Gratacós ends the month of April by reviewing the first Spanish catwalks of the year: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Madrid in hybrid format and 080 Barcelona Fashion with collections presented through fashion films. These are the proposals, designs and looks that we have found on the catwalks and that are made with various seasonal fabrics. Thanks to all the designers for trusting in us!

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Brain & Beast souvenirs

Ángel Vilda, the alma mater of Brain&Beast has transmitted the concept of memory and nostalgia to the Madrid catwalk, via family memories with his new creationl ‘Souvenir’. Thus this daring designer, who turns shape, volume and colour upside down in each collection, has reverted to his childhood to reproduce garments that have marked him and that constitute valuable objects in themselves: the patterns of the dress his grandmother wore  at her mother’s wedding, a coat that recalls the dressing-gown she wore on her holidays in Salou, a reconstruction of his grandfather’s dressing gown  … All this personal memory takes shape via his customary design tics: oversize patterns, overlapping layers and textures, geometric motifs and some symbols inspired by contemporary culture that mix irony and humour. This company combines powerful social discourse with a strong visual identity and has managed to establish itself within the scene with its irreverent style. At Brain & Beast nothing is left to chance.

The art of volume by Isabel Sanchís

The Valencian designer once again magnifies the femininity of women via a new Autumn / Winter collection 2021/2022 full of pieces with intense silhouettes and volumes of sculptural inspiration that appeal to the five senses. To recreate these architectural figures, Isabel Sanchís uses elements such as shoulder- pads that provide volume and a certain futuristic air, drapes, embroidery, intertwined motifs, fringes and silicone appliqués. With regard to colour neutral tones, especially in grey,  accompany touches of fuchsia, yellow and orange in strategic looks that reduce volume and enhance the feminine silhouette.

Maison Mesa, life is a party

Juan Carlos Mesa has actively contributed to the visibility and development of Spanish fashion. With his own company, Maison Mesa created in 2017, the designer exhibits his unique vision of fashion in a contemporary key, combining tradition (materials, classic and artisanal sewing techniques) with new technologies (3D printing and experimental materials). Under this concept the latest collection entitled ‘Rave’ was presented, inspired by the history and evolution of those bohemian parties born in London in the 50s that have been transformed over the decades into well-known electronic music events.

To represent this spirit of escape via partying Juan Carlos Mesa goes for clean and simple lines, full of references to urban clothing that stand out for their comfort and freedom of movement: wide pants and overalls, baggy pants and oversize garments. , cargo pockets, hoods and zippers, rubber or automatic, which hark back to sport garments. In terms of fabrics the designer uses a surprising mix of combinations: wool, satin and lurex twill, mixes of crepes with denim or quilted fabrics with a 3D effect together with tulle. All, within a colour range that ranges from the purest and primary colours such as yellow, green or magenta, to burgundy, indigo, grey, white or black along with touches of gold and silver.

The OFF catwalks

Parallel to the official calendar for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Madrid,  OFF shows were also scheduled, featuring  young  fashion designers.

In these alternative shows we highlight designers who habitually trust our fabrics, like Dominnico. This time Domingo Rodríguez Lázaro is inspired by the social crisis of coronavirus to create an imaginary uncertain future through the eyes of a  generation of young people who want to socialize at a moment of emotional breakdown. To recreate this concern Dominnico goes for an upcycling exercise, recovering part of the brand’s fur leather inventory to create new pieces. In addition the denim fabric that appears with exclusive prints and also a new genderless fashion line is given prominence.

For her part, Pilar Torrecillas from the company Pilar Dalbat has presented a collection dedicated to the figure of Mariano Fortuny Madraza, taking as reference the 150th anniversary of the birth of this famous painter from Granada. We highlight the feminine designs featuring our fabrics with small fringes creating an interesting hair effect.

The Corsicana firm of Paula Currást tends to merge different disciplines and interests for its catwalk shows: fashion, design, cinema or music all appear together. The latest collection focuses on the home as a space for inspiration. ‘La Casa’ represents reflections on an environment of intimacy and introspection via fluid designs of urban inspiration, sartorial garments and pleated fabrics that are combined in a very controlled colour range.

