40 years of Spanish fashion

MANILA, Philippines – Reluctantly, I sacrificed my siesta one lazy weekend afternoon and took a leisurely paseo down memory lane of cuarenta años of Spanish fashion.

With every single step on the camino, 67 dramatic portraits plus 20 audio-visual presentations unfolded before my very eyes: the sterling photographers of royalty and aristocrats, the influential couturiers, some of the most desired geniuses on red carpet events, brought to life by fabulously beautiful models, sought-after cover girls flaunting dresses and gowns transported me into the acclaimed world of la moda Española.

As I wandered through the dimly-lit halls of the gallery, the photographic and audio-visual journey showcased the achievements of outstanding designers in the Spanish fashion industry for the past four decades, curated by Pedro Mansilla.

A sociologist, journalist and critic, Mansilla is one of the prominent personalities of Spanish media for fashion for the past 25 years. He is currently a professor of Fashion Journalism at the Francisco de Vitoria University, the Marie Claire Polytechnic University, the European Institute of Design and the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He has overseen notable exhibits all over the world.

From the minimalist dresses of Purificacion Garcia, to the flamboyant hues of Agatha Ruiz De La Prada, the wild and ever-changing landscape of dressmaking, embroidery and tailoring meld into one global phenomenon.

Nowadays, we have noted that the female clientele are not just from the sunny islands of Spain, but beyond its shores. They have all been influenced by the bold bases, the sharp strokes and the sensual curves, as much effort has been put into these designers’ obra maestras.

In this day and age, fashion has branched out from its old persona of being an unattainable elite-only club and has transformed into something more personal – cultivated, cultured and nurtured into an intimate and special relationship between the designer, the wearer and the fabric. What we saw once upon a time on flashy catwalks can now be witnessed on the sunlit busy streets of the metro.

Our trend spotting has since continued to the streets of Manila. From the eye-catching university fashionistas, the trademark of style icons and fads that take the country by storm, it is without a doubt a worldwide sensation.

Cristobal Balenciaga has this to say: “Being a designer entails different things: a good designer must be an architect for form, a painter for color, a musician for harmony and a philosopher for measure.”

Designers Anna Figuera and Macarena Ramos sum it up by saying: “For us, fashion is an attitude, a way of thinking, of projecting oneself, moving? it is a way of life.”

Trendspotters: The Essential Names in Spanish Fashion can be viewed at the School of Design and Arts Ampitheater, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde until Dec. 11.