false whites (ivory, champagne, bone …), to the most daring such as yellows and light blues or pinks, who resist abandoning bridal gowns in their palest shades. In fact, the consumption of this feminine colour has continued to grow in terms of preferences for the bridal dress or the second dresses that the bride uses for other occasions within the ceremony.

4. Personalization and second hand, two trends on the rise

Bridal fashion also reflects the latest trends of the Prêt-à-porter. In this sense, the sector also takes into account two values ​​that are increasingly appreciated by the new generation of consumers: personalization and vintage or second-hand outfits.

Beyond the custom-made dress, the big bridal fashion firms are offering the option of customizable garments, where the bride can choose several options on a base model, which set her apart from the rest. For example, the firm Pronovias, world leader in the bridal sector, has created My Dream Atelier. It is a capsule collection made up of four basic bridal designs and different silhouettes, depending on the body, taste or preferences of the consumer. Once the model is chosen, it can be personalized with appliques and details such as flowers, stars, butterflies, hearts or glitter. To finish the customization, the firm offers the possibility of embroidering on the dress or veil initials, words or phrases that tell the love story of the couple.

The other rooted trend is the choice of vintage dresses and / or second-hand accessories that go from grandmothers to mothers and from mothers to daughters. They are special clothes that are bought in specialized stores or that are inherited to maintain the family’s legacy. In fact, within an increasingly homogeneous and impersonal society, garments with their own values ​​acquire a new meaning: they provide exclusivity and authenticity.

Wearing a mask is already an imperative. No buts about it. It is an obligatory accessory that must be worn in public spaces as a measure of protection from possible contagion in this return to the new normality that we all of us are experiencing for the first time as a society. The coronavirus pandemic has shaken all our foundations, also affecting something as banal as our street clothes. Indeed, this essential accessory during the lock-down has come to stay for a while, at least during 2020. An opportunity always emerges from every crisis and the fashion industry, hit hard by the interruption of production and consumption, has found in the mask an escape route to market a new accessory that will accompany us wherever we go as a hygiene measure.

The commitment of brands and designers to this unexpected product is more than certain. In the last few weeks they have all started to produce their own designs. Within the luxury sector firms such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Off-White have presented the new trend items, which in some cases are still true luxury accessories. The cost of a mask “with pedigree” could be anything up to 200 euros. Celebrities have also seen a niche to maintain their popularity and earn extra money. Let them learn from Kim Kardashian! The voluptuous American socialite recently launched a collection of masks with devastating result: they sold out in an hour. The low cost market has also heeded the call to revitalize consumption via this accessory. For example, the giant Inditex already has a collection of masks available in the online catalogues of two of its best-known brands (Bershka and Stradivarius). Indeed, the models of their campaigns already wear them accompanied by their jeans and fashionable tops. The message is clear: the mask has already become a standard piece of clothing in our daily wardrobe. Even the Lidl supermarket chain announced an agreement with Agatha Ruiz de la Prada to give their masks a touch of brightness. As experts in the sector point out, “creativity and ingenuity are needed to give colour to the dark times of COVID-19”.

A designer accessory

Spanish designers have also not stood idly by and have wanted to develop proposals that maintain their identifying features. The essence must never be lost. A stand-out example is the creative alliance between Dominnico and Pezones Revueltos to create four innovative masks. Thus, the Alicante designer Domingo Rodríguez Lázaro and the illustrator María Bueno have launched a capsule collection inspired by modern fairytale princesses. And we are very pleased to say that among those models you can identify some of our own fabrics.

Another pioneer designer creating his own mask has been Juan Carlos Pajares. In April the designer from La Mancha launched a colourful solidarity design whose profits were destined for sanitary equipment . Now Pajares is incorporating this as an additional accessory in his summer looks. Indeed, if you look closely you will also recognize the fabric of this design mask.

Quién fue un paso más allá fue Miriam Ponsa and Josep Abril went a step further, reinventing their brands to produce protective equipment to guarantee safety against the coronavirus. Initially Catalan designers created prototypes of gowns and masks to turn their production around and focus on meeting protection needs. Now, with the de-escalation they are keeping their mask designs as a further accessory in their collections.

Finally we should also highlight the creation by Closca Design, a Valencian company dedicated to creating bicycle helmets and other urban accessories which has expanded its business with a line of face masks of functional, sustainable and aesthetic design. This accessory is designed to last since it can be washed, is foldable and adapts to different faces because it has a velcro closure. The company assures wearers that the anti-coronavirus function is achieved with the same filters that are used in FFP2 masks, offering the same protection.

