The Custo Barcelona of spring 2016 is not the Custo Barcelona of the past. And that is a good thing. We all loved the kaleidoscope of color and the crazy quilt patterns and fabrications, and the outré silhouettes were an editorial dream and the be-all-end-all look for those shock value fashionistas. Still, the retail value of the brand was disintegrating. Particularly, with upstart Desigual stealing all of Custo’s thunder.
Things have evolved at the brand, and the evolution is pointing Custo in the right direction. The miasma of color and wild patterns and fabric combinations are still in place. So, you could say, Dalmau Custo’s signature point of view is still dictating the design aesthetic of the brand. However, the direction of the brand is focusing on retail sales that is reflected in collection that have more retail viability.
For spring 2016, Dalmau Custo was inspired by rebellious, powerful women who like to express their of style and individuality in bold colors, ergonomic patterns and geometric shapes. Bold and powerful points of view have always been a central theme of the Custo Barcelona design aesthetic. However, this season that perspective has been funneled through a lens of more wearable clothes.
Where in past seasons the men’s looks in the collections sometimes outshined many of the women’s pieces, for spring 2016 there was a lot more balance between the genders. Dalmau Custo continued with his carwash, thick-fringed skirts and dresses from the past two outings, as well as patched geometric shapes forming a mini-shift dress. Still, the combinations of silhouettes and crazy quilt patterns this season seemed to paired together better to be more appealing to consumers.
And the sequins and glitzy glam added to several looks later on in the collection produced additional sensation that really made this collection sing. Custo Barcelona has not exactly been seen in the States as night out on the town fashion brand, but this collection could prove some fashion pundits wrong.
Keep up the good work, Dalmau. You are heading into the right direction. There is a pot of gold at the end of your rainbow!!
—William S. Gooch
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