Each February, Bryant Park is overrun by the pitter patter of Louboutin-clad models, editors, photographers, buyers and stylists gathering for the first look at Fall fashions.
But before all the chaos and clamor commences, there's the quiet moment where the designer dreams up a beautiful collection. That part of the process is still awe-inspiring, creative and magical.
Custo Barcelona gave The Glamazons a sneak peek at the design process for Fall 2010. Scroll down for sketches and the inspiration that proceeded it all in the words of the designer, Custo Dalmau.
What was your inspiration for this collection?
Inspiration came from the extreme beauty and inexplicable attraction of jewels. Gems and precious stones serve as the basis for the production of a very colorful, bright and cheerful collection. The core of Custo Barcelona’s ideology is to present the consumer with new and unique designs, so we are always evolving our graphics, prints and color palettes to present new, exciting fashions.
“The runway is where we experiment,” says designer Custo Dalmau. Where other designers use fashion week to present trends for the upcoming season, we have always used fashion week as a venue for expressing artistic ideas and emotions. Dalmau further states, “we don’t play it safe, even in today’s economy.” It is important for the company to continue providing our fans with what they have come to expect and love.
Custo Barcelona is known for its edgy, bold and colorful prints. Was there any one image, place or event that inspired your graphics this season? What is the dominant graphic pattern in this collection?
The graphics are based around dreamlike and surreal images like jewels, diamonds, lips, perfume bottles, butterflies and feathers. Each of these images is mixed with images that are more figurative and typical of Custo Barcelona. The colors of the gems also served as the color palette this season; black and pink diamonds, sapphires, turquoises, emeralds and amethysts are used alone or mixed together.
Any other big announcements for Custo Barcelona?
We launched the new children’s line called CUSTO GROWING. The collection, designed for boys and girls of 4 to 14 years, includes colorful and fantastical clothing and accessories; it is every bit as bold and colorful as the adult line, but built to withstand the boundless energy and unique minds of children. Plus, all garments are washing machine friendly, including footwear and the environmentally friendly leather coats.
Do you have a favorite memory from Bryant Park?
Custo Barcelona has come a long way since first showing in Bryant Park over 13 years ago. But showing in The Tent last season was memorable; the size, crowd and energy were infectious. We look forward to another exciting and successful show this season, as we all say goodbye to Bryant Park.
Infectious, indeed. I just received my Custo Barcelona invite and am super excited about seeing the ethereal prints, jewel tones and graphic images (lips, diamonds, feathers!) when the collection debuts.
Tune in to The Glamazons daily for Beauty Backstage and Fashion Front Row coverage from inside New York Fashion Week.
Kisses,
Coutura