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Spanish Fashion

By Lauren Somers

Spanish FashionThink of the world’s greatest fashion cities…Paris, London, Milan, New York. But Madrid? Hmm, didn’t think so. The traditional Spanish dress is often associated with Flamenco, originating from the gypsy culture in Andalusia in the south of Spain. Yet as a style city, Madrid, and indeed Spain, is breaking away from its stereotype of ruffled dresses and setting its own fashion agenda which is becoming increasingly well known. Even before the rest of the world caught on to the “size 0” debate, in 2006 the organisers of Madrid Fashion Week, the Pasarela Cibeles, forbade the participation of any model whose BMI (Body Mass Index) was below 18, arguing that the purpose of the event was to showcase a healthy image. This meant that models who were 5ft9in (1.75m) had to weigh a minimum of at least 8st11oz (56kg), which led to almost a third of models being banned. The organizers of the show promised that a nutritional expert would be on hand to check every model, and those with a BMI below 16 would receive medical treatment. They also banned models aged under 18, causing uproar in an industry which relies on young teenagers to cruise down the catwalk wearing designers’ latest collections.

 

Continuing with its fashion revolution, Spain broke yet another taboo in 2006 with a ground breaking accord signed between the Health Ministry and several major Spanish fashion retailers. The Health Ministry declared that the Spanish clothing brands involved must maintain uniformity in the labelling of their sizes, so that a given size in one store will mirror that in another. The wide varying sizes had been said to have caused extreme depression in some figure conscious women and young teenagers who took to crash dieting. The agreement also prevented the companies from using window displays with mannequins wearing clothes smaller than a European size 38 (UK 10), in order to represent a “real” female shape; as well as stipulating that the European size 46 (UK 18) no longer be specifically labelled as a larger size. The Ministry said designers should be encouraged to “promote a healthy physical image that conforms to the reality of the Spanish population”.

 

Yet it isn’t just in policymaking that Spain has the fashion scene firmly between its teeth. Home to Inditex, one of the world’s largest leading clothing companies and the World Retail Congress 2007’s Global Retailer of the Year, the Spanish group is responsible for high street brands as diverse as Zara, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Berksha, Oysho, Massimo Dutti – all familiar names on both the British and Spanish high street. With over 3,000 stores worldwide and extensive plans to open more, Inditex is a driving force in the global fashion retail market. Its concept – reproducing designs seen on the catwalk and having them on the shop floor within two weeks, with a range of separately branded stores targeting different age groups – has shaken up the fashion industry, often controversially. Many fashion designers have expressed dismay at the way in which brands such as Zara are able to copy looks on the catwalk, often with the only discernible visible difference between the products being the hefty price tag on the designer item. Yet Inditex has undoubtedly paved the way to fashion salvation for millions of trend-conscious women eager to keep their fingers on the fashion pulse without dipping into their overdraft. And the Inditex revolution doesn’t stop there. In 2005, they joined the UK based Ethical Trading Initiative and recently released their new Environmental Strategic Plan, including energy saving policies, a review of renewable energy and a reduction in harmful emissions.

 

Spain hasn’t been left out in the cold either when it comes to the current trend of recruiting celebrities to design collections for high street stores. Following the success of Madonna´s line for H&M and Kate Moss´ range for Topshop, Penélope Cruz and her sister Mónica designed a 25 piece collection for Mango, Spain´s other high street fashion success story. Mango is currently Spain´s second biggest exporter of women´s wear and has shops in 93 countries, recently extending its success to Belarus, Georgia and Guatemala. Scarlett Johansson has been chosen as the new face of Mango for the autumn/winter 2009/2010 campaign, taking over from Penélope Cruz who has modelled for the store for the last four years. The shop has always looked for well known faces to promote its clothes, previously using supermodels such as Milla Jovovich, Karolina Kurkova, Claudia Schiffer and Inés Sastre.

 

Yet Spain’s grip on fashion isn’t just limited to the high street. From Cristóbal Balenciaga, regarded by many as the master of fashion and a leading couturier of the 1930s to Manolo Blahnik, the master of the high heel, Spain is also home to some of the world’s most respected top designers. From the understated chic of Adolfo Dominguez, the luxurious evening wear of Jesus del Pozo or the flamboyant, Andalusia-inspired, cuts of Victorio y Lucchino, Spain has proved that it can more than match the talents of Italy or America when it comes to the way it cuts its cloth. And who can miss that ubiquitous “CH” logo emblazoned on Spanish women’s handbags…scarves…prams…? Carolina Herrera, although not technically Spanish (she’s Venezuelan), dominates the upper middle class in Spain with her preppy designs, classy work wear and practical yet chic handbags.

 

Although they may not be seen every day, the flamenco dress still remains a popular item in the Peninsula, particularly in the south. According to the Asociación de Empresarios de la Moda Flamenca, Spanish companies make over 120 million euros a year on flamenco outfits and accessories. Flamenco dresses were originally the dresses that were worn by women in Andalusia who went with livestock traders to the Prado de San Sebastián during Seville´s Feria de Abril in 1847. During the nineteenth century, women began to wear these dresses during livestock fairs, which also became devoted to the dresses. As the art of flamenco began to gain acceptance at the same time, those dresses became a part of the dancers´ wardrobes. The flamenco dress began to become more elaborate as flowers, costume jewelry, ribbons and silk shawls were added to the overlook look. Some of the basic premises of the dress have remained, as it is still figure hugging and contains a skirt that has layers of flounces. Meanwhile the changes to this typical Spanish dress over the years have reflected certain aspects of society and the evolving styles in Spain. This is why in the 60s the dress featured a miniskirt, before becoming more modest but sensual in the 90s. Nowadays it has gone back to its roots, with poplin materials. There is also an annual international fashion show, the Salón Internacional de Moda Flamenca, and certain high-brow designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Vittorio & Lucchino have incorporated flamenco dresses into their lines.

 

It might be the dark horse of the fashion race, but Spanish dress can more than hold its own in the style arena...be it the high street or haute couture.

 

Many Spanish stores can´t yet be found on the European high street, so make the most it and happy shopping!

 

Useful vocabulary       

Where can I get…?                                             ¿Dónde puedo conseguir…?

Could you help me please? I’m looking for…      ¿Podría ayudarme? Busco…

I’m just looking, thank you.                                Sólo estoy mirando, gracias.

 

Do you have something…larger/ smaller?          ¿No tendría algo…más grande/ pequeño?

I’ll take this one.                                                 Me llevo éste/ ésta.

Could you keep this for me? I’ll come back later. ¿Me lo/la podría guardar? Volveré más tarde a buscarlo.

 

I saw something in the window.                   He visto algo en el escaparate.

I’d like something to go with this.                 Busco algo que haga juego con esto.

I’m a size … in the UK.                                   En el Reino Unido tengo el número … /la talla

Can I try this on?                                           ¿Me lo podría probar?

Where are the fitting rooms?                         ¿Dónde está el probador?

This is the right size.                                      Este es mi número/Esta es mi talla

It doesn’t fit.                                                  No me vale/No me está bien

 

Silk                                                                seda

Cotton                                                          algodón

Woollen                                                        lana

Linen                                                            hilo

Leather                                                        piel

 

What temperature can I wash it at?           ¿A qué temperatura lo puedo lavar?

No planchar                                       Colgar mojado                                   Lavado a mano

Do not iron                                          Drip dry                                              Hand wash

 

No centrifugar                                   Lavado en seco                                 Lavado a máquina

Do not spin dry                                   Dry clean                                            Machine wash

 

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