JUAN VIDAL
Juan Vidal was born in Elda (Alicante) to a family rooted in fashion. A fourth generation tailor, he started his art training at the University of Fine Arts in Barcelona, before studying fashion at the Felicidad Duce Fashion School.
While he was still studying, he won the ModaFad award and since then he has participated in multiple national and international fashion shows. In 2012 he professionalised his brand, marketing his designs abroad at retailers like Spiga 2, Luisa Via Roma and Harvey Nichols. Over the years, Juan Vidal has received numerous awards for his work, such as the ‘Who’s On Next’ award from Vogue magazine, the Telva prize to the best national designer, the National Fashion Award from the Ministry of Industry, and recently, the Fashion Award from the Community of Madrid.
Juan Vidal created a collection for AW2020 that honours Barbara Cartland, an iconic English writer who specialised in telling stories full of beauty and love with happy endings. Barbara saw clothing as an extension of her books and was known for her flamboyant wardrobe that nodded towards pink, romance and emotions. Her theory of dressing for love begins with colour. Therefore the collection embraced an evolutionary colour palette with bright vanilla tones in long tailormade coats combined with taffeta shirts with caramel necks and toffee and toasted tones. The collection included a unique range of suits made from recycled vintage cloths which reflected Juan’s family tradition of tailoring.
MARCOS LUENGO
Visiting the Marcos Luengo brand backstage the day before the catwalk, was eye opening as the area was a hive of activity. There was a full workshop in action, with four seamstresses making last minute alterations to the garments and milliner Nana Golmar was sat hand finishing the unique headwear being made for the show.
We were shown round the collection by the delightful, charismatic Marcus Luengo and met the abstract artist Kike Garcinuno who he had partnered with for the prints. The collection arises as a result of the abstract painting by Kike Garcinuño, where the intensity of colour immediately captures attention, reinterpreting fabrics, colours and materials in a painting. The collection was rich in colour and storytelling and once on the catwalk it really came to life.
The millinery pieces created by Nana Golmar, were all an artisanal work. The pieces were seeking their own identity for each of the Marcus Luengo’s looks, creating unique and studied pieces, where the feminine and flattering side of women is not seen as a trend, but as a seal of timelessness, a characteristic that unites both creators in their collections.
Marcos Luengo qualified in Psychology at the University of Oviedo and, after more than a decade teaching, he started working in fashion in 2001, launching his first bag and accessories collections in national multi-brand stores. He has been evolving and diversifying his activities ever since. His suede garments and accessories came first and are still the brand’s flagship product. The work done in the workshop is totally artisanal. So far, the priority has been to develop the Spanish market and create a recognisable image associated with the company’s values. Right now he is working on an internationalisation project to commercialise the Prêt-a-Porter collections in other markets.
THE2NDSKINCO.
THE 2ND SKIN CO. is a fashion brand created by Antonio Burillo and Juan Carlos Fernández, both with a long background in the fashion business.
THE 2ND SKIN CO. has two main lines and the prêt-a-porter is distributed in a selected network of multi-brand stores, where the product fits for its urban, sober, feminine and elegant style, with details in the garments appreciated by a woman who has no age, but is exigent about her image and enjoys the finest quality. The second is the Atelier collection, offering tailored clothes with exclusive handmade models, for customers who seek a unique, custom design and exquisite materials, such as wedding dresses, formal dresses and evening models. The universe of THE 2ND SKIN CO. offers a contemporary version of close and versatile luxury, suitable for a wide range of women, with different tastes and life styles.
The brand has successfully positioned itself in some of the most important red carpets dressing a broad number of celebrities nationally and internationally, namely: Jennifer López, Paz Vega, top model Toni Garrn, Jessica Biel, Zendaya, Adeleide Kane, Sia, Anne Heche, to name a few.
With the name Woodland, the designers have created a collection that moved away from the traditional dark and classic tones of the fall / winter season instead introducing intense greens, yellow and mauve. The range included oversized silhouettes, voluminous pieces, asymmetries, satin and pleated fabrics, alongside more traditional lines and shapes.
Once again MBFW Madrid presented many strong designers and brands making it the number one fashion week in Spain. Each season the organisers are succeeding in bringing their designers to new markets making it more appealing to an international audience. Nuria de Miguel, the new director of MBFWMadrid and a journalist with 30 years of experience in the fashion sector, will be the driving force maintaining the internationalization and digitalization of Spanish fashion, as well as sustainability in all areas of the catwalk. I look forward to seeing how the fashion week and the brands develop more internationally in future seasons.