5 Barcelona fashion designers to watch out for
From Velásquez to Dominnico, here are the fashion names pulling you out to Spain
From Velásquez to Dominnico, here are the fashion names pulling you out to Spain
When you think of fashion weeks in Europe, the big three spring to mind instantly: London, Milan and Paris. Fashion enthusiasts may have also heard whispers of Copenhagen and all the chic street style that it brings, but we’re here to cast your sights south on sunny Spain. Yes, the country with party town Ibiza and weekend-getaway Mallorca also boasts a sexy and fearless fashion scene.
Welcome to 080 Barcelona Fashion Week, a four-day feast for your sartorial-inspo-starved mind and soul that features young labels with a strong point of view and an excitement to champion diverse Catalonian cultures. In the past, we’ve witnessed canon Spanish designers including Balenciaga, Paloma Wool and Desigual opting for fashion weeks outside their country. Now, a new wave of designers have decided to stay put and reel in global audiences to Barcelona instead, and the world is watching.
See 404 Studio’s playful juxtaposition of crochet and leather or Dominnico’s eclectic portfolio of oxygenated denim and faux fur that demand a time where clothes aren’t defined by gender or limited by silhouettes. Besides showing off fluent tailoring, sleek design and an expert attention to detail, these brands are unjaded and inclusive in their ethos. Trust me, once you’ve caught a glimpse, it’s hard to walk away – the clothes look incredibly cool and it’s obvious that the people making them are having a great time. Whether you’re curious or convinced, here are five Barcelona designers to taste test and add to your radar.
Designer Anaïs Vauxcelles’ latest collection set out to make a statement on our relationship with the planet. Cheekily titled “Ghost In The Shell” after its namesake anime, the crochet, denim and leather line teases a dystopian era where raw materials become so scarce that they grow as currency instead of money. The designer reveals that a popular denim on denim look studded with wool that resembles clipped shearling was in reality a masterful play on the eyes. “I do all the crochet myself and it’s very hard-skilled. This time we also imitated shearling, and what you see is actually a blend of holed leather and alpaca. We wanted to experiment with unique yarns to show what the future holds,” Vauxcelles tells woo. Worn by global stars including Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue and Lori Harvey, 404 Studio sets itself apart with its contemporary vision and love for mixing art and culture with high fashion. Next up on the designer’s dream celebrity wishlist? Rosalia, of course.
This F/W ‘24 season was designer Santi Mozas’ second year at 080 BFW but you could never tell. His labour of love Compte Spain had the front row ravenous for more. Titled “Happy Endings”, the collection employed sensual cuts and peekaboo fabrics to urge people to challenge a tired fashion mould. Expect elaborate detailing with sequins, bows and frills, delicate necklines and power shoulders paired with hedonistic yarns of nostalgic crochet. The designer relies on his clothing to question truths from his childhood: playful bows lined deep slits and became sultry while old-time knits were adapted into hot red, skin-teasing dresses. Still the process of creation and curation remains a community affair: “My favourite piece from the collection was the white crochet cape because my mother made that and it’ll always be special,” Mozas tells woo.
If there’s only one name you leave knowing, let Mateo Velásquez’s eponymous label take that coveted spot. The designer is on a mission to employ his fashion chops for inclusive activism and his F/W ‘24 collection reflects this. “Barequero” is inspired by the struggles of people in his hometown Marmato — a Colombian mining town where workers were forced to toil in unbearable conditions in the pursuit of gold. Velásquez carefully fringed denim, linen and silk with dramatic metallic diamanté details to mirror this relentless task. “The town is currently being displaced by multinational companies so I wanted my collection to celebrate our stories and highlight the mining culture we have there,” says the designer. The brand also demanded peace in Palestine: a model sashayed down the runway in a keffiyeh scarf while Velásquez took his closing bow in a “Ceasefire Now” tee. Come for the innovative, expression-first fashion and stay for the non-conforming, inclusive community.
The young Ecuadorian label blends colours and textures with an effortless ease that embodies comfortable fluidity. Each piece — inspired by marbled minerals and sediments — was painstakingly handmade in the designer’s home country. An olive jumper adorned with embracing bodies looks so gentle, so tactile that you want to run your fingers over the texture, hoping to move the figures around like drawings in sand. A body-hugging midi dress extends from a sea of greens to blues to violets and creams, reminiscent of a lush and welcoming natural scape. While there’s romance in abundance, the pieces also scream reckless fun with camo prints, acid washed denims, zigzagged blazers and long locks of hair (!) that double as accessories on coats and backpacks.
