The 10 style lessons that the Catalan fashion week leaves us

BarcelonaThe 38th edition of 080 Barcelona Fashion has been held this week at the Port Vell with a lineup of fashion shows that has combined established and emerging proposals, and a parallel program that has brought part of the activity to different points of the Catalan capital. We compile what caught our attention the most from what is much more than a showcase of glamour.

The 25 brands that have paraded during the four days of the 080 have explored very different paths in their proposals for spring-summer, a season that comes loaded with eclecticism. However, brands such as Surkana, Custo, SKFK, Escorpion, 404Studio, Natalie Chandler, Dominnico, Acceptance Letter and Outsiders Division have made it clear that color (both in intense and pastel tones) is no longer just a complement, but has taken center stage. Whether for an entire look or for a single piece that is capable of transforming an outfit.

The front row is the term used for the first row of seats at a fashion show. Well-known faces and their stylists, major editors, critics, influencers, and people close to the designers usually sit there. It is the space where the photographers' spotlights and the gazes of those sitting a little further back are focused. In the front rows of the 080, athletes such as Mireia Belmonte, Dennis González, and Iris Tió; actresses such as Sílvia Abril, Anna Bertran, and Loles León; and musicians such as Julieta, Sara Roy, Ouineta, and the group Fades have been seen.

For some time now in Barcelona, and in most large cities of the Western world, there have been people who spend their free time queuing to get specific products, such as cheesecakes or handbags from a certain brand. The Catalan catwalk has brought together more than 18,500 attendees in an edition in which the long queues to access the fashion shows have shown that the fashion sector is more fashionable than ever.

The muse of this edition of 080 has been the big screen, as several firms have presented collections inspired by the world of cinema. This is the case of the Frenchman Louis Gabril Nouchi, who on Thursday night presented a proposal inspired by the language of Pedro Almodóvar based on pieces from past seasons. The firm 404 Studio explored the border between dreams and reality through the animated film Paprika. The brand Acceptance Letter was inspired by the clowns of Federico Fellini, and Compte Spain by the film by Jean Cocteau Beauty and the Beast.

After years at the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, the 080 is settling into the Port Vell, where for the spring edition it installed a catwalk on the Passeig del Trencaones. An unfeasible option for the autumn edition, in which it was decided to relocate it to the Marina Seca building, a large industrial space where ships were once repaired. With a much longer catwalk than the one used in April, it has been proven that fashion shows benefit from having a brutalist building as a backdrop.

Presenting a single collection for men and women, without gender, is one of the hallmarks of Dominnico, one of the regulars on the Catalan catwalk. The designer from Alicante is one of the standard-bearers of unisex clothing and he demonstrated this once again in the collection he presented on Tuesday night. The brands Antonio Acuario, Louis Gabriel Nouchi, and Aleixandri Studio also claim fashion as a free expression of identity.

According to a recent study, on the major autumn-winter 2025/2026 runways, only 0.3% of the models who walked were plus-size, and 2% did so with mid-sizes. 97.7% of the designs were worn by very thin models with sizes between 32 and 36. After several seasons in which body diversity was celebrated, it seems that extreme thinness is once again imposing itself on international runways, but not on the Barcelona one. Fortunately, this week the 080 has reaffirmed its commitment to diversity by presenting models of diverse sizes, ages, and backgrounds.

In 1922, the inauguration of the Fashion Salon was held in Barcelona, an event that marked the starting point for the celebration of catwalks in the city. Over the years, the Gaudí Salon, later known as the Gaudí Catwalk, became the main platform for fashion in our country, until 2007 when 080 Barcelona Fashion was born, which has consolidated itself with the combination of established, emerging, and international brands. With all this historical legacy, it was time for the fashion shows to hit the streets. This week they did so thanks to a trailer with a screen that made stops at Fabra i Coats, Les Glòries, Plaça del Mar, and El Born. A free proposal open to everyone within the framework of PLEC, an initiative by the Barcelona City Council that has managed to bring fashion a little closer to the people of Barcelona.

It has been five years since the 080 surprised everyone by organizing a second-hand and recycled clothing fashion show for the first time. Christened with the name 080 Reborn, this year it has been in charge of inaugurating the fashion show calendar, a commitment that highlights the Catalan catwalk's dedication to more sustainable and responsible production and consumption in the world of fashion. Furthermore, brands like Acceptance Letter and Pat Equilux, which rescues textile surpluses from local factories to transform them in an artisanal way, carry sustainability in their DNA.

In fashion, craftsmanship is much more than a technique. Every handmade detail has the power to tell a story and makes a piece unique. From embroidery to leatherwork, brands such as David Catalan, Inma Linares, Benavente, Compte Spain, and L'Amar have used pattern making and craftsmanship as tools for contemporary expression in this edition of 080. And disciplines such as ceramics and sculpture have even been used, as is the case with the projects by the Valencian brand O'Barret.