Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

Fashion is cyclical, we know it. And its renewal cycles are articulated around two decades to seduce the new generations. After rescuing the Y2K style, the aesthetic of dubious taste from the beginning of the century, which has so hooked Generation Z that it continues to experiment with colourful garments worn by leaders such as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton or Christina Aguilera, now fashion takes a 360 degree turn and bets on its dark reverse: the gothic. Tim Burton already ventured it with his successful Netflix series ‘Wednesday’, that the little girl from the Addams family was going to be the tip of the iceberg of a new dark movement that has especially seduced fashion. And not only in winter, where black is a common colour for each season. This same summer the reign of darkness begins and on the red carpets it has already been evidenced. This is how the catwalks have spoken.

Fashion surrenders the dark side

New York has just confirmed that the gothic style is back in fashion, it will establish itself as a trend in the next two years, and soon it will nestle in our closet. This was made very clear by the Rodarte firm, which left its usual colourful looks, but not its romantic side, to explore the dark side of its firm. Her sensual proposal, inspired by witches for the coming winter, was made up of more than 60 looks, where the colour black was the protagonist, with sumptuous fabrics such as velvet with others that reveal the body, without finishing showing it like tulle. or the lace.

In fact, black was also the leading colour in the shows and presentations of most of the New York Fashion Week collections. This was demonstrated from the first day by Christian Siriano with sophisticated party dresses to tailoring pieces, or the New York brand Proenza Schouler where other types of garments such as leather jackets and skirts were seen.

For this spring-summer 2023 season, brands such as Prada, Paco Rabanne, Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, with a commitment to renaissance, have also embraced the gothic as one of the winning styles. Already at the end of 2022, they made their intentions clear by gradually introducing some accessories in their previous collections such as chokers, fishnet stockings, infinite platforms, transparencies, lace and corsets. Now they are no longer hiding and have made the official deployment.

One trend, three different styles

Gothic aesthetics is presented in public following three different styles. In the first place, there are the designers who rescue all the most romantic aspects. They are the ones who bet on giving a glamorous point to the current and raise aesthetic concepts typical of the Victorian era, they are inspired by the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the characters of Tim Burton and the clothing of movie vampires. To do this, they team up with sumptuous opaque fabrics such as velvet that combine with other lace details and transparent lingerie. Long dresses with defined waists, marked necklines and shoulders, a prominent neckline and strategic volumes define this gothic chic style. Donatella Versace’s latest collection of bridal gowns called Dark Gothic Goddess, and which Jenna Ortega has worn on several occasions, would be an example of this aesthetic that portrays dark, rebellious, strong women and a bit of a diva.

At the opposite end of the elegant gothic, there is another more trashy and alternative style, inspired by apocalyptic universes that maintain a pessimistic look towards the future of humanity. It is an urban aesthetic that draws from cyberpunk and also from the techno clubs of the late nineties in Germany as a new counterculture scene. Neoprene outfits, harnesses, opaque sunglasses, geometric designs, military boots, leather and patent leather are part of this more underground gothic aesthetic.

Lastly, the dark academy style also triumphs, giving a twist to the college or university aesthetic inspired by class uniforms, but in its darkest aspect. Tim Burton’s new adaptation of the character of Wednesday Addams is responsible for this style within the gothic current that is committed to a style that has nothing to do with ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Dead Poets Club’: striped uniform, shades of purple, grey, brown or black, a pleated mid-calf skirt and Oxford-style lace-up shoes with platforms. Stripes, two-tone checkerboard patterns or polka dots are also paired with oversized sweaters and modest straight-cut dresses.

At Gratacós we bring to light our own darkness in seasonal fabrics that will turn you into an enigmatic lady of the night. Now also, during the day.

Egypt is once again in the spotlight of fashion. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen and the awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum scheduled for 2023, which hides the greatest treasures of the pharaohs in front of the pyramids of Giza, have positioned it as a desired destination that seduces by its thousand-year-old patrimonial legacy, its latest cultural offerings and some proposals for authentic luxury accommodation that revalue it on the international map.

