Spanish luxury fashion is becoming increasingly important on the international stage, with a focus on imaginative design, a subtle use of Spanish tradition, and a wide range of quality fabrics, all key to its success. Alyssa McMurtry reports from Madrid.To imagine fashion intrinsically and traditionally Spanish, you might imagine long, flowing flamenco dresses, shoes built for stomping, or big flowers gently placed behind tightly pulledback hair. And while this still exists in the costume world, Spanish luxury fashion designers are playing on the history and culture of Spain to create apparel that is modern, sophisticated and internationally recognised.
Maria de Cabo, who, along with her sister Felicidad, owns and is a designer for La Tua Pelle Costura, which has been making haute couture in Madrid for 17 years, holds Spanish history in her heart while making bespoke clothing for her clients. She and her sister grew up in the world of bullfighting - their grandfather was a matador.
“My heart is Spanish and it does sometimes appear in the clothing, depending on what I am making. For example, I am not going to make a typical Flamenco dress, but through Flamenco I can see a masculine point, something a little aggressive and I can use that in my designs,” she says. “There is a fine but very important line between costume and high fashion.” Spanish designer Roberto Verino has a store on Calle Serano, the main street for luxury shopping in Madrid, and has outlets elsewhere in the world such as Athens and Mexico City. He also believes that the traditional Spanish elements should be used subtly.“I will use Spanish elements sometimes, as much as in shape as in colour but only if it is in style internationally,” he explains. “If I use this it is always with enormous delicacy, nothing close to folkloric. My clothing is international and I like it when a jacket or dress works the same in a shop window in Seville as in New York.”
And while some of the more important contributions to international fashion from Spain have been through large retail chains such as Zara and Mango, the country also has designers at the cutting edge of fashion, setting global trends. Famous designers such as Balenciaga, Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, Adolfo Dominguez, Paco Rabanne, and Manolo Blahnik all hail from Spain.
“Spain has so much talent and plays a major role in the fashion world,” says de Cabo. “It’s a shame that people often only think of France as being the hot bed of design. For example I just held a show and someone said it was good and didn’t seem Spanish. I don’t understand what that means - there are fantastic designers here.”
It is true, according to Lucia Cordeiro, the executive director of the Association of Creators of Spanish Fashion, that the majority of Spanish design is prêt-à-porter or demi couture. Haute couture is usually left for special occasions like weddings, but of course Spain has its rich urban elite that enjoy the fruits of the country’s top designers.
A major influence in Spanish design is the fabrics. According to Lucia Cordeiro, the executive director of the Association of Creators of Spanish Fashion, the fabric comes first in Spanish luxury clothes and is the determining factor of the design and price of the garment. All the designers in the association attend Première Vision.
Roberto Verino also attests to the fact that one of his primary influences of design comes from the fabrics that he uses. He chooses his fabrics based on quality, much of them from Première Vision, looking at everything from the fibres to the finish. He says he prefers natural fabrics, including linen, cotton, silk, wool and cashmere, although isn’t opposed to using artificial fabrics minimally.
“I still haven’t found a good enough reason to stop using plastics, metals or crystalline in finishes if the trend calls for it,” he explains. “I try to be sustainable and look for fabrics that go with those values but if there is an exception I will try to use as little as possible.”
De Cabo adds: “The fabrics are incredibly important. My clients inspire which fabric I choose - some go better with something more smooth or soft and others get stronger fabric. All the fabrics I use are natural, which gives the clothing richness. Here we like to dye them by hand.” She adds that she uses all types of fabrics, from silk to cotton to antique fabric.
Spain has a varied climate and geography, so hot weather fabrics do not dominate, and range from cotton and silk to wool and linen.
“I am inspired from everywhere,” says De Cabo. “Fashion doesn’t speak a language and that is the beautiful thing about it. When you design, interesting things appear. I am evolving and absorbing all the things around me, from art museums to people on the streets, and after working with the fabric the best thing is to expel all of your experience and ideas into a beautiful piece of clothing. It comes from the mixture of knowing how to do something and the soul of fashion.”
Luxury growth amid hard times
The luxury market for all products and services in Spain is valued at €2.7 billion, according to Euromonitor International. From that about 18% is spent on designer clothing and footwear. Although the economic crisis has hit Spain hard, and its recovery has thus far been weak, it is predicted that spending on luxury fashion will increase by a little more than 1% next year, making clothing and footwear the second most popular luxury item for the Spanish consumer, after luxury jewellery and timepieces.
However, according to Lucia Cordeiro, the fact that 5 million people - a staggering 21.7% - are now without jobs is creating fear, and she says that she has noticed a change in consumption because of the crisis.
Designer Maria del Cabo, who makes haute couture mainly for weddings, says she hasn’t seen a decline in business because people are still getting married. She adds that, in fact, when Spaniards do splurge at present they seem inclined to go for broke and order something really special, asking for garments that are more striking, bold and unique.
Spanish designer Roberto Verino says: “Most consumers are buying just about the same amount of clothing, maybe now with a little bit more of reflection. The trick in the brain that makes people really enjoy consuming still exists. People will still find whatever excuse there is to give in and satisfy their vanity.”