Barcelona Fashion Forward promotes emerging talent at a pop-up on Passeig de Gràcia.

BarcelonaThe four winning brands of the Barcelona Fashion Forward program – which aims to promote emerging designers – already have their space in a pop-up store on Passeig de Gràcia, where they will remain until June 30. In this edition of the project – the fifth – the chosen brands are Naida C. Castel, Rubearth, Joplin Atelier and Boulard BCN.

BFF is a program promoted by the Department of Culture and Creative Industries of the Barcelona City Council, through DHub and in collaboration with Barcelona Activa. This program aims to support emerging designers and brands by offering them training, mentoring, and a range of professional services to boost their professionalization in areas such as marketing, communication, and digitalization. Since its creation in 2018, Barcelona Fashion Forward has trained and supported more than fifty emerging brands.

Four stories of emerging designers

The designers who are part of Barcelona Fashion Forward are a clear reflection of the city's creativity and diversity, always with a strong original and sustainable component.

Naida is the founder of her own jewelry brand, Naida C. Castel. All of her pieces are made or molded in her Barcelona studio and combine materials such as gold, silver, and precious stones. She explains that she couldn't find the style of jewelry she liked anywhere, so she decided to create what she would like to wear. "Each piece has a story," she says. "For example, I have a collection where the jewelry looks undone, as if eroded by the sea." Naida imagined that they had a life before us and likes to think that each piece, through their personal history, gives them a different meaning.

Gabriel Nogueiras is the founder of Rubearth, a brand of slow fashion which aims to explore the boundaries between art, fashion and craftsmanship, with sustainability and exclusive design as overarching principles. "I seek to merge aesthetics such as preppy Japanese with culture cool kids "—he explains—"My creative approach focuses on experimentation and rethinking menswear from a technological and aesthetic perspective." His latest collection is inspired by sociopolitical criticism of the rise of the far right, in line with his creations, which always reflect a strong message of social change.

Aida and Laura Molano, founders of Joplin Atelier, see their brand as a "atelier contemporary," with a strong commitment to quality fabrics, volumes, and impeccable finishes. It's a hedonistic brand, with lots of colors and sparkles. They work to create high-quality womenswear pieces, seeking not only visual impact but also sustainability. Laura–, and from there we create the collection." They play with combining different pieces in the same set, giving it a much longer life, as they don't believe that collections have to die every six months. "This year with Forward it has helped us further professionalize the brand," says Aida. "Especially in terms of financing, .

Finally, Ugo Boulard, creator of Boulard BCN, explains how the city, with its modernist influence and cultural richness, is the source of inspiration for his brand. "I'm in love with Modernism and all of Barcelona's cultural heritage, which is reflected in my aesthetic," he explains. He wants to create a Barcelona aesthetic: "Just as there is a Berlin aesthetic, I want to create one that is unique to our city." Ugo Boulard, who comes from a dance background, aims to produce as much locally as possible, maintaining quality and building a team of professionals.

Visibility and Future

The Barcelona Fashion Forward program not only offers training and resources to designers, but also gives them a platform to expose themselves to the public, as is the case with the pop-up which will be in the Lynk&Co space on Passeig de Gràcia until June 30, 2025. This event, which serves as showroom The sales and communication center provides designers with the opportunity to present themselves in one of the city's most important commercial hubs. "We give them visibility, brands can have direct contact with the end customer and test both their product and their commercial strategy, while helping citizens and visitors discover local and sustainable offerings with a clear Barcelona stamp," says Mireia Escobar, Director of Industrias Creatives.

As the program continues to grow, its impact on Barcelona's fashion sector is becoming increasingly evident. Brands that have participated in Barcelona Fashion Forward are more likely to thrive and internationalize, demonstrating that Barcelona is a city with great creative talent and that, thanks to its support, it continues to position itself as a benchmark in the fashion world.