Finally, Montenegro, the debut of Nicolás Montenegro on the Madrid catwalk with a ready-to-wear proposal inspired by southern Morocco. The Sevillian’s  creations abound in shirt dresses inspired by Moroccan djellaba with materials such as silk. The extremely striking cuffs and collars with character are some of the details that the creator applies to his shirts. Exceptional pieces that are dotted with lace, ruffles and delicate finishes, always topped by the company’s hand-made buttons.

080 Barcelona Fashion

The glamour of Avellaneda invades the Catalan catwalk

Juan Avellaneda has opened the 080 Barcelona Fashion calendar with a proposal that invites you to dream via sophisticated looks full of fantasy that connect with beauty, joy, escape and the desire to celebrate life. Thus in the proposal ‘La nuit éclairée’ the celebrity designer opts for the characteristic features that make up his DNA:  tuxedos for men and women together with classic shirt and tailoring patterns, introducing novelties such as porcelain-china inspired prints and a collection of dresses inspired by tailored garments. The chromatic range makes a return to  essentials  via pure and energetic colours such as white, black, red and Klein blue that suggest Mediterranean culture and its celebration of the essential.

The magic of Menchén Tomàs

Menchén Tomás is inspired by the ‘Duende’ for the next Spring-Summer 2021 collection, that is, by the innate and intangible talent that causes almost magical sensations in those who witness it. In a fairy tale atmosphere and with various elements that refer to the tarot, Olga Menchén showed off her usual design skills through a sophisticated and feminine collection, full of volatile volumes, iridescent fabrics, radiant colours, evocative long dresses where  craftsmanship is appreciated:  prints suggesting astral charts, embroidered flowers and a laboriously- created wedding dress with almost a hundred hand-sewn pieces that closed the show. The use of oriental-inspired silk and patterned gauze with colours such as porcelain- blue, apple- green or mandarin- orange give the collection an energetic air.

The experimental craft of Y_Como

Born during lock-down, Y_Como is the new adventure of sisters Cristina and Yolanda Pérez, founders of Yolancris, the Catalan haute couturehouse that has catwalked in Paris. This new brand was born with the desire to explore the creative processes of the pieces, experimenting through innovative techniques, fabrics and silhouettes. The debut collection was actually presented at 080 Barcelona Fashion and  is a declaration of intentions: it reclaims the spirit of freedom  via the humanist poem ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling in a manifesto that also combines the Arts & Crafts movement of designer William Morris and the  naturalist architecture of Antoni Gaudí. Thus this proposal of great visual richness is in practice a great exhibition of the craftsmanship and experimentation of its designers. Particularly noteworthy is the meticulous way in which they have worked denim through draping, pleating and hand embroidery, together with hand-made prints and embroideries with floral and plant motifs. An exquisite hand-made proposal makes such a difference.

The free love of Paola Molet

Finally we also highlight Paola Molet who has made her debut on the Catalan catwalk with her own company, which was created 6 months ago. Her style is defined as neo-romantic and the collection is genderless, non gender-specific, with pieces that can be interchangeable. The proposed creation for next winter deals with how society understands love and the pursuit of happiness, whether following established canons or not. The young designer transmits this search in design through rigid, dense, hard and straight-shaped looks that are combined with de-constructed silhouettes and contrasting fabrics. The proposal is mostly black and white, with a touch of red.

I hope you enjoyed the collections as much as we did!

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

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.

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!

March, like September, is the month of rebirth. From the blooming of the new season that hitherto has been hibernating in our stores, waiting for its turn: the official presentation to society. And we really wanted to show the new collection of fabrics, this time absorbed under the Double Poetry concept.

Double Poetry appeals to poetry that hides duality. A dual year (2020) inspires a spring-summer collection that moves between two waters. On a creative level we are inspired by the antagonisms that are related to each other, especially in work processes: the mental and the irrational, technology and emotion, what develops in a cerebral way and what is guided from the heart. We provide the most advanced technology with poetry and human emotion to create a rational and tangible proposal, but with high doses of sensitivity.