The awakening of an icon

The enigmas of Ancient Egypt continue to fascinate the population and its power of attraction could not go unnoticed in the world of fashion. Connecting with the present, November 2022 marked the centenary of the discovery of the tomb of the young pharaoh in the Valley of the Kings. After a surprising discovery of a tomb with intact seals, Tutankhamen woke up from a slumber of more than 3,000 years and revealed unimaginable riches that helped to further understand the majesty of the reign of the pharaohs.

This discovery in 1922 came at a very opportune moment in history, after the First World War at a time of economic boom, and it quickly became a real sensation for several reasons. To begin with, it was a well-preserved royal mummy, which by its size was that of a child who had ascended the throne at a very young age. Unimaginable treasures were found next to the grave, such as the golden coffin and the famous funerary mask of Tutankhamen, which represents ancient Egypt like no other symbol in the popular imagination. A world icon oblivious to the passage of time.

The influence on the fashion of the 20s

Tutankhamen marked style leaving his mark on the fashion of the Roaring 20s. One of the treasures found in the tomb was the most complete and best preserved collection of clothing that has survived from Ancient Egypt. It included tunics, skirts, hats, children’s gloves and sandals in paper, rattan and leather. Anecdotally, these last two accessories were made contemporary replicas in the United States that sold out in department stores within a few weeks of being reproduced. Egyptian-inspired designs were also all the rage at the time, copying fitted silhouettes, straight and narrow dresses or the characteristic draping that hugged the hips and fell in the front. Before the discovery, the Egyptian style was an intermittent trend, like others that were rescued from the end of the 19th century such as Oriental inspiration or Edwardian fashion during the first decade of the 20th century. Garments and accessories with related motifs such as lotus flowers, hieroglyphics or pharaohs had already been used on their carriages on occasions, but they were not as direct or explicit inspirations as those that emerged from the designs from Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Other aspects that influenced the fashion of the 20s was the colour palette associated with the treasures of the young pharaoh. The red and brown tones of the papyri and mummies, the blue lapis lazuli in Egyptian divinities that contrasted with the powerful gold as a symbol of light or the white of the clothing. Also the fabrics: natural linens and cottons with little opacity in draped silhouettes that contrasted with the ornamental elements. In fact, the jewelry industry surrendered at the feet of Tutankhamen reproducing multiple bracelets, rings and necklaces worked in crystals and semi-precious stones. There was also no lack of ornamental elements that made reference to Ancient Egypt such as birds, beetles or the solar disk that represented the divinity Ra. The geometric motifs and the tendency to wear two or more bracelets on the same arm also arose from seeing the treasures of the child pharaoh exposed. The pioneers in this type of design were Lacloche, Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier.

The Western world was already fascinated by Egypt long before the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb: Verdi’s opera ‘Aida’, Tiffany’s Cleopatra-inspired jewellry or the costumes of the dancer Mata Hari, who found her inspiration on a trip made o the country of the pyramids, are two good examples of this attraction.

A new rise

The fever for Ancient Egypt has not ceased in fashion and its presence has been intermittent over the last 50 years. For example, in the 1960s, Egypt mania returned to fashion with Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of the powerful Cleopatra. Her beauty, makeup and wardrobe were (and still are) an inspiration for many fashion designers and editorials. Or in the 1970s, a new traveling exhibition of Tutankhamen’s treasures received eight million viewers who were once again interested in the enigmas of Egypt. Various marketing objects were also exploited in the United States: jewelry, household products or small fashion accessories.

Ancient Egypt on the catwalk

The historic civilization has also fascinated the designers of luxury firms who have found in its iconography a constant source of inspiration. From John Galliano in 1997 with a mixture of Egypt with punk aesthetics to the elegance of Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel in 2019, the catwalks have celebrated the splendor of Ancient Egypt with models that rescue the beauty of the female figure and the lavishness of the empire of the pharaohs. Golden fabrics, inlaid precious stones, flowing dresses, muslins, tunics, ethereal capes, embroidered hieroglyphics… each firm has interpreted this suggestive universe over the last few years.

