34 The New European

EUROFILE FASHION

April 28-May 4, 2017

If there’s one sector determined not to start a war with Spain, least of all over Gibraltar (whose style scene is best known for VAT-free shopping at Marks & Spencer et al), it’s the fashion industry.

Spanish designers, from high street stalwarts like Zara and Mango to major labels like Emilio de la Morena, have captivated British shoppers. So too has traditional Spanish style, with flamenco dresses, capes, espadrilles, boots and ruffles mimicked to perfection by British names like PPQ and Penelope Chilvers. Add to this significant Spanish designers working here, and those who have visited for inspiration, and there’s evidently no turf war in fashion circles. But why – and how - is Spain in vogue right now?

SPANISH EXCHANGES ON THE CATWALKHigh fashion relations between Spain and

the British Isles are strong: Johnny Coca, Mulberry’s pint-sized creative director, hails from Seville. Coca channels the very British spirit of Mulberry in his collections, but brings a fresh perspective to the label, which spent two rudderless years without a creative director.

Alicante-born Emilio de la Morena often references national identity and fashion influences in his collections, such as this season’s nod to Las Fallas festival, and next season’s tribute to Picasso. He uses silks and jacquard fabric sourced from Valencia, but he has lived in London for years. Conversely, Spanish fashion house Loewe has been headed up by Belfast native and London College of Fashion graduate Jonathan Anderson since 2013.

British shoe designer Penelope Chilvers has had Spain’s culture and fashion on her radar for years, having lived in Madrid and Barcelona. She launched her new Spanish-inspired campaign starring Lady Amelia Windsor, who trades jeans and vest top for a flamenco-inspired ensemble (no ‘dancing

lady’ emoji required). The scene is set at El Rocío, an annual pilgrimage event in southern Spain. Design elements included traditional leatherwork techniques and hints of Spain’s “equestrian aesthetic”. Chilvers also works with families who have made espadrilles for generations.

“The Spaniards’ professional, proud approach to the shoe industry makes them unbeatable, I believe,” says Chilvers. “Their history in shoemaking is an important part of the European story of trade, which I hope will continue to be aided by our politicians.”

PATRIOTISM BY DESIGNToday’s Spanish designers proudly reflect their heritage. The Delpozo brand

Why is Spanish fashion so hot right now? POLLY ALLEN explains

(1,8) La Costa de Algodon SS17 (2) Luke Leandro Cano SS17 (3) Emilio de la Morena SS17 (4) Pedro Garcia Parson Sneaker Photos: Contributed 3 4

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SPAIN:EUROPE’S TOP FASHION NATION

35The New European

FASHION EUROFILE

April 28-May 4, 2017

constantly references Spanish artists and looked to Impressionist Joaquín Sorolla and his signature blue hue for Spring/Summer 2017. On a smaller scale, the Marlota label, by Mar Garcia, marks its garments as ‘100% Made in Spain’.

“Spanish fashion, to me, is quality, perfection and definitely no rules,” says Luke Leandro Cano, who runs an eponymous label and a diffusion line. “I’m inspired by the women in my family, nature, and my homeland.” His latest eye-catching collection, Amaras la Noche, is strewn with poppy motifs; Spain is the world’s second-biggest poppy grower.

Family-run footwear brand Pedro Garcia even has a biannual in-house magazine, Made in Spain, with beautiful photographs and short essays about Spanish culture. The beret (which, though stereotypically French, has strong links to the Iberian Peninsula and the Basque country), Basque lettering, and the arty Empordà region, all feature.

Spain’s stylish future, as well as its past, is intriguing. Palomo Spain, the emerging gender-fluid label by 25-year-old Alejandro Gómez Palomo, generated serious buzz at menswear fashion weeks by presenting

traditionally ‘female’ clothing, made in Spain, for all sexual identities. It’s as though a group of willowy ingenues have raided Marie Antoinette’s wardrobe. Fans include influential stylist and designer Nicola Formichetti, and model Hari Nef.

SPANISH SEASONAL INFLUENCESWhen fashion churns out Breton stripes or Scandi chic like clockwork every season, it’s refreshing to find Spanish flavours in Spring/Summer 2017. Here are some of the reasons we’re surrounded by them.

The ‘dancing lady’ flamenco emoji was unlikely inspiration, firstly for Spring/Summer 2016, and again this season. Head to ASOS, Topshop and New Look for tops, dresses and skirts with exaggerated frills.

Amy Molyneaux, one half of London Fashion Week favourites PPQ, moved to Spain, hence a fiesta feel to S/S17, with campaign artwork designed by her fiancé.