Under this concept of extremes that complement each other, the Spring-Summer 2020 proposal is developed in two directions:

1. A turn to contemporary classics

The classic does not have to be predictable or boring, especially when it undergoes a transformation that shakes and rejuvenates it. We like to get out of our comfort zone with disruptive proposals. This line contemplates fabrics that retain a certain timeless primitivism. They are easily recognizable products, close to the domestic and that convey security and everyday life: wear a Jacquard out of the festive season or look for a type of cotton that conveys a message, why not? A range of traditional fabrics (drapery, tweeds and wool items are coming back), some of them rustic looking and which interact with the latest technologies to include us in contemporary fashion.

Within this line the tactile fabrics are grouped, with certain reliefs: granulated, obvious crepes, flamed, flexible volumes, synthetic glitters, silver lurex worked in a delicate way and without stridencies. These products stand out because they seek to enhance the beauty of the raw material. They are handmade and rustic fabrics, but at the same time technologically sophisticated and they show these imperfections (reliefs and volumes) with pride. In terms of design, contemporary classics are inspired by the ethnic universe in a minimalist key: in a natural folk style with firm strokes, sinuous and organic shapes. This category also abounds with repetitive, almost elementary geometries, with or without symmetry: clean frames and essential stripe patterns. Finally we are not forgetting floral prints with delicious compositions with petals and motifs that are inspired by the surfing universe of vibrant colours.

In this first block neutral tones abound, an earth palette with golden nuances, the unbeatable black and white or navy blue combinables.

2. An ode to the urban landscape

The second address of the Spring-Summer 20 collection puts us in an urban environment. The city as the core of human relations. We seek that direct connection with our glass and concrete home and within this line we embrace experimentation with surprising combinations of materials and textures with vital, luminous and energetic colours that can be confronted face to face to create an interesting dialogue in tune with the urban landscape.

In this second block fabrics of a young and fresh luminosity abound, with intelligent and emotional shades at the same time. We seek to appeal to the emotions with this mix and we let ourselves get carried away by intuition. Thus the fabrics we are suggesting stand out for their evidenced volumes, they are dense in appearance, with artificial compositions and elegant textures for a seduction that enters daytime terrain. Feminine and fluid fabrics with light and fresh reliefs because we want to communicate energy and spontaneity through the materials. In turn the products have a clean appearance, technical touches only in finishes and they have a spontaneous and energetic design for a look that stands out within the city. The fabrics seek some theatricality and joy with giant graphics for the outdoors, aquatic reflections and botanical-inspired prints. A line that encourages us to rethink aesthetic codes and experiment without questioning the beauty or the need for the final products.

In this second block mineral colours abound ranging from blue to pale pink or lavenders, oranges and a palette of greens and limes. Vibrant tones that are exhibited for their own sake.

We invite you to discover the new Spring-Summer 2020 collection through the online store or in our Gratacós space in Barcelona. Let yourself be seduced by the materials, textures and patterns of the fabrics!

They call it the new black for its versatility and functionality, appealing elegance with discretion. Navy blue was never a risky tone, nor did it pretend to be because it is precisely through harmony, balance and timelessness that it seduces, which makes it a safe bet inside the wardrobe, one which goes beyond the cycles and fashions dictated by the sector. And it is already well-known that the classic never dies. For this reason the colour in question borders on immortality.

Here are some curiosities about enigmatic navy blue:

The origin of navy blue

Navy blue owes its name to the dark blue that was used in the uniforms of several navies. The first to adopt this shade was the British Royal Navy in 1748 and subsequently it was extended to most of the world's navies. In fact it offered the advantage that being almost black the loss of colour was avoided. Thus during the 18th century it was used as a base to dye uniforms.

During the 19th century the use of navy blue extended to other professions and quickly conquered the street. Then the colour black continued to maintain dominance in clothing which was considered serious. However, dyers used Prussian blue and indigo pigments to launch the fashion of navy blue fabrics and dresses, which became a social phenomenon. Navy blue maintained the sobriety of black, but it proved to be less hard and above all cheaper. In fact the colour of the clothing was generally not a matter of taste, but rather of money. After World War I this dark hue displaced black in many professions such as sailors, military, gendarmes, fire-brigade, police or civil servants.