Apart from the big brands or prestigious designers, it is important to point out that a network of individuals and small companies in the textile sector has also been created, who have launched their own masks offering customizable options which especially are governed by the choice of fabrics to consumer taste. In this regard we anticipate that at Gratacós we will also soon be promoting our own line of masks, an interesting project that we will reveal to you in June together with the fabrics of our collections. Keep in touch!

Together we are stronger – and this is more necessary than ever in unstable times that shake the foundations of the current economy. The textile industry (national and international) could not be left out of the emergency caused by the coronavirus, and it is admirable how in recent weeks it has joined efforts to manufacture on a large scale basic medical supplies to help cut the chain of contagion of the disease, and thus slow down the pandemic.

In extraordinary situations shock measures are needed. In our country, Spanish textile companies, as well as cosmetics, automotive and beverage sectors, have heard the government’s call to convert production to make masks, gloves, assisted breathing equipment or disinfectant gels to the maximum speed. This reconversion serves to supply hospitals, residences and essential service workers who urgently need this material to face the battle against the epidemic. Until now lack of resources was one of the black holes that gave wings to the coronavirus.

In the case of the textile industry, the companies that are joining the initiative have gone from sewing pants or dresses to making surgical masks and “use and throw” gowns that are used by thousands in hospitals. To date the sector has the necessary machinery, patterns and fabrics ready and once they comply with all the requirements and approvals approved by the Textile Technological Institute (AITEX), mass production will begin. Estimates are indeed encouraging: they calculate that up to 160,000 masks a day and about 50,000 disposable gowns can be manufactured.

The big international fashion brands have also gone to work with special productions accompanied by financial donations dedicated to providing current resources in hospital centres and promoting scientific research to accelerate the race to find the vaccine that eradicates the coronavirus. For their part, the Spanish fashion giants (Inditex, Mango, Tendam and Desigual) also have an army of suppliers around the globe to obtain more medical supplies. Things are already moving in this regard.

An army of volunteers fights for the cause

Beyond unity, if there is something that is happening in a positive key in almost every corner of the planet and that is teaching us a valuable lesson in humanity these days, it is solidarity. Everyone wants to join in and help as much as possible to slow down the pandemic. Apart from private initiatives, which are many and diverse, one of the projects related to fashion that has contributed its grain of sand has been Modistas Solidarias, an initiative promoted by the designer María Cordero, alter ego of the Spanish firm Wolflamb. Its goal has been to convert all the cotton fabrics into masks to supply the hospitals near its workshop in Valencia, and for this reason all seamstresses on the team are involved. This small project has gained in strength by the addition of small workshops and individuals spread throughout Spain. Along with anonymous volunteers, well-known names such as Ariadne Artiles, Eugenia Silva, Blanca Padilla, Paz Vega and designers Vicky Martín Berrocal and Juan Avellaneda have also joined the initiative.

Gratacós is also committed

At Gratacós we have not stood idly by and we are aware of our social responsibility as a fabric company. We too wanted to join forces in the fight against the coronavirus. So far we have supplied and shipped dozens of cotton fabrics to local workshops and neighbourhood companies for mask manufacturing. We are aware of the state of emergency and in the coming days we shall be studying how to encourage more actions to alleviate this social, economic and health crisis. We will inform you through social networks. Look after yourselves at home!

No one denies the obvious. Culture and leisure in its most traditional exhibition formats have been one of the biggest victims of the coronavirus. The closing of movie and concert halls, museums, exhibitions, theatres and libraries, among others, and the subsequent confinement in the home have hampered consumption habits via physical methods. Even so, culture is subversive and in difficult times it has always found alternative ways to spread knowledge through other media. And, in this case, despite the confinement, cultural life continues behind the screen in fully digital terrain.

The virus has not stopped the immense power of culture with its multiple channels of expression that allow it to keep its objectives intact: to spread knowledge, contemplate beauty, stimulate the imagination and create critical opinion. In fact, in the last week confinement has put to the test the ingenuity and creativity of many artists who have devised new proposals to experience culture from the sofa at home. From sporadic festivals to virtual visits, streaming talks or improvised courses. Every day new and original small-format initiatives emerge, in addition to those promoted by the world’s main art centres, to expand the list of cultural activities offered as an alternative to entertain and animate the days when people are shut-in at home.