Among all the tributes that have been paid, the one paid by John Galliano when he was in charge of the artistic direction of Dior stands out. The haute couture collection for the spring of 2004 was presented in a show as grand as few can remember. On the catwalk there was no shortage of the most symbolic gods of the Egyptian pantheon, the Tutankhamen mask, the silhouette of the sphinx, fabrics that wrap around the body like a mummy and models inspired by Cleopatra herself. In this unusual collection there was no shortage of excessive volumes , dresses with exaggerated proportions, skirts with a pyramid silhouette, the golden colour, endless organzas and extreme attention to detail that earned it the title of Haute Couture. He also did his own interpretation of this fascinating Alexander McQueen universe in 2007 that focused more on investigating the relationship of Ancient Egyptian religion with the folk culture of British immigrants. In a more moderate way, the designers Bagley Mischka and Zuhair Murad have also been inspired. Also Givenchy in 2016, Balmain and Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld chose the temple of Dendur as the setting to create his own version of Egypt in the pre-fall 2019 collection.

The last proposal that has been exhibited with clear references to Egyptian culture has been just a month ago. Kim Jones , artistic director of Dior Men, traveled to the Giza pyramids on site to present the autumn collection, evoking the colours of the monuments and looking up at the sky to link it with the stars, a common symbol in the historical French firm. A splendid proposal that represents the past, the present and the future of Dior.

Pic: La Pointe. Resort 2023

A little over a month ago, Pantone announced the color that will guide fashion and design this 2023: the vibrant pinkish red Viva Magenta. As we continue to explore the virtues of this enigmatic shade, we bring you another one that will influence upcoming collections, according to experts such as the leading consumer trend forecasting agency: WGSN. We already warned you: it is less strident and just as balsamic. The wave of dopamine tones that worked so well after the pandemic and that the industry had been demanding seems to be starting to wane.

 

Foto: Kaoa Oficial

An intermediate tonality that brightens from discretion

The color that WGSN has selected in collaboration with Coloro, as the shade of the year 2024 is commercially called Apricot Crush – A calm peach color with hints of sweetness, which falls somewhere in the middle as it moves away from soft, bland pastels for a more invigorating tone that maintains the commerciality.” Apricot Crush signifies the importance of nurturing the mind and body,” said Clare Smith, WGSN Color Strategist. And she added: “It is the perfect tone for a world that seeks calm and optimism. It also provides a needed boost as consumers continue to deal with a host of emotions and uncertainty about the future.” so, apricot Crush evokes a positive attitude in the face of circumstances and connects with other values of vital importance in the present such as care, connection and community. This “crush” for the peach also evokes the nutritional properties of oranges and apricots, rich in vitamins and antioxidants. We could say that it is a tonality that prevents and cures, at the same time that it makes you happy and entertains from subtlety. 

Apricot Crush the perfect tone for a world that seeks calm and optimism.

From home to technology

Apricot Crush is a versatile and gender-neutral shade, making it a wild card that goes with just about anything. “This colour works across all seasons, genders, market levels, and product categories,” said Sara Maggioni , WGSN’s head of women’s fashion. At home, for example, it brings a warm light to each room, both inside and outside. Its soft, sun-aged character blends easily with neutrals and is suitable for home textiles, glass, and bath and bedroom products. Its fresh character also connects with cheerful and carefree natural beauty products, fragrances, skin care products and hair colors. In general, its restorative properties will be relevant for health and wellness-oriented consumer technology products.

This orange tone stands out for its gender flexibility and its trans seasonality.

 

Pic: Acuamona

Apricot Crush on the catwalk

In fashion, Apricot Crush is even more of a chameleon. The 2024 shade conquers ready – to- wear with clothing designed for everyday use and suitable for any occasion. It is also present in knitwear, coats and sportswear: from technical pieces to any complement and accessory.

Apricot Crush has also begun to be seen in the spring/summer 2023 collections of the big fashion brands, which repeat the colour for next winter. At Gratacós we are devising the 2024 and 2025 collections, and we can tell you that you will also see touches of Apricot Crush more or less evident. We are advancing some fabrics for the next season so that you do not miss the latest news in the most fashionable shade of orange of the moment.