Dior adopts it as a feminist symbol

“Among all colours navy blue is the only one that can compete with black, by presenting the same virtues.” This phrase by Christian Dior has also guided the last stage of the French maison led by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first woman to lead the creative direction since 2017. Navy blue was Chiuri’s second collection for Dior, rebelliously picking up the heritage of the French designer with creations brimmed with items never seen on the catwalk such as jeans or a black leather beret as a star accessory.

Thus evening dresses, with transparencies and brightness, alternated with other looks for trouserss and workers’ overalls, as if they were factory uniforms combined with printed handbags. Navy blue represents equality and uniformity for Chiuri. There is no distinction of classes or genders. “The worker’s look is a way of saying that we have to work towards equal opportunities,” she argued at the time. Since then this colour has become a common resource in Dior collections that in lesser or greater proportion have adopted navy blue.

The most classic blue will also be the colour of 2020

2020 will also be dyed in blue. The justify Institute, a world reference in chromatic themes, has chosen the Classic Blue 19-4052 as the colour that will influence next year in such creative sectors as design, fashion or advertising. According to the institution it is a “lasting blue shade for our times, elegant in its simplicity”. It suggests the sky at sunset and its calming qualities, such as the promise of protection, ”said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute. 

According to the institution Classic Blue tends to surge at convulsive moments of change and this tonality evokes the desire to consolidate reliable and stable foundations on which we can build. In this sense, it offers us a refuge: “We live in an era that demands trust and faith, and this type of blue offers a solid and reliable feeling that encourages us to broaden our thinking and challenges us to see things in depth,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of Pantone.

The Pantone colour of the year is chosen by the directors of the company and about 40 experts from around the world, who take into account factors such as the economic situation, films and popular songs or social issues, among other variables. Thus Classic Blue is taking over from Living Coral, the colour of 2019.

Transparencies are associated traditionally to the mild or warm months of the year, where the high temperatures justify the apparent nudity these translucent fabrics given to garments. Until now, it was the norm or accepted by a majority and obeyed, in turn, to market demands and needs of the consumers. In the end, everything applied to a simple rule: more transparent and light fabrics in summer, more thick and opaque fabrics in winter. Nowadays, transparencies have lost their usual seasonality and designers of large firms have been responsible for the public wanting them at any time of the year by gradually including them in their collections. Laces, tulles, transparent embroideries … all the fabrics that show the skin in an insightful way. However, there is one particular one that grabs the limelight so far this year: the organza.

Brief historical evolution

Organza is a very fine silk fabric that is treated to maintain a certain stiffness that gives it that starchy appearance. Its name comes from Urgenc, a city in Uzbekistan and arrived in Europe from India in the 18th century. Despite being present in the continent and after its initial links to the maids of the aristocracy, it was not until the twentieth century when this fabric became popular to all social strata. The person responsible for this was Yves Saint Laurent who placed this fabric in the altars of the trends. It was in 1966 when Yves revealed his first look with transparencies. At first, the organza subtly revealed some parts of the body, but the scandal came two years later when she designed a bold dress that completely showed the chest. In the decade of the 80s, the organza allied with frills and volumes typical of that time to make exaggerated combinations, in line with the fashion of the moment that immortalized icons such as Molly Ringwald, Liz Taylor or Ladi Di. In the 90s, the fabric came back to life again thanks to the 1997 spring-summer Prada collection that homaged transparency and the triumph of minimalism. Interestingly, the Italian firm was among the first to rescue this fabric last year, probably influenced by the new furor that organza currently relives.

The revelation fabric of the season

This fine, translucent and rigid fabric has the peculiarity of adding elegance, delicacy and a certain romanticism and therefore, can boost any look with a simple garment. So far, the organza had also been linked in the exclusive field of celebrations, and although it remains there, the demand for this fabric, for other occasions, has not stopped growing.