Californian design duo Rodarte looked to critically acclaimed 1973 Spanish film The Spirit of the Beehive this season. Cue layers of chiffon and honeycomb lace.

SPANISH ACCESSORIES WITH A BRITISH TWISTLa Morenita offers delicate jewellery from its Mallorca base; its signature piece is the jewel fan, as worn by Queen Sofia of Spain. However, La Morenita’s story began in London. “I started selling my designs in the Paul and Joe boutique on Brompton Road,” says founder Alma López, who was inspired by vintage brooches at Portobello market.

Similarly, lingerie label La Costa de Algodón’s slips and robes channel vintage prints sourced from markets like Los Incantes, in Barcelona, or Portobello. They supplied lingerie for upcoming British film The Bookshop (which has a Spanish director, Isabel Coixet, and Spanish investment), set in East Anglia in 1959. It wasn’t just the costume department who admired their work.

(5) La Morenita La Primavera Earrings (6) La Morenita Jewel Fan Necklace (7) Pene-lope Chilvers Lorenzo Snake Boot (9) Mango We Are Violeta Campaign (10) Masscob Linen Dress

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“Emily Mortimer [lead actress in The Bookshop] fell in love with the lingerie and wore it all day, even when she wasn’t filming,” says Elena Comella, the label’s representative. “In the end, we gave it to her to keep.”

You can also spot Nicole Kidman sporting their nightwear on HBO drama Big Little Lies, giving a hint of the high demand from America.

THE HISPANOPHILE HIGH STREETThe world’s largest clothing retailer is Spanish-based Inditex (which owns Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Uterqüe and more). Inditex’s founder and its biggest shareholder, Amancio Ortega, is also Europe’s richest man. What’s the Inditex secret? Fast fashion replicas of designer pieces, mixed with reliable basics, are tweaked rapidly according to customer feedback and shop floor reports. Products are rigorously tested in laboratories, including a footwear and accessories lab in Elche, one of Spain’s traditional shoemaking cities.

In Madrid, Zara has just opened its largest ever store, spanning 65,000 square feet and incorporating mobile payments and ‘smart’ changing rooms. Spain is Zara’s biggest customer, as readers of national fashion bible Telva could testify: multiple online articles detail new stock, and mention a Zara addiction. But UK shoppers are also hooked. Media Vision Interactive’s 2016 report, analysing online search volume for fashion retailers, found Zara had the biggest year on year growth, at 20.18%, with 2.6 million total searches by December 2016.

Mango is another prominent Spanish name, operating from the vast Hangar Design Centre, in Barcelona’s Palau-solità i Plegamans. Like Zara, the goal is larger stores, such as those newly opened in Madrid’s upmarket Serrano Street, and both Mons and Brussels in Belgium. Mango uses an automated distribution centre, powered by a super-efficient logistics system, to deliver 90 million garments annually.

The 2014 launch of its plus-size range, Violeta, was welcomed by previously ignored consumers (Mango’s usual ‘Large’ translates to a modest size 12; Violeta extends to size 26). With companies like Mango and Zara driving efficiency and technology, they’re able to grow in record time and bring Spain to the world.

THE MID-PRICE SPANISH MARKETMid-price Spanish brands like Intropia and Bimba y Lola should be in your wardobe, too. In the last year, UK sales at Bimba y Lola increased by over 60%; it plans to create more UK and European stores, building on the 220+ worldwide branches created since the company’s launch in 2006.

For something less mainstream, try Masscob, a womenswear label from La Coruña, stocked by upmarket British boutiques. Collections are relaxed and wearable, using linen and cheesecloth for summer in muted colours. Buy from Masscob now and you’ll be smug when it’s a household name.

Team your outfit with traditionally handmade leather sandals from Menorca, with a heel strap and slightly open toe, known as avarcas, abarcas or Menorquinas. Buy them in the UK from Solillas, whose workshop is in Menorca, or Cornish company Seasalt, which began importing avarcas after a trip to the island. Menorca-based brands include Palmairas, Castell or Llonga’s.

Spanish children’s clothing is also popular in the UK, particularly in high-end London boutiques like Pepa & Co, La Coqueta Kids (which recently worked with hip ethical label Muzungu Sisters), and Masiel Bebé. In Spain itself, you’ll find Gocco, which collaborated with London boutique Liberty on a print-heavy collection. Prince George and Princess Charlotte frequently wear Spanish labels like Pepa & Co, introduced by their Spanish nanny, Maria Borrallo.

With all these links to Spain and its strengthening fashion scene, this isn’t the time to declare war - it’s time to show your support by hitting the shops.

� Polly Allen is a journalist specialising in culture, travel, fashion and lifestyle