 

All photos: Facebook Vivienne Westwood

2022 ended with the farewell to one of the emblems of 20th century British design. Provocative, revolutionary, creative and political activist, Vivienne Westwood was a lawless idealist who forever transformed UK fashion. Her revolution was to make visible her aversion to corruption and injustice in the world, as well as to denounce the passivity of youth through clothing. Westwood gave birth to the punk movement in fashion, but also took couture by storm in the ’80s and ’90s; and built a global empire with stores all over the world, a priori antagonistic concepts (capitalism/anarchism) for a transgressor of the needle, but for Westwood there were no limits or labels. Fashion was a weapon and its objective was clear from the beginning: to change the rules of the game, destroy conventions and make the world more just and equal.

The renowned fashion designer died on December 29th at the age of 81 surrounded by her family in Clapham, South London. In a statement from the brand, they assured that Vivienne Westwood “continued to the end with her subversive design, her artistic activities and her activism, to change the world.” Her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said of the designer: “I will continue to hold Vivienne in my heart. We have been working to the end and she has given me many things to keep going.” Her legacy lives on.

As a child she showed proise

Vivienne Isabel Swire was born in 1941 in the town of Tintwhistle, near Manchester. Her working-class parents encouraged her to do crafts, a skill little Vivienne was extraordinarily good at. She also liked to read a lot and spent long afternoons in the library. As a child she had an enviable self-confidence, believing herself to be an exceptional craftswoman. “Honestly at the age of 5 I could have made a pair of shoes,” the designer said in an interview. Her family moved to North London in 1958. Despite her abilities, the young Vivienne graduated as a primary school teacher, then married Derek Westwood, a young blue-collar worker with a flamboyant mod aesthetic. The first creation, without knowing how to sew, was her own wedding dress, as well as the jewelry she wore.

The influence of Malcolm McLaren

Meeting Malcolm McLaren then changed the peaceful life of Vivienne Westwood. He studied art and shared a class with one of Vivienne’s brothers, he had curly red hair and a face bleached with talcum powder. He called himself the godfather of punk. With an eccentric appearance, McLaren impressed with his creativity and brilliance, at the same time that he offended the older generations and hated everyone, except himself. The attraction to Vivienne was immediate and together they began one of the great creative partnerships in recent UK history. For the young designer, McLaren was an awakening for her: introducing her to art, music, and the transformative power of fashion.

Fashion and punk

In 1970, McLaren became the manager of The Sex Pistols, a group that defined the punk movement. At that time, Westwood had learned the trade in a self-taught way and opened a store on Kings Road in London inspired by the aesthetics of the group. She called it a subversive name: ‘Sex’ with a huge pink sign alerting passers-by: “only the brave enter”. Inside, everything was shocking. The serving staff and the clothing on display were designed to explore the individualism and identity of the wearer. Clothes with studs, chains, zippers, tight leather garments, impossible heels, T-shirts with subversive messages… Everything was designed to shock. “We invented punk,” Westwood stated in her autobiography. In fact, the presence of Vivienne and McLaren was inherently intimidating. They wanted to impress, irritate and provoke a reaction, but also inspire change. Punk was still an explosion in all its magnitude.

McLaren later acknowledged that he was willing to misrepresent popular culture to reduce it into some kind of marketing campaign, but for Westwood, the move ran deeper because she saw it as a youth insurgency against the corruption of the old world order. The British designer believed that fashion and music would channel the anger of young people and bring about change, but later realized that many of them simply ignored global injustice, and with their nose studs and punk rock music the only thing that they did was dance and have a good time.

