Txell Miras: "Whether we like it or not, wine also enters through the eyes."

BarcelonaAs a fashion designer, do you judge wines by their labels?

I always let people make recommendations, but if the bottle doesn't convince me visually, I don't buy it. In fact, the other day I wanted to bring three bottles to a dinner party and discarded one because the label didn't match the other two [laughs]. I like the bottles to have a harmonious balance. Now I want to buy a wine called Ratpenat precisely because of the way the label is designed: the name is upside down. It reminded me of one of my collections, Fancy Bats. [Presumptuous Bats], where I had the models stand upside down for the photo, as if they were bats. I really pay a lot of attention to labels. Like it or not, wine also enters through the eyes.

And outside of the eyes, is it better to use white or black?

I generally prefer softer wines. I used to drink red wine, but I found it heavy, as if I had to chew it. I've been drinking white wines for years; they seem fresher and lighter to me.

Any quirks?

When wines are too organic or "good," so to speak, they feel boring to me, because they remind me too much of red wines. I find them good to try, but not good to keep drinking.

Any wines you've recently discovered?

Los Nanos, which is 100% Macabeo. It's affordable and very good. The other day I tried Clot dels Oms, which is very good. And Can Sumoi, which I'd say is my favorite: a white Grenache with a beautiful bottle.

During the thirteen years you worked in Milan, did you drink the same amount of water?

I was still drinking red wine back then. I know I tasted some very good ones, especially at company lunches or when we went to Tuscany to do the sittings. That's right: the frizzantes I've never liked them.

The fashion and wine worlds share the stereotype of being elitist. Is this a misguided prejudice?

Sometimes they create that feeling, which causes many people to automatically distance themselves. When someone—as I have—says, "I don't understand wine," they sometimes choose not to enter the world. But in the end, it's as simple as tasting and seeing what you like. Ultimately, there's no accounting for taste.

And what about fashion?

It's a bit the same. On runways or in campaigns, people try to create concepts, to stand out, to take things to the extreme. This can make people who aren't familiar with that world think it's not their thing, that it's not real, that what we do "isn't portable." But often, that's not the case. It's all about being daring. Obviously, having a deep understanding of any field helps you understand better, perceive more details, and have a richer interpretation... But that doesn't mean it's not for everyone.

At 080, you had models walk the runway who looked like they'd stepped out of a painting, like the boy in Running From Criticism. Where does this interest in bringing other artistic disciplines into fashion come from?

I really like playing with artistic languages and bringing other disciplines to the runway. Years ago, I did Framing, where all the clothes were literally framed. Last year, I covered the models' faces with a knit fabric reminiscent of Francis Bacon's distorted faces. And for other collections, I was inspired by Person, by Ingmar Bergman, and in Orlando, by Virginia Woolf. We live in a time when everything is mixed up and we have access to so much information that, for me, the interesting thing is combining worlds to create new ones. This is the enrichment and meaning I find in dedicating myself to fashion. It's not just a product. Everything is connected. Within a person, there's everything they like, and everything can serve as inspiration.

Also gastronomy and wine?

I participated in Cook & Fashion in San Sebastián, a project that brought together chefs and designers. We did a fashion show with designs inspired by dishes, and it was a fantastic experience. I was able to work with Arzak. I remember going to the restaurant, tasting dishes, looking at textures and colors, and creating designs from that. But I don't recall anything similar being done with wine. Although it could be an idea for a future collection!