Here we suggest some ideas for continuing to feed the intellect from home.

Virtual art

Museums and cultural centres around the world are still open virtually. This is the example of the Thyssen, the Prado, the Reina Sofía or the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which offer virtual tours, videos, audios, conferences and even online courses to enjoy the cultural activities of these Spanish cultural venues. Internationally the Uffizi in Florence, the Vatican Muses, the Louvre, the Metropolitan in New York and the National Gallery in Washington stand out, for example, which also show visitors their online collection. For its part, Google,via its app, Arts and Culture, offers virtual reality guided tours of museums, masterpieces and even the construction of the statue of Liberty in New York. In fact, the almighty Google collects more than 7,000 virtual exhibitions from all over the planet. The difficult thing in this case, is to choose the sample to look at. For its part the benchmark for contemporary art, the MOMA, is also offering 6 interesting courses related to fashion, art, photography and design, all for free and without leaving home.

Theatre and performing arts

The performing arts also offer facilities to digital users. The Teatroteca of the Ministry of Culture is available with more than 1,500 plays, circuses and dance with works available to users such as ‘The house of Benarda Alba’, ‘Life is a dream’ or ‘Blood weddings’. Anyone can access them through a free online registration through Bibliotecacdt.mcu.es. For its part the New York Metropolitan Opera is offering great classics of the genre in streaming such as ‘Carmen’, ‘La Boheme’, ‘La Traviata or‘ Il Trovatore ’.

Series and films

Digital payment platforms for viewing audiovisual content have experienced a new boom in subscriptions that show the increasing consumption of series, documentaries and films among confined users. Apart from the kings of streaming, there are also other public websites such as RTVE or Televisió de Catalunya that offer series and movies for free and legally. Other pages such as Efilm.online and Ebiblio.es have a catalogue of free movies, books and magazines for those who have a library card. Libraries, such as Nacional or Catalunya, and websites such as Google Books also offer free reading.

Live music

Music knows no borders. And less in difficult times, where it shows the great ability to break barriers and reach all corners and audiences. Initiatives of all kinds have emerged from social isolation: from sporadic concerts through Instagram grouped in hashtags that are running like wildfire on the Internet such as #YoMeQuedoenCasa to alternative music festivals such as the Quarantine Fest to make the state of confinement more bearable. This latest initiative brings together 50 bands that offer private concerts from their homes through YouTube. Some anonymous artists have even come out onto their balconies to perform songs a cappella, or with their musical instruments, to offer impromptu live concerts to their neighbours.

In the coming days, the cultural offer will increase to maintain a certain normality from home. Evidently the consumption format changes because coronavirus has reduced the aesthetic experience to the window of a screen. Also missed is that essential social component that sustains culture: to climb on a stage, to comment on some works that excite,to walk through an exhibition… but we are sure that when this situation is over we will perceive (and appreciate) beauty in another way and from all possible areas. One last tip: keep your wifi well-connected!

“Green green top the team.  Green wind. Green branches … ” intones the enigmatic ‘ Romance Sonámbulo ‘ by Federico García Lorca , perhaps one of the most admired written works of the Spanish poet. A poem where green, which is used in a metaphorical key, is the protagonist of his verses and which serves as a prologue to introduce our particular tribute to this colour full of dualities.

Beyond the colour associated with hope,  nature or the environment , did you know that green is the colour of fertility and the bourgeoisie? The tone that is linked with the sacred and the poisonous . The eternal intermediate , which calms and stimulates, and is secondary by definition because it is halfway between blue and yellow in the visible spectrum. Green is life, youth and freshness, but it can also be the tone of the unreal, of envy and disease. How contradictory, right?

We review some curiosities of green that, according to Eva Heller in her book ‘Psychology of colour’, is the preferred colour of 16% of men and 15% of women. A preference that increases with age, especially among the male population.

Brief history of green and some symbolism

In olden times it was considered a primary colour , but today , according to the colour wheel of the traditional RYB colouration model, green is one of the secondary colours, those that are obtained from the mixture in the same proportion of two primary colours. Etymologically the word green comes from the Latin ” virĭdis ” which derives from the verb ” virere “, which means “vigorous, flourishing, young”.

During postclassic and modern Europe, green was the colour associated with wealth, merchants, bankers, and aristocracy, whilst red was reserved for the nobility. For this reason, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa outfit and the benches of the British House of Commons are green, while those of the House of Lords are red.