The jump to the big catwalks

Punk was just one chapter in the legacy that Westwood leaves behind in fashion. The designer took her subversive ideas and stormed the catwalks in London and Paris. Vivienne worked at first alone with a sewing machine at home and used the moulage technique, joining the pieces together and using her own body as a template. She researched the history of fashion, remade it in her own way, and challenged the world of haute couture. An alliance with the generation of supermodels: Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Laetita Casta… showing her designs also helped her to position herself and become the leading independent designer in the 1980s and 1990s. The key to Vivienne Westwood’s success was that of not losing her orthodox identity when she moved into the world of fashion shows and ready-to-wear collections with abruptly cut garments, games of semiotics, decontextualized objects, draping… Precisely her subversive style and her transgressive image (her hair was either bleached or dyed orange and extreme makeup), made her one of the most distinctive and original designers in the fashion world. In the early 1990s, Vivienne Westwood built a mini-empire: she opened her own boutiques and produced clothing, footwear, accessories, cosmetics, and perfumes. Even bridal fashion! When Carrie Bradshaw’s character in the mythical series ‘Sex and the City’ wanted a wedding dress, she turned to the famous designer, who by the late 90s had already become a major bridal brand.

The more committed side

For Vivienne Westwood, fashion was a weapon and the message an inseparable part of her aesthetic heritage. Everything had a purpose. The British designer loathed the political class and launched a lifelong crusade to promote individual freedom, rid the world of nuclear weapons and combat the threat of climate change. “Buy less, choose better and make it last” is one of the lessons that still survives in times of climate emergency.

“I don’t want to be underground ,” she used to protest, defending that she wanted to be out of the spotlight to spread her message. She supported numerous causes, donating to the Green Party and becoming a regular visitor to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. She even parked a white tank outside the home of former Prime Minister David Cameron at an anti-fracking protest.

Vivienne Westwood was also honoured by Queen Elizabeth II. The late monarch presented her with the Order of the British Empire in 1992 and the designer appeared without underwear. Her Majesty was not amused by this rebellious gesture, but on her own merits she agreed to name her Dame a few years later. And this is how Lady Westwood, godmother of punk, defended to the last breath, her transgressive ideas applied inside and outside of fashion, but above all, maintaining a coherent attitude towards life by questioning, in her own way, the world order and the rules. of the game.

At Gratacós, we pay homage to Vivienne Westwood with a selection of our most irreverent fabrics. You can find them in our online store or in the Barcelona space.

All About Viva Magenta, the Color of the Year 2023. Pic: Pantone

Is it rosy red? Reddish purple? Perhaps crimson red or rather, a deep raspberry hue. All these nuances that transition between red, pink and purple define the unique Viva Magenta , the colour that Pantone has chosen to guide 2023 and inspire disciplines related to art and design .“ It is brave and intrepid, and a pulsating colour whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative”, declared Leatrice Eiseman , Executive Director of the Pantone Colour Institute . Viva Magenta 18-1750, this is its technical name, is a tone that vibrates with energy and vigor. “A lively red that encourages experimentation and unrestrained self-expression. An electrifying, limitless tone that comes through with a bold statement,” said Eiseman .

“Viva Magenta promotes a joyful and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative”

The arrival of this enigmatic red is not accidental. Pantone introduced the Viva Magenta shade in 2019, but it quickly rose in popularity to rise to stardom as the Colour of the Year 2023. This boom has been largely fueled by events in society in recent years. As Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute , put it, “It’s an unconventional colour for an unconventional time.” The experience of Covid and its social and economic consequences have forced changes that, voluntarily or not, have transformed people’s lifestyles. And there, after two years of uncertainty expressed through cold tones ( Very Peri, 2022) or dual (Ultimate Gray + Illuminating , 2021), now comes a hybrid tone with enough personality to be able to light up 2023. Unlike its predecessor, Viva Magenta combines coldness and warmth in the same colour, and aims to mix the physical with the virtual, a dichotomy that cannot be more relevant today with the rise of virtual reality.