On the catwalks today, organza has been present in the collections of Ralph Lauren, Balmain, Dolce & Gabbana Simone Rocha and Fendi, to name a few firms, but also in the chains of high street fashion that have democratized its use to make it accessible to the general public. For example, Zara presented in summer a collection of blouses, skirts and dresses made with organza that had a fulminating success, running out of stock.

From the catwalk to the high street

If a fashion is adopted in parallel by international fashion prescribers, success is more than assured and will end up arriving sooner or later to the general public. Thus, of all the pieces made with organza, the clear favourite is the blouse with puffed sleeves, being the best ally to reinvent a pair of jeans. This piece gives a romantic touch to the looks without needing other accessories. Despite the triumph of the neutrals (white, black, beige …), it also takes the colour that can range from the most vibrant palette to the pastels, our favorites. This garment works even with volume skirts or palazzo trousers.

From Gratacós we want to show you some organza from our current collection and the upcoming seasons. In our space in Barcelona you will find a good assortment of fabrics to decide if you want to use the organza on a festive occasion, or you decide to join the trend and dazzle with a garment made with this fabric for dayime wear.

Checks have always been present in the history of contemporary fashion. Moreover, they are part of those unperturbed tendencies, oblivious to cycles, which are repeated and renewed without losing their identity.

A priori, when we talk of a check print the British style comes to mind with its classic costumes, the tartan reminiscent of the Scots or the vichy checks that refer us to the age of innocence. It is always time to opt for checks, whether in the winter or summer collections. The novelty is that today many checks break barriers and leave their comfort zone as they take over garments, accessories or complements which hitherto were less conventional.

We are going to analyze the three most common check prints on the cat-walks of the new Autumn-Winter 2019/2020 season:

Prince of Wales

It is a type of two-colour fabric design in the form of complex frames, sometimes with a third colour as a profile. It alternately combines large checks with a milrayas design along with smaller squares in crow’s feet. Frequently the different grey scales (or muted colours) are used as base colours and sometimes one more colour is added to that base tone, usually blue. The origin of this print is popular as it is a fabric used by the workers, although it was the Duke of Windsor (Eduard VIII) who ended up popularizing it in the 1930s and spreading it throughout the world.

 When playing with the black and white binomial, this type of plaid print becomes a timeless classic, perfect in any wardrobe. This season, under a preppy style seen especially on cat-walks of Marc Jacobs, Prada, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Chloé and Marni, together with many others who opt for this pattern.

Tartan

It is perhaps the most identifiable picture. A fabric whose pattern is formed by horizontal and vertical lines that draw pictures of different colours. Of Scottish origin, tartan is associated with the clans that used them to distinguish themselves. Each family adapted particular designs, as well as colours that identified them as members of each clan. There are named tartans like McAndrew, McQueen, Douglas … even modern designs like the Royal Stewart, created by Vivienne Westwood. In its origin the tartan was made of wool, although today it is shaped through several fabrics. At present, with the appearance of new materials the word tartan has gone from defining the fabric to the design, regardless of where it is shaped.

Tartan accepts countless colours and different combinations, the key lies in personal taste. The most common are the most classic in red or green or black and white and in XXL size. In the late twentieth century tartan was also associated with a more transgressive aesthetic and found adherents in the punk movement of the late 70s with designers such as Vivienne Westwood and grunge and its nineties counterculture. To cite some examples, at this time John Galliano and Alexander McQueen adapted it.

Window frame checks

We are talking about a type of simple frame that makes squares thanks to the fine lines that make it up. Thus on a dark background a light line is added that draws a broad picture. As a base the window frame can have a tartan (with finer wool) or a tweed (which gives it a more rustic look). This type of check became popular in the 30s in Britain when people began to look for more daring and informal prints that maintained that classical dandy image, but with certain licenses.

Today window frame checks are widespread and are used almost equally in winter and summer fashion collections. We refer you to the last collection made by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel where you can observe these types of checks mixed with other fabrics and prints.

The current Gratacós collection also contains many plaid fabrics. Here are some references for you to get inspired.

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?