words by MAREK BARTEK
While many were enduring the rainy weather and a busy roster of ADE events in Amsterdam last week, the Catalan capital hosted their bi-annual 080 Barcelona Fashion Week. Enjoying the balmy 20 degrees, we embarked on a journey to see who everyone should know, follow and obsess about.
O’BARRET
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We all come from a woman’s womb. A woman is the beginning of everything. And at O’Barret, motherhood intertwined with the cycles of the solstice, exploring transformation, loss and rebirth.
The show opened with a mother carrying a child-like doll before sitting down in the middle of the runway to knit. Soulstice was a celebration of womanhood and everything it represents. From a sculptural bodice resembling a pregnant body to wooden necklaces and organic accessories, designer Alicia Jiménez Barreto seemed to take us back to a matriarchal society.
The collection carried distinct prehistoric references — particularly in the accessories — which contrasted beautifully with undeniable 2000s elements. The platform heels looked like something Serena van der Woodsen wouldn’t have been ashamed to wear in an episode of Gossip Girl. Elsewhere, golden floral jacquards, distressed fabrics, oversized sleeves and fluid satin silhouettes explored the ideas of rawness and sophistication simultaneously. While corseted waists introduced a pleasant element of surprise, the corset look with exposed boning felt less accomplished and out of place in a collection otherwise full of exceptional tailoring.
Less is more proved to be an approach that benefited O’Barret. A limited palette of camel, beige, brown and powder pink might seem restrictive in theory, but here it highlighted the patterns and tailoring without overwhelming the other elements. Soulstice looked so far back that it might’ve just come around with something new.
404 STUDIO
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404 Studio presented Paprika, inspired by Satoshi Kon’s 2006 film exploring the blurriness between dreams and reality. More than just that, the Barcelona-based label did something many designers attempt, but few get right: taking seemingly ordinary materials and making them look genuinely cool.
The opening looks introduced the collection’s most interesting idea: circular metallic discs arranged in grids, held together by crochet-like constructions. Instantly reminiscent of the iconic Paco Rabanne’s dresses, here, that metal-knit combination brought a very needed sense of newness, turning something that could’ve been easily disregarded as a copy into the show's strongest proposition.
Elsewhere, sportswear met corporate dressing. Sheer blouses came with zips, skirts were tightened with drawstrings, and knitted bodysuits revealed considerably more skin than we usually associate with the innocence of knitwear. A grey asymmetrical dress could have been rather ordinary, were it not for its clever draping and subtle purple embellishments. Neon crochet, silver metallics and muted grey somehow worked beautifully together, although they turned the collection a bit cold.
The footwear was equally interesting, from transparent jelly sandals and sculptural flip-flop heels to metallic Mary Janes. The cylindrical bags should be studied. Everything from the material to their hypnotic circular pattern screamed wrong in all the right ways.
There weren't necessarily many ideas, but the ones that got explored were executed exceptionally well — and in this case, it was enough to make fashion exciting.
OUTSIDERS DIVISION
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In theory, this should not have worked. It was loud, bizarre and so overwhelmingly everything that watching Outsiders Division’s latest collection felt like experiencing a fever dream.
Titled Groomed and Horny, David Méndez Alonso’s SS27 collection explored the transition from childhood to adolescence, with all the curiosity, awkwardness and sexual discovery that comes with it. Innocence met innuendo in the most ridiculous ways imaginable. A childlike drawing of a dog accompanied the word “SEXY”, while a seemingly innocent shirt revealed a rather explicit illustration on its back. Elsewhere, a formal shirt and pinstriped trousers looked perfectly respectable from the front, only to reveal lace underwear and an exposed backside.
The clothes were equally outrageous. Crochet school uniform dress, knitted harness, cartoonish house, enormous bows and kitten-print dresses created a universe adjacent to Thom Browne and early JW Anderson, only considerably less serious. Red loafers covered in bubblegum-pink spikes came with pink socks decorated with three-dimensional cherries.
And yet, underneath all the visual chaos, there was a surprisingly coherent idea. The collection captured that strange moment when you're no longer a child but haven't quite figured out adulthood either. Everything feels embarrassing, exciting and a little inappropriate, often all at once.
Was everything beautiful? Absolutely not. But the sheer joy, imagination and commitment to making something so wonderfully ridiculous made this collection impossible not to love.
LOUIS GABRIEL NOUCHI
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Louis Gabriel Nouchi was a particularly fitting choice of guest designer for 080 Barcelona Fashion. Already an established name on the Paris Fashion Week calendar, he brought his clear sense of identity to Barcelona, proving that sometimes quality really does matter more than quantity.