“It’s an unconventional colour for an unconventional moment”

Viva Magenta has already been spotted by trendhunters who work at the Pantone Colour Institute This choice is never the result of whim or chance, on the contrary, it is the result of a deep sociological and anthropological analysis of today’s society. Choosing the colour that will mark the year combines research, method and instinct. And magenta was there, in worlds as varied as fashion, cosmetics, concept store design , digital art, social networks or decoration. The question was, why pay attention to that carmine red that is already present in society and what emotional and psychological values is it transmitting? Pantone quickly looked up its meaning. According to the international authority on colour, in this era of technology, the aim is precisely to be inspired by nature and what is real. Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta is inspired by cochineal red, one of the most precious of all natural dyes, as well as one of nature’s strongest and brightest hues. Therefore, rooted in the primordial, the colour of 2023 reconnects with the original matter, revitalizes the spirit and helps build a new inner strength. “We set our sights on a colour that highlights our need to shift our perspective, highlights our desire to feel empowered, and gives us the strength to boldly, possibly, and fearlessly launch into a new path with complete confidence.” Pressman expressed.

“We have set our sights on a colour that makes us want to feel empowered”

Seen this way, Viva Magenta is a hue that is presented as a revitalizing balm that connects our interior to project ourselves strongly to the exterior.

How to apply Viva Magenta in our daily lives?

Reddish tones and explosive mixtures such as intense pink-red have been imposed everywhere, from the catwalks to the metaverse, and where it has the most possibilities of expansion is in interior design, be it a private home or a commercial establishment. According to Eiseman, kitchens (and appliances), which have long harbored a respect for red, can now be imbued with “a touch of novelty” through Viva Magenta and its ability to break away from the “same red hue of always”, which defined previous generations. Pantone 2023 colour is also suitable on glassware or any other reflective surface, and can even nestle in cushions and other small decorative items to make a “beautiful, dramatic and theatrical statement” in your home. Although such a lively colour can intimidate or condition the current of neutral tones that are prevailing in decoration, the truth is that Pantone affirms that consumers are more prepared than ever to begin to embrace all the possibilities of colour.

Acuamona AW22/23. Pic: Acuamona

And in fashion, how is it appreciated?

There is no doubt. The fashionable colour of 2022 has been the brightest fuchsia pink, a faithful ally of Valentino and its explosive Pink PP shade, and emblem of the entire Barbiecore aesthetic. Now, Viva Magenta is presented as a natural evolution of that hue, providing less stridency and keeping its magnetism intact. In truth, red has been one of the most repeated tones on the winter catwalks and for summer it returns with force, but it remains to be seen how the next collections that are being developed for 2023/2024 evolve so that Viva Magenta appears even more strength.

As the powerful colour that it is, Viva Magenta does not go unnoticed and takes centre stage in any outfit, even if it appears in small doses. On the one hand, it feels perfect surrounded by neutral tones such as black or white, or both together. They are the colours that best suit you with effortlessly flattering looks. On the other hand, for a more groundbreaking result, the colour of 2023 combines with its chromatic range: pastel pinks, lilacs or fuchsias, and also with complementary blues or greens, providing a touch of rebellion and transgression. In any case, if fashion needs a dose of optimism, strength and joy, to move forward it will inevitably embrace Viva Magenta. We’ll see it…

As a family-owned fabric company that blends tradition with innovation, we’re enthusiastic about long-standing businesses that have that respect for heritage, without losing sight of essence or curiosity to see out new things. Saint Eulalia It is one of those houses that has crossed generations and has established itself on its own merit as a reference emblem in Barcelona and abroad for elegant fashion. Now, an exhibition premiered in Palau Robert pays homage to her career through the most representative dresses of the golden years of haute couture in a brief but symbolic tour where the beauty of the festive models are the protagonists of this unique sample of anniversary.

