Custo Barcelona Fall/Winter 2013

Juxtaposing hard against soft, feminine against masculine, beauty against the not so beautiful are contradictions that the fashion community has readily embraced for decades. Polar opposites can give fashion designers the range and scope to explore limitless possibilities of fabrication, texture and expand images and conceptions of beauty.

For fall/winter 2013 Custo Barcelona explored their perceptions of beauty expressed through feminine sportiness juxtaposed against concepts of primal irregularity distilled through images of harsh Nordic winters and tribal ornamentation. Creative director Custo Dalmau handily took on this lofty exploration, but with mixed results.

Like seasons past, Dalmau masterfully attempted to combine disparate textures and color palettes, and this collection was no exception. In fact, in this outing the delicate balance of hard and soft, feminine and masculine that Custo Barcelona in past season has expertly facilitated at times went somewhat off-kilter. The mix of leather, alpaca, Aztec tribal influences and metallic fibers, all rolled into one was perhaps too much of a fashion smorgasbord of textures and influences to provide a cohesive direction that would expand the brand’s female demographic, and may even confuse some its loyal fans. Though many of the looks had great editorial value, overall, this collection had  too many ideas and needed editing.

Where this collection was successful was in its menswear where the mix of fabrics and concepts actually worked. Dalmau produced several great suits and jackets that the hipster fashion guy would want in his wardrobe.

Though this collection was not a win-win, this outing does not diminish Dalmau’s talent for creating cutting edge clothes which appeals to that risk-taking fashionista. Better luck next season.

—William S. Gooch