For VOLVER — A Study in Desire, Nouchi revisited his own archives rather than designing an entirely new wardrobe. Inspired by Pedro Almodóvar's cinematic universe, the collection reimagined existing garments through styling, giving familiar pieces new silhouettes and meanings. An interesting proposition, particularly from a designer whose work has always had such a strong relationship with storytelling.
We were served an abundance of familiar LGN codes: exaggerated shoulders and sharply defined waists created silhouettes that felt dramatic without turning cartoonish. The show also featured oversized tailoring, long coats and lace veils, alongside Spanish-inspired hair combs and flowers in the hair. The references to Almodóvar made sense, too, particularly in the relationship between desire, vulnerability and the way clothing can shape a character.
Despite its relatively limited number of looks, the collection felt surprisingly complete. Nothing seemed unnecessary, and the decision to revisit existing pieces only reinforced the strength of Nouchi's design language.
Barcelona invited a designer who knows what he's doing, and he delivered exactly that. Beautifully made, distinctly LGN and a welcome reminder that reinvention doesn't always require starting from scratch.
CRYPTA
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Somewhere between Ann Demeulemeester's dark romanticism and Rick Owens' otherworldly aesthetic, Crypta delivered a collection that was just as ethereal as it was rugged.
Working predominantly in black, grey and white, the collection explored the relationship between strength and fragility through an impressive approach to materials and construction. Fabrics appeared twisted, shredded, woven and pulled apart, creating garments that looked almost as though they were falling to pieces, yet remained beautifully constructed.
Throughout the collection, we experienced a fascinating contrast between the heavier, armour-like knitted pieces and the softer, feather-like elements that seemed to float around the body. Sheer fabrics draped against more rigid constructions, while distressed surfaces and trailing fringes in unexpected places brought movement to otherwise imposing silhouettes.
The styling also contributed to this strange beauty. Distressed boots gave the looks a rougher edge, while hair intertwined with fabric extended the garments beyond the body itself. Nothing felt overly polished, and that was part of the appeal.
Yet, probably the most impressive aspect of the collection was the craftsmanship behind it all. Making clothes look distressed is one thing; making them look deliberately distressed while retaining their sensuality and elegance is another. Rigid and rugged, but somehow incredibly soft, Crypta delivered a strong collection that is deserving of everyone’s attention.
BOLTAD
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Making ugly chic look truly chic takes a very particular kind of talent. Prada, Miu Miu and Marni have for long been considered the masters of this aesthetic, and now, Boltad might just be the newest addition to the club.
“Wonderfully odd” is probably the only right way to talk about these clothes. The proportions were slightly off, the colours shouldn't have necessarily worked together, and the styling occasionally bordered on ridiculous. Yet somehow, it all looked great. Orange against pale blue, green with white, purple, yellow and pink thrown into the mix. It was colourful, sure, but more importantly, cleverly combined.
Particularly interesting was the almost subversive use of lines. Geometric decorations appeared sewn onto garments, pockets were exaggerated, contrasting straps cut across bodies, and checks were interrupted by bright strips of fabric. Even ordinary sweatshirts and trousers became interesting through unexpected construction and proportions.
The accessories came in a variety of woven baskets with bamboo handles, brightly coloured caps, scarves and metallic wigs that should have looked completely clownish — and perhaps they did a little — but also why it worked.
Boltad understands the difference between making an ugly outfit and making something conventionally unattractive desirable. It was playful, awkward and disarmingly charming. Sometimes the fun of fashion lies in making something that shouldn't work look fucking fantastic. Boltad just gets it.
DAVID CATALAN
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After a rather safe-acting last season, it was a bit hard to imagine what to expect from David Catalan this time around. But what a pleasant surprise this turned out to be. The designer clearly made it his effort to turn things fun this time around, delivering a collection that felt fresh, playful yet remained true to him.
Denim, of course, still was central to the David Catalan universe, but it was the combination of different ideas that made the collection particularly interesting. Sailor-inspired elements met tailoring, sportswear and denim, while shades of blue and yellow worked beautifully together. The metallic aspects were unexpected in the best way possible. There were even subtle hints of reference, especially in the way belts and straps restricted and reshaped certain silhouettes, although Catalan managed to reinterpret these ideas in his own way.
The silhouettes were particularly strong, with an interesting balance between relaxed proportions and more structured pieces. And then there was the swimwear, joining what seems to be a growing fascination with the Tom Ford-inspired look. At this point, we all are patiently waiting to see how this particular direction will translate into everyday wardrobes beyond the runway.
That the collection felt a complete, distinctive David Catalan universe rather than simply a series of nice clothes. Everything came together naturally, without losing the playful spirit that made it enjoyable to watch.