WHY FASHION DESIGN?

It has been my passion since I can remember. I’d always be drawing sketches or doodling ‘fashion’, or what my concept of fashion was as a kid on a piece of paper. But it wasn’t until my teenage years when I decided to get into art school and pursue a career in fashion design. Fashion, as well as needlework, have always been both a hobby and a vocation.

 

WHAT IS INTEGRAL TO THE WORK OF A FASHION DESIGNER?

I’d say curiosity and the interest in wanting to advance to a new whole level. Don’t stop researching, discovering new techniques, and applying it in your design and good craftsmanship.

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what part of your job do you mostly enjoy? 

The beginning of a new collection is always what I enjoy the most. Investigating, being inspired, experimenting with new techniques to apply in my design and the sketching process.

 

of all your designs/collections, what's your favourite and which one can you relate to the most?

I identify myself a lot with 'Genesis of Bizarre' because through the designs at the time, I was trying to figure out myself, as a person sexually, physically and mentally so it will always hold a special place in my heart. 

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do you think the artistic life is lonely? or is it loneliness fundamental for inspiration?

I don't think so. That's not the way. Fashion is made for people, and loneliness ends up disconnecting you away from society, and basically lose any sort of connections with them. Being surrounded by people can make you understand the world at large, other options, and even sometimes can inspire you to do the things you were afraid to do once.

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do you believe that young, art students are undervalued?

I feel like now we are, indeed, very little valued. It's like we must do something significantly huge to be valued in the market. Not only what we have to offer, but who we are as people. You see, what's wrong with the creative industry is them not counting four years of my studies and design projects as work experience. With my uni degree, as well as the time I spent working as an intern at an atelier, I know I am enough qualified for any position within the fashion industry. Unfortunately, they don't see it that way...

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do you consider yourself a struggling artist because of the difficulty of exposure? or maybe because of those challenges put by the industry these days?

Mmm... it's difficult to say really because in some way, they imply that as a young, creative artist, your only 'way to fame' is through Instagram; but what they don't realise is that the platform functions quickly and nobody really stops to see your work. Or even value it or appreciate the hard work, you know? And even when you're published in the local magazines, it gets so much more complicated because if the outfits have more than one garment of my own brand, for them that it's like a promotion. And they end up turning you down, and there's a load of paperwork to do and you're expected to fill in thousands of forms and that's where I lose all sorts of interest. I am not a lawyer... I am a creative individual, ¡y ya está! (and that's it!)

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your collection 'oda a la sexualidad queer' has been a fav of mine since the day it came out. what inspired you to create it?

Obviously, the LGBTQ community. My clothes can be worn by anyone, no matter who, what or where. Everything I have designed so far it's because I liked it on me, right? If I can wear and tear it, anyone else can wear IT and tear IT. So, 'Oda a la Sexualidad Queer' happened thanks to one of my muses Idylla (@drag_idylla) She proposed a dress using this kind of a pink fabric with golden flowers, and when I started designing the dress for her, alternatively, I began sketching other sorts of garments similar to the style of the dress I was making for Idylla. And so it began!

The collection was divided into three, 1. La Calle, 2. The Catwalk, 3. Bukake and it's a reflection of the queer cutlure, since we, as a community, are still struggling to be accepted, and are still in many ways, treated as if we were weirdos. ¡En fin, la hipocresía! (Oh well, the hypocrisy!)

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ugh, i just love 'oalsq'. the last question dani is... what's cooking next? 👀👀👀​

 

Well... *clears throat* I am currently working on a collection

named “Malæntes” which has its origin from the root

‘maleantes’. I have been playing around with the words that

come from the Ley de Vagos y Maleantes de 1954* with the

Andalusian term ‘malaente’, which means ‘bad people’.

This collection is based on a brief analysis on

homosexuality during Franco’s time in Spain; the way they

lived and were treated. For such, I investigated on Spanish

singer, Miguel de Molina who always fought for his freedom

of expression through his singing and dancing with his

extravagant costumes on the tablaos* and the big screen.

Of course, during the creation of this project, I have drawn

on references such as Cristóbal Balenciaga, John Galliano,

Jean-Paul Gaultier, Demna Gvasalia and Pablo Picasso,

and applied the hand-tufting technique on some garments.

It’s just… erm… through this collection, I felt the need to

express and reflect on all of these messages and want to

achieve a genderless collection focused on the queer, trans

and non-binary community.

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*Ley de Vagos y Maleantes de 1954: a Spanish law approved by the Courts

of the Second Republic, regarding the treatment of vagabonds, nomads,

pimps and anyone considered anti-social, that was later modified by Franco

to also repress the homosexuals.

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*tablaos: (colloquial term for the Spanish 'tablado' which means floorboard)

It's a place where flamenco shows are performed.

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