In just a little over a decade, the Barcelona 080 Fashion Week has quickly become a must-see event for its eclectic street style and upcoming Catalan talents who are mixing heritage and innovative ideas to create ready-to-wear collections and proving there’s much more to see (and shop) in the Catalan capital.
Under the motto “Undress Your Mind,” the 25th edition of Barcelona 080 kicked off last week with a renovated catwalk space, a new roster of up-and-coming names, and international guest designers presenting their autumn-winter 2020 collections and, in some cases, their spring-summer 2020 collections as the “see now, buy now” business model continues to gain popularity.
Among the international designers were South African label Chulaap, New York–based brand Love Bonetti, Athens-based Yiorgos Eleftheriades, and Peruvian designer Esaú Yori.
Here’s the short list of our favorites and where to find these coveted brands.
Designers Society
For its debut collection at the Barcelona 080, designers Pepe Generó and Raquel Colominas drew inspiration from California summers for their spring-summer 2020 offering. The loose, unrestrained silhouettes included sundresses, jumpsuits and clever separates in prints such as flowers and stripes and in solid colors such as orange, purple, green, desert pink and, of course, white.
The standout: a monochromatic paper-waist pants and blouse topped with a color-blocked paneled trench coat.
designerssociety.es
Carrer de Galileu, 303, 08028 Barcelona
Naulover
The iconic Spanish brand, which dates back to 1957, displayed smart monochromatic layering by mixing textures and lengths, illustrating endless wearing possibilities. Oversized coats, wide-leg pants and finely made cashmere wool knits were a nod to the Milan of the late 70s and early 80s.
The standout: the knitwear is an absolute must-have. But if you have to pick one piece (and can pull it off), go big with the long cable knit coat in ecru.
Naulover.com
Carrer del Rosselló, 218
Custo Barcelona
Legendary label Custo Barcelona presented a collection called “Wet Paint,” which in the words of the designer, Custo Dalmau, was “a tribute to the confident woman who is daring and innovative.” For Dalmau, this meant a hodgepodge of shiny fabrics and short, fitted dresses with multiple cutaways (showing lots of skin) topped with lettering and ethnic prints. If it sounds like there is a lot going on, it’s because there is, and that’s on-point for the Custo brand.
The standout: a white beaded top with billowing sleeves and metallic pants.
Custo.com
Plaça del Pi, 2, 08002 Barcelona
Sonia Carrasco
Staying true to her focus on sustainability, Carrasco presented a collection made entirely out of recycled fabrics named “45.376543, 59.651328,” which are the coordinates of the dried-up Aral Sea between Uzbekistan and Kazajistan. The color palette mostly consisted of earthy hues as a base, reflecting the desert inspiration of the designer, and contrasted with strong injections of red, purple, rose, and mint green. A multitude of separates offered a wide range of styling possibilities.
The standout: a flowing solid color dress topped with a roll neck sleeveless tunic.
sonia-carrasco.com
Boris Bidjan Saberi
He presented his first collection more than a decade ago in Barcelona, and had been showing in Paris before returning to this edition of 080. Saberi, a menswear designer of Persian and German roots, offered 20 looks in which he recapped his trajectory of de-structured, experimental and highly-engineered clothing that seem to be right out of a post-apocalyptic, urban warrior setting.
The standout: a transparent skin biker jacket made in collaboration with the Igualada technological center.
borisbidjansaberi.com
Pablo Erroz
The Mallorca native ditched the seasons and presented a collection that blurred the lines between summer and winter and toyed with the notion of gender. He offered mostly menswear with a good dose of traditional tailoring and sporty, colorful ensembles which could, in some instances, potentially find their way into a more feminine wardrobe.
The standouts: a fringed one-shoulder dress over pants and a crisp white ensemble topped with a camel suede parka.
pabloerroz.com
Carrer de la Canuda, 26, 1º2ª
Yiorgos Eleftheriades
This leading Greek fashion designer established his brand in 1992. Since the beginning, he’s incorporated eco-fabrics and introduced the concept of timelessness in his designs. This fashion week proved to be no exception. Eleftheriades offered pieces with a unisex appeal of structured shoulders with masculine suiting and contrasting textures, in a palette of mostly grays but with strategic infusions of Klein blue, burnt orange, and forest green.
The standouts: impeccable suiting and outerwear pieces.
yiorgoseleftheriades.com
Txell Miras
The Catalan designer had trans-humanist inspiration on her mind and expressed her concern for a future in which humans transcend their bodies through technology. Miras presented a series of contrasts in textures, colors, and silhouettes. For instance, classic wool knitwear—to represent the human aspect—was paired with neoprene, patent leather, and plastics, which evoked the machines. The results were silhouettes that could make a statement, yet remaining easy to wear.
The standouts: sharply tailored coats and jackets.
txellmiras.eu
Carrer de València, 229
Esaú Yori
The Peruvian guest designer, Yori, returned to his tailoring roots by toying with notions of classic masculine suiting in deconstructing garments and taking them to a feminine and powerful universe. This played out on the runway as sleek, deconstructed blazers and oversized coats with bold shoulders that looked coolly relatable with sheer mesh tops and white structured blouses.
The standout: an oversized camel coat that hits the sweet spot between trendy and real-life wearability.
esauyori.com
Get more information about 080 Barcelona Fashion Week here and then check out even more designers at these local fashion boutiques and the inimitable Darial.
