Queer resistance and new masculinities: Generation Z asserts itself on the catwalk

BarcelonaWhile the day-long strike in solidarity with Palestine has affected some access points in several parts of the Catalan capital, normality has returned to the Sant Pau Art Nouveau complex since early morning. This Wednesday marked the second day of the Barcelona catwalk, which showcased emerging talents who promote values such as diversity and sustainability with designs that rival established brands.

"As an emerging firm, the main challenge is marketing the project. Obviously, if it's a handcrafted piece, the price must go up, which makes it more difficult to move. Also, because it has a style and aesthetic that are a little out of the norm and that can be difficult to fit into the Catalan market," says Zoe Oms, a collection that reflects on how rain affects the way we dress. Femininity, romanticism, and sensitivity through looks A black and white design dominated by ruffles, ribbons, gathers, and a great attention to detail. "The idea came to me last winter, when I spent a few months in London, a city surrounded by a dark and melancholic atmosphere," the young Barcelona-born designer explained before the show.

For Marc Aleixandri, creative director of Alejandri Studio, from Rapita, one of the main challenges as a young firm is surviving financially in a world that requires constant investment to renew fabrics and other materials. "They often want to pay you with visibility, but visibility doesn't pay the bills," he says. Aleixandri Studio debuted on the Barcelona runway with In Nomine Heretica, a proposal that draws parallels between the witch hunts of the Middle Ages and the historical persecution of sexual and gender dissidence in a global context marked by the rise of far-right politics. "All the pieces we produce are designed so they can be adapted or worn by a variety of bodies, regardless of gender," explains Aleixandri, who understands fashion as a political language and a tool of resistance. queer.

In the afternoon it was Santamarta's turn, the Madrid-based firm formed by Marta Maté and Alfredo Maestro, which debuted at 080 with Habitar un Espacio. The proposals, designed thanks to a collaboration with Humana, were created using the technique ofupcycling, a neologism that describes a new trend that consists of creating new, original, and value-added clothing from garments that are no longer used.

With several 080s under its belt, Lemāchet has presented Catalina, a collection inspired by childhood and village life that expands the possibilities of traditional tailoring and promotes freedom and the breaking of stereotypes. The Andalusian brand, founded by Lucía Sánchez, offers a new vision of the contemporary man and has established itself as an inclusive proposal that connects with male, female, and non-binary identities.

The party ends

The day of parades has ended with Reparto and Moisés Nieto. With Classification: R, the Madrid-based firm Reparto, founded in 2019, has connected with the teenage aesthetics of its creative directors, Ana Viglione and Margil Peña, a time when fears and insecurities began to shape their personalities.

Moisés Nieto's thirty designs were a tribute to the brand's fifteenth anniversary. "It's a collection that has our DNA and makes it stand out," the Andalusian designer stated. Colors, blues, and blacks with accents of yellow, red, and pink filled the central pavilion of the Hospital de Sant Pau through a collection conceived "as a celebration, in which some somewhat forgotten silhouettes from the beginning are revived."

Garments made with cotton, viscose, and silk fabrics and innovative, handcrafted finishes, including Jeanologia technology to achieve distressed laser effects on denim. The designer had already participated in 080 in 2021 through a day of digital shows, but this was his in-person debut on the Catalan catwalk. "080 has an international reach that no other catwalk in Spain has. It attracts young people, which for me is the goal of current fashion," affirms the designer, who included a nod to Catalan culture in today's show by collaborating with the historic handbag brand.