A brief historical tour

The history of Santa Eulalia is intertwined with the story of Barcelona. It was originally founded in 1843 and was installed in Calle Boqueria as a textile store. Over the years, the space changed and the business expanded to also house shirts and tailoring made to measure. With the fall of the medieval walls of the city and with the urban projection of the new Ensanche, where the Catalan bourgeoisie quickly settled, the establishment moved at the beginning of the 20th century to Paseo de Gracia, where it is currently located. There is a date that marks a before and after: 1926. It was when Santa Eulalia held the first haute couture show, being a pioneer in Barcelona of this new formula from Paris for presenting fashion. An initiative that took place fruit of the talent of Pedro Formosa, creative director of the house until 1970. Since then, the most elegant handmade dresses and hats in the city have come out of his workshops and have dressed the wealthy classes of Barcelona and beyond. Good art and know-how in clothing arose from the Santa Eulalia workshops thanks to the meticulous craftsmanship of the tailors and dressmakers who worked to create exclusive designs for their distinguished clientele. There is another date that deserves to be remembered that denotes the work and prestige of the establishment. In 1941, Santa Eulalia formed part of the Cooperativa de Alta Costura and led fashion together with Pedro Rodríguez, Asunción Bastida, Manuel Pertegaz and El Dique Flotante, recognized as the Big Five of Spanish Couture; honors that they shared, in parallel, with Cristóbal Balenciaga.

The legacy through the dresses

Under the name ‘Santa Eulalia, 180 years of fashion’, the exhibition proposes a journey of 70 years (1930-1990) to enjoy a time in which Barcelona, with Santa Eulalia as a reference, was a leader in fashion design. Throughout four different rooms, organized by types of Street and Day, Night, Long Dresses and Brides, the visitor will be immersed in the wonderful world of Haute Couture through carefully selected dresses and hats, as well as one audiovisual piece that also includes advertising posters, fashion photographs and communications from Santa Eulalia that evoke the golden age of Haute Couture.

The exhibition has been led by Josep Casamartina, a renowned art historian specializing in the history of fashion, who has structured a fascinating journey bringing together 40 pieces (of the 500 pieces recovered) not only from the Santa Eulalia own archive but also others from the Fundació Antoni de Montpalau, the Barcelona Design Museum (DHUB), the Terrassa Textile Museum and Documentation Centre, and the Madrid Costume Museum.

All the dresses recreate the beauty of the craftsmanship of Santa Eulalia characterized by a very refined pattern and quality fabrics perfectly turned into elegant designs far from the stridency, which maintain contemporaneity over the years. There are designs that bear witness to a time of celebrations: dances, cocktails, evening gowns or operatic premieres at the Barcelona Lyceum, brought together the women of the time in society and were special occasions to wear a Santa Eulalia dress for the first time. . The evolution of the models, according to the trends of each decade, feminine details or fantasy elements are present throughout the exhibition.

On the other hand, the creative and scenographic direction has been carried out by Nacho Alegre, who is in charge of the Apartamento Studio project. Alegre has also been the editor of the catalogue that accompanies and collects the content of the exhibition in an absorbing retrospective that brings together fashion photographs, historical archive material and previously unpublished objects from private collections. The catalogue is published in a limited edition of 4,500 copies and can be found both in Palau Robert and Santa Eulalia and in selected bookstores. The free access exhibition will remain open until the 22nd January, 2023.

Santa Eulalia, today

Today Santa Eulalia maintains its status as one of the most influential fashion stores in the sector internationally and continues to be a benchmark for luxury in Barcelona. The establishment, which each season offers the collections of the international designers most desired by the new generation of consumers, is currently led by Luis Sans, a member of the fourth generation of the owner family, and his wife Sandra Domínguez. This marriage, which is also a business one, adapts to the new times to maintain the artisanal essence and the good knowledge of Santa Eulalia, without losing sight of the latest trends that are triumphing in the market.

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

Pablo Picasso. Las bañistas, 1918. Óleo sobre lienzo. 27 x 22 cm. Musée national Picasso-Paris, donación en 1979. ©RMN Grand Palais (Musée national Picasso-Paris) © Sylvie Chan-Liat © Succession Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2022.

Imagine going back 100 years ago. At a time and in a place where creativity mixes with the avant-garde. The provocation with nonconformity. painting and fashion. Imagine meeting Pablo Picasso and Gabrielle Chanel, conversing, exchanging synergies, experimenting with forms and materials, and creating art through their respective disciplines under the same aesthetic and conceptual vision. Does it not seem motivating for you?

