[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The MBFW Madrid – the event the Spanish fashion crowd affectionately refers to as “La Merche“, rolls on here at the Spanishoegallery Blog with more highlights from my favourite collections. By the way, the nickname “La Merche” has to do with the full title of the global fashion show franchise, which is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Mercedes is a Spanish name, meaning (you guessed it) Mercy. Women named Mercedes are called Merche for short.
The previous post featured Fall-Winter 2017-18 collections by designers Teresa Helbig and Juan Duyos. So, who else caught my attention at “La Merche” this year?
María Escoté
The hallmark of the Fall-Winter 17-18 collection by María Escoté is the dynamic contrast between the clashing black and white chevron pattern and a medley of colorful geometric shapes. María Escoté‘s young and defiant style seems to be aimed at women who are fiercely individualistic and possess a strong sense of their own identity. These girls refuse to be defined by a certain lifestyle, no matter how trendy it is. Instead, they relish the freedom to pick and choose fashion elements from all periods and artistic movements and combine them in a way that they see fit. To make this Fall-Winter 17-18 collection a reality, María Escoté teamed up with the Elche-based artisan accessories maker Blover, the veteran shoe brand Baltarini, and the young eyewear brand Kaleos.
The giant glasses by Kaleos signal confidence and mental sharpness. The 70s fashion reference is there, but more like an afterthought.
Accessories: boots, bags, and glasses are far more than complements in María Escoté‘s collection. The over-the-knee boots alone take up half of the outfit and that’s intentional, of course. All elements are equal – they have to be for the whole thing to work. The generously sized handbags by Blover, with their stripy patterns and color block design, are as sizeable as the girls’ ambitions. In some outfits, the bags serve as the centerpieces.
Agatha Ruiz de la Prada
Spain’s most famous contemporary fashion designer and pop-art icon Agatha Ruiz de la Prada put on a sweet show at the MBFW Madrid Fall-Winter 17-18 edition – literally sweet. Her models impersonated cupcakes, individually wrapped candy, m&m’s, donuts, and cakes overflowing with icing. The whole thing looked like a fashion show in Candyland. The mood was signature Agatha: extravagant, fun, provocative, and life-affirming.
With this collection, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada proved herself, again, the master illusionist capable of lighting up the whole MBFW Madrid. Her unique mix of fashion and performance is achieved through colour, her favourite medium. And through craftsmanship, of course: some of the outfits took weeks to make.
And on this note, it’s a wrap![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
