Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid 2018: Extravagance, Boldness and Glamour

Year upon year, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Madrid has become a time-honoured tradition in the fashion industry. And in 2018, it has gone a step further, with collections that have proven themselves to be bold, stylish, and always demanding of the attention of all those in attendance.

The doors to this spectacular show opened on the 5th of July, and finished up on the 11th; one of the first to surprise was Teresa Helbig, who managed to create a garden-style staging through the use of her designs, which included knots, tulle, glitter, raffia, lace edging, and lace details.

Pedro del Hierro flaunted his experience in the industry on the Sunday afternoon, livening up the evening show, and bringing it up to a new level with its collection ‘Pure Art’ – an artful mixture of the Baroque-style brushstrokes of the late Pedro with the innovation of Nacho Aguayo. The result was a far more passionate collection than we have seen in previous collections and seasons.

Palomo Spain touched down in Madrid with one of the boldest collections. Her objective was to represent a kind of new masculinity through the eyes of the designer, and the search for the classic man. Her new collection ‘Wunderkammer’ is entrenched in psychedelia and exoticism, using classic, mature lines and fittings alongside provocative colours and features – and was an emphatic success.

The Monday (9th of July) proved to be a journey into the past, where designers had clearly examined and admired their fashion heritage, and tried to bring it back to the present with a spark. Malne, Andrés Sardá, and The 2ndSkin Co were at the forefront of this journey, all having been inspired by the seventies.

Tuesday brought a large number of surprises, with a particular focus on four designers. Inuñez, firstly, with simple lines showed off through an improvised garden scene. Following this was Juan Duyos, whose work added a little bit of fire to the show through his use of light. Hannibal Laguna triumphed with his collection, using only pastel colours on the back of his voluminous, sheer dresses, and through the cherry garden that decorated the stage.

And, for the day’s grand finale, came Ana Locking. The designer created an absorbing, pyrotechnic effect through the use of metallic tinges in a very futuristic style, further standing out due to the sheer audacity of her collection, and also her inclusion of transgender models. Inspired by the ‘voguing’ movement, first created by the Afro-American LGBT movement in the 80s, her catwalk was an exercise in nostalgia which turned Room 14 of the event upside down.

However, on Wednesday the 11th, Juan Vidal solidified his position as the main star of this years’ Fashion Week. His weapon, as always: balance. Elegance, modernity, boldness, and simplicity marched down the catwalk, with his a keen eye of the display of lingerie and asymmetry. The result was a compendium of contrasts, from the sensible to the eclectic, for both the parties and weddings of the coming season.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid 2018: Extravagance, Boldness and Glamour

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