Green also symbolizes the sacred. In 1570, Pope Pius V established green as a liturgical colour, such as white, red, and violet. Of these, green represents the most modest and elemental. Green was also the prophet Muhammad’s favorite colour and is considered a symbol in Islam because it represents the lush vegetation of Paradise. It is no wonder that this colour is found on the flags of almost all Islamic countries. Green also has a long historical tradition as the colour of Ireland and Gaelic culture. It is the symbol of freedom.

In terms of fashion, there is an anecdote related to this enigmatic colour . In 1863, the chemist Eugen Lucius produced an intense green dye, baptized “aldehyde green”, which became very popular thanks to the elegant silk dress worn by the French empress, Eugenia , wife of Napoléon III to attend an opera night. At the time, Eugenia was considered the most beautiful woman in the world, and no one equaled her in elegance. In the light , the green shone inexplicably, which created a sensation among the crowd and immediately became fashionable. Thanks to this success, the German company Höchst emerged, which later put many green dyes on the market, followed by aldehyde green followed by iodine green, methyl green and bitter almond oil green.

Nature and the environment

Green is more than a colour, is the quintessence of nature, associated with environmental awareness and love for life, the fresh and healthy. Precisely, the political groups that defend the protection of the environment and social justice describe themselves as part of the Green movement, some are called Green Parties. This has led to similar advertising campaigns, as companies have sold green or organic products. Green is also the traditional colour of security and permission; a green light means continue, a green card allows permanent residence in the United States. It is also the colour most commonly associated with youth, spring, hope and in Asian countries, this tone is a symbol of fertility and happiness. Did you know?/span>

Another anecdote is that at the University of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, professors used to wear a gown differentiated by colours according to the faculty, green was for economists and social science students, the colour of growth and prosperity.

The dark reverse of green

Green provokes in its turn dualities. No one doubts that it is the symbol of life in its broadest sense and that the term itself adds a natural and well-being sense to any activity. Still, it’s funny how the same green in history has also been linked to the unreal, the monstrous, and the creepy. The colour of the dragon, demon, or monster? Their skins exhibit the most “inhuman” colour possible because there are no mammals with green fur. In popular culture, the os aliens also are represented with this colour. Coincidence?

Green is also sometimes linked to bitterness and in England it is closely linked to envy. The expression a look with green eyes does not refer to the colour of the eyes, but to an envious look. A male Gucci colony is called Envy (envy), and its colour is pale green. In France, green is a colour that brings bad luck for superstitious people. If a Frenchman says Je suis vert, he is very angry. Vert de colère, green with anger.

Green is also the colour of poison, and as we said above above, symbol of health-. We imagine poison as a green substance, and colloquial German uses a word made up of “green” and “poison”, giftgrün. Green also became for painters the colour linked to toxicity due to its complexity in the manufacturing process with the mixture of certain substances such as arsenic and other dyes that were harmful to health.

The ragin green news

It is not the usual colour inside the wardrobe, nor is it very common to see in its most vibrant tones. Despite this, there are certain shades of green that are setting trends this Spring – Summer 2020 season and its design potential and combinations are infinite . Either because they have been seen on the catwalks, or on the street worn by artists like Billie Eilish -and her green hair- and the main fashion prescribers. We discover five types of green that are being worn, some of them will have continuity in the next season.

1. Biscay Green

If last year was the reign of pistachio tones, this year the crown is held by the unexpected Biscay Green. A fresh and refreshing aqua green that adorns chiffon dresses and sequined garments.

2. Mint

A pastel green that adds lightness and sweetness to the garments. It is very flattering on tanned skin and ideal to wear in monochrome looks.

3. Emerald

It was the colour of the year in 2013, according to Pantone and in truth, this shade of deep green has never quite gone from the fashion scene. Powerful and hopeful, emerald green brings out its most enigmatic side when paired with pink and violets.

4. Lime

The lime green contiues to be one of the important green trendsetters. Now it comes in its most yellowish version with the Chartreuse and also in its more acidic tones, such as neon green. A striking, bold and regenerating colour.

5. Olive

A light shade that connects with the safari trend of camouflage tones with brown shades that give that feeling of naturalness. It works great with neutral colours.

We encourage you to discover the green tones of the new Spring- Summer 2020 season. Come to our space in Barcelona or access them through the new products that we have already on offer on our online store.