Arguably the best known brand on the 080 circuit, slow fashion, gender fluid label Dominnico is all about eccentric, retro-futurist statement dressing. In its F/W ‘24 collection, the brand uses lace, leather, slashed and distressed denim (yes, it really is everywhere), rivets and metallic details to reimagine classic ballet core moodboards. Think oxygenated denim pants paired with sheer ruffled blouses, sailor hats and scarves punctuating sensual silhouettes and leather corsets threaded with lace and bows. “Neus Bermajo’s [fringed denim] closing look was very special to me as she wore one of the most elaborate pieces we’ve constructed,” the designer adds. No Dominnico collection is complete without teasing skin and sex, and luckily, this was no different. Long legs, butt cracks, oiled thighs and tattooed chests made plenty of appearances throughout the show.
Designer Anaïs Vauxcelles’ latest collection set out to make a statement on our relationship with the planet. Cheekily titled “Ghost In The Shell” after its namesake anime, the crochet, denim and leather line teases a dystopian era where raw materials become so scarce that they grow as currency instead of money. The designer reveals that a popular denim on denim look studded with wool that resembles clipped shearling was in reality a masterful play on the eyes. “I do all the crochet myself and it’s very hard-skilled. This time we also imitated shearling, and what you see is actually a blend of holed leather and alpaca. We wanted to experiment with unique yarns to show what the future holds,” Vauxcelles tells woo. Worn by global stars including Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue and Lori Harvey, 404 Studio sets itself apart with its contemporary vision and love for mixing art and culture with high fashion. Next up on the designer’s dream celebrity wishlist? Rosalia, of course.
This F/W ‘24 season was designer Santi Mozas’ second year at 080 BFW but you could never tell. His labour of love Compte Spain had the front row ravenous for more. Titled “Happy Endings”, the collection employed sensual cuts and peekaboo fabrics to urge people to challenge a tired fashion mould. Expect elaborate detailing with sequins, bows and frills, delicate necklines and power shoulders paired with hedonistic yarns of nostalgic crochet. The designer relies on his clothing to question truths from his childhood: playful bows lined deep slits and became sultry while old-time knits were adapted into hot red, skin-teasing dresses. Still the process of creation and curation remains a community affair: “My favourite piece from the collection was the white crochet cape because my mother made that and it’ll always be special,” Mozas tells woo.
If there’s only one name you leave knowing, let Mateo Velásquez’s eponymous label take that coveted spot. The designer is on a mission to employ his fashion chops for inclusive activism and his F/W ‘24 collection reflects this. “Barequero” is inspired by the struggles of people in his hometown Marmato — a Colombian mining town where workers were forced to toil in unbearable conditions in the pursuit of gold. Velásquez carefully fringed denim, linen and silk with dramatic metallic diamanté details to mirror this relentless task. “The town is currently being displaced by multinational companies so I wanted my collection to celebrate our stories and highlight the mining culture we have there,” says the designer. The brand also demanded peace in Palestine: a model sashayed down the runway in a keffiyeh scarf while Velásquez took his closing bow in a “Ceasefire Now” tee. Come for the innovative, expression-first fashion and stay for the non-conforming, inclusive community.
The young Ecuadorian label blends colours and textures with an effortless ease that embodies comfortable fluidity. Each piece — inspired by marbled minerals and sediments — was painstakingly handmade in the designer’s home country. An olive jumper adorned with embracing bodies looks so gentle, so tactile that you want to run your fingers over the texture, hoping to move the figures around like drawings in sand. A body-hugging midi dress extends from a sea of greens to blues to violets and creams, reminiscent of a lush and welcoming natural scape. While there’s romance in abundance, the pieces also scream reckless fun with camo prints, acid washed denims, zigzagged blazers and long locks of hair (!) that double as accessories on coats and backpacks.
Arguably the best known brand on the 080 circuit, slow fashion, gender fluid label Dominnico is all about eccentric, retro-futurist statement dressing. In its F/W ‘24 collection, the brand uses lace, leather, slashed and distressed denim (yes, it really is everywhere), rivets and metallic details to reimagine classic ballet core moodboards. Think oxygenated denim pants paired with sheer ruffled blouses, sailor hats and scarves punctuating sensual silhouettes and leather corsets threaded with lace and bows. “Neus Bermajo’s [fringed denim] closing look was very special to me as she wore one of the most elaborate pieces we’ve constructed,” the designer adds. No Dominnico collection is complete without teasing skin and sex, and luckily, this was no different. Long legs, butt cracks, oiled thighs and tattooed chests made plenty of appearances throughout the show.
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