Paola Cantagalli FWPTY 2012 (Day 1)

To say that this was my favorite collection made by a national designer would totally be an understatement. It was so delightful to get a tiny glimpse of it with the invitation, get hooked & then enjoy a collection which I can say was the most upgraded & international looking of them all. It had a concept (modernity, urban feeling & architectural lines) and you could see it in every piece, wether it was in a dart, a peplum or simply in the blocking of black & white.

Another thing that captured me was the designer's evolution & the well management of the brand, I say this because last year she presented a collection that was completely inspired in a yacht trip to Capri, a collection that was purely resort & cocktail categorized. 

These days, Paola achieved to show another side of her range as fashion designer, this collection showed her talent doing modern femininity, versatile pieces that can be used for work & for after hours events, a 360 degrees change that still had the "Paola Cantagalli" label spread all over it. 

The detailing is meticulous & the combination of fabrics & mesh is sexy yet elegant, the use of Swarovskis crystals shone the clothes in a different light, a light where Paola steps into the front line as one of the strongest talents in the new generation of panamanian fashion designers.  Be sure to check our Facebook Fan Page because we will be uploading the pictures from her Trunk Show with close ups of the pieces. 

Sometimes you don't have to overact & stuff things to make them beautiful, simplicity can be the most elegant thing. 

Lookbook: Vergara & Vergara Couture

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to see the whole collection click the link below

para ver la colección completa haz click en el link de abajo

Fernanda Quirós FWPanamá 2011 -Day2

PURA JAGUA is the name of her debut collection. It has the “original” factor all over itself, relying on one of the most known indigenous cultures here in Panama, Emberá Wounaan. The fabric choices were something that I really liked, for example, our climate is known for its humidity & bipolarity, so Fernanda chose cotton as her canvas, except for 2 final dresses made of chiffon. PURA JAGUA is the result of a whole month & a half of hard work, in which Fernanda & her team created the concept & brainstormed all the ideas for the show (she showcased a video made by Alfredo J. Martiz, music specially composed by Oren Ghitis & the creative direction by Juan Anibal Upegui).

Something that cannot be missed was the styling, which came full circle with the help of Flower in Pot by Alexandra Correa. Other thing that must me highlighted is the reason why it is called PURA JAGUA, it comes from the Purism, noted in the architecture in France in the 50’s , “I was inspired by Le Corbusier & its juxtaposition with the Emberá Wounaan culture, its colors & structures” Fernanda told me. You can clearly see it in the sharp lines & purism of the clothes, the whites & the structure of some of the pieces, á la Phoebe Philo.

more photos after the jump

más fotos después del link “Read More”

Paola Cantagalli FWPanama 2011 -Day1

While we are in the middle of a rainy winter here in Panama, Paola is channeling 70’s summer at Capri & we definitely like it. I’m sure that Brigitte, Sophia & Grace would have loved her clothes, ready to wear them to a yacht trip. Luxury in no stranger to fashion & Paola knows it. Bright colors are obviously synonym to the freshness & the je ne sais qui pas of the époque.

What I found most curious was the fact that Paola carefully put mind into trends outside our small country, for example, we all know the past fall collections were invaded with polka-dots, from Marc Jacobs to Louis Vuitton (should I merge them in one single name? Marc Vuitton perhaps?), & I don’t know if you do, but the colors & prints  reminded me of the cool aesthetic particular of Emilio Pucci by Peter Dundas, the merging of all these international influences + Paola’s talent is what makes the collection so sellable & tasty to look at (yes, tasty).

I’m just waiting to see the lines outside the boutiques, these clothes are going to sell like water in the middle of the Sahara desert.

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Mientras que las lluvias son las invitadas especiales cada tarde en nuestro pequeño Panamá, Paola está en sintonía de un soleado verano en la isla italiana de Capri y a nosotros definitivamente nos gusta.

Lo que más me gustó fue el hecho de que Paola tomó en consideración algunas de las tendencias internacionales y digamos que las panameñizó. En las pasadas colecciones de otoño-invierno los polka-dots invadieron las pasarelas de Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton (mejor no sería decir Marc Vuitton?), y no se si ustedes piensan lo mismo, pero los colores, prints y la caída de algunos vestidos me recordaron mucho a la estética de Emilio Pucci by Peter Dundas, la combinación de todas estas influencias más el talento de Paola es lo que en verdad hace a ésta algo totalmente comprable & rico a la vista.

Yo sólo estoy esperando por ver las lineas en las boutiques porque ésta ropa se va a vender como pan caliente!

 

 

more photos after the jump

más fotos después del salto

 

 

Garland Coo MEN

I've had an eye on a German brand for a while

their aesthetic is very much alike mine

founded in the south of Germany nearby 

the Black Forest, the translation of their values

& dark heritage is very well seen in their work

the men collection is a mixture of tailormade 

elements & avantgardistic sophisticated patterns 

Slim cut silhouettes are in contradistinction to 

oversized capes and trousers.Tough fabrics like s

hag, loden, handdyed heavy cotton or leather 

contrasting with batiste, linen $ fine woolen fabrics.

It is the contrast between tradition and avantgarde, 

between Black Forestian heritage and metropolitan

warriors, between bondage schemes and clear defined folds, 

handprints and handdyed fabrics.