Mutual influence

Presentations are unnecessary, Picasso and Chanel were two geniuses who met at the right time and in the right place in full professional ascension and at the peak of their talent. At the time, the two creators were in their thirties and enjoyed success and social prestige: Picasso with his paintings and Chanel with her feminine revolution towards comfortable and avant-garde elegance. Picasso and Chanel admired each other, they frequented the same artistic venues: from trendy clubs to ballet.

In the 1920s, Picasso’s cubist spirit shook all the arts and his style did not go unnoticed in Chanel’s designs: geometries, precise cuts, suits with straight lines and studied angles that were present in the dresses that triumphed among the most fashionable women. liberated and modern of the time. In general, simplicity was sought as opposed to the baroque style of the previous era. For this reason, the two geniuses also had a predilection for the same colours: the neutral ones that represented a new chromatic simplicity. Black, white and beige were very present in their respective creations. Another example, in terms of fabrics and canvases. While Picasso defended the collage technique to introduce coarser and more austere textures, Chanel defended simpler and more humble fabrics such as cotton or knitted wool. And what about the iconic perfume of the French firm? Even in this detail Picasso and Chanel agree. The Chanel nº5 bottle has a cubic shape with a minimalist and sober label. A container reminiscent of the bottles painted by the painter from Malaga in the Still lifes of 1912. Another simple coincidence?

Le Train Bleu: Léon Woïzikovsky, Lydia Sokolova, Bronislava Nijinska and Anton Dolin, 1924 Photography. 25, 4 x 33,3 cm. Library of Congress, Washington D.C., Music Division

Ballet as a connecting link

Ballet united Pablo Picasso and Gabrielle Chanel. And it was literally. The two geniuses collaborated professionally on two occasions, both with Jean Cocteau: in ‘ Antigone’ (1922) and in Sergei Diaghilev’s Russian ballet ‘ Le Train Bleu’ (1924). The painter from Malaga and the French designer had already known each other since the spring of 1917, probably through Cocteau himself or Misia Sert. Chanel established a long and lasting friendship with both that would introduce her to the circle of Picasso. From then on, Chanel would frequent the Picasso couple, coinciding with the artist’s active participation in the Russian ballets. The creator came to be closely related to the artistic and intellectual world of Paris at the time, to the point of stating: “it is the artists who have taught me rigor.”

Pablo Picasso. Sin título / Arlequín y Polichinela, 1924. Temple sobre papel, 23,7 x 29,5 cm. Colecciones Fundación MAPFRE © Succession Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2022

A complete exhibition

To delve deeper into the creative and personal relationships between Pablo Picasso and Gabrielle Chanel, the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum has opened the doors to one of the most eagerly-awaited exhibitions of the year to show how these two great creative geniuses of the 20th century dialogued, once again bringing together art and fashion in a new exhibition project. ‘Picasso/Chanel’ is organized into four large sections that follow each other in chronological order and cover, approximately, from 1910 to 1930.

The first block is titled ‘The Chanel style and cubism’ and presents the influence of this movement on the French designer’s creations. ‘Olga Picasso’ represents the second chapter and is dedicated to the many beautiful portraits that Picasso made of his first wife, the Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova, a devoted Chanel client; next to them, some dresses from this initial period of the French designer, of which few examples are preserved. The third section is based on ‘Antigone’, a modern adaptation of Sophocles’ played by Cocteau. This work premiered in Paris in 1922, with sets and masks by Picasso and costumes by Chanel, which are brought together again in this chapter to show their common inspiration in classical Greece. Finally, ‘ Le Train Bleu ‘ is the title of the fourth section and of the ballet produced by Diághilev in 1924, with a libretto by Cocteau, inspired by sports and swimwear. The work ‘ Two Women Running on the Beach (The Race)’ , a small gouache that Diaghilev discovered in Picasso’s workshop, became the image for the curtain of the work, and the painter also accepted the commission to illustrate the program of hand, while Chanel, an enthusiastic athlete, created outfits for dancers inspired by sports models designed for herself and her clients.

The Picasso/Chanel exhibition can be visited at the Thyssen Museum until next January 15th 2023.