catalan fashion

Barcelona Bridal Week is both the most important convention of the bridal industry in Europe and an international benchmark. This year, the Catalan capital’s event opened its doors on Tuesday with its bridal dress catwalk, the Paserela Gaudí Novia Fashion Show (5-8 May). On Friday, the international and professional trade fair NoviaEspaña (8-10 May) is opening, with 231 exhibitors participating. The event is held at Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via venue and is attended by the most famous and trend-setting national and foreign designers in the field. According to the organisers, this 25^th edition of Barcelona Bridal Week will be the most international in its history, with the USA as guest country, bringing together US trends, buyers and retailers.

The Barcelona-based fashion company Desigual announced in a press release on Monday that Manel Jadraque is no longer the firm’s CEO, following a "mutual agreement" between the Catalan multinational and the executive. Jadraque was both the company's Chief Executive Officer and its Director General. His executive functions will be assumed by Thomas Meyer, Desigual's President and founder. According to the company, "the current challenges facing the brand encouraged this decision". Jadraque had worked for the Catalan brand for more than ten years. He will remain a member of the Board of Directors, the company has stated. Desigual’s turnover in 2014 improved by 16.2% on its 2013 results, reaching €963.5 million.

Nearly 40,000 fashion enthusiasts of all ages visited the Maritime Museum of Barcelona last week for the 15th edition of the 080 Fashion week. The 4-day fashion event drew to a satisfying end after hosting shows from prestigious brands, with the likes of Desigual and Custo taking to the crowded catwalk. Most of the fun was found in the open area, with free refreshments and make-overs for all, thanks to a tagged Instagram post as the key to receiving these treats. As well as a host of celebrities and well-known fashion bloggers in the front rows, big names in the modelling world such as Jon Kortajarena and Andres Velencoso showcased the most popular collections for Autumn/Winter 2015.

The second day of the 080 Barcelona Fashion Week gathered together young designers and big brands. Desigual closed out the day, as Mango did on Monday, by showing its exclusive menswear collection. Kristina Pimenova, the 9 year old girl named as the most beautiful child in the world, failed to appear on the catwalk due to bureaucratic problems. Sporting looks combined with wool and silk were the dominant styles of the day. Not only did politicians, actors and Spanish celebrities descend upon the event, but also bloggers and instagrammers who now have a reserved seat at the shows. 

The brand Sita Murt showed that, despite the recent death of renowned designer Sita Murt, they are still able to present a remarkable collection and will continue her work with exclusive designs for women, sold throughout the world. The collection presented women’s trends for the Fall/Winter season 2015/2016. The catwalk took place in the Catalan capital’s Maritime Museum, which is hosting the 15^th edition of the 080 Barcelona Fashion Week. Isabel Esteve Murt, head designer of the brand, stated that she is implementing Sita Murt’s way of adding details. Isabel is Sita Murt’s daughter and has taken her mother’s place by taking over control of the brand. She claimed in an interview that the collection had a British influence that could be seen in the shoes, trousers and colours.

The 080 Barcelona Fashion Week of 2015 is being held in the Catalan capital, showcasing the winter collections of new talent. Its first day ended with the blossoming summer creations by the Catalan multinational retail Mango. This year, all the vibrant catwalks are developed within Barcelona’s Maritime Museum, located within a striking Gothic building that was the former Royal Shipyard during the Middle-Ages (known as the Drassanes Reials). This week, more than thirty brands and designers, from Catalonia, Spain and throughout the world, exhibit their Fall/Winter 2015 collections until the 5^th of February.

This week Barcelona welcomes international figures in fashion and the media for the 15^th edition of the 080 Barcelona Fashion Week, taking place from Monday the 2nd until Thursday the 5th. Over 30 designers will showcase their new Autumn/Winter creations over four days. For the first time, the show will be held in the Maritime Museum of Barcelona (a Gothic building once home to the Royal Shipyard), where both upcoming talent and Catalan favourites like Desigual and Mango are set to own the catwalk. Besides, the Sita Murt brand will present the first collection since the death of the Catalan designer in last December.

The Catalan fashion multinational Desigual will be strengthening its presence in the Americas over the coming months. In 2015 it will be entering new markets, with the opening of its first three stores in Mexico and three in Montreal, Canada. Its entry into the Aztec country will be made through a franchise, alongside the company El Palacio del Hierro (the Iron Palace) which owns luxury boutiques in Mexico, a market considered a “priority” by Desigual. Thanks to this cooperation, Desigual clothes will be sold in almost 30 different department stores throughout Mexico. In addition the Catalan brand will open its own boutiques in Andares in Guadalajara, Antea in Querétano and in Mexico City. Moreover, Desigual has also committed to strengthening its presence in the US before the end of 2015, with the opening of two new stores, one in Miami and the other in Las Vegas.

The Catalan urban clothing firm Desigual posted a €66.4 million profit in the first six months of 2014, which represents a 47.9% increase on the same period of the previous year. The fashion company registered a turnover of €452.9 million between January and June, 23.1% higher than the figure registered in 2013 during the same period. "The results confirm the company's growth, strength and good financial position", stated Desigual on Tuesday via a press release. The firm led by Thomas Meyer underlined that during the last few years they have been focusing on their international expansion. Following this strategy, the Catalan brand opened 45 new shops during the first half of 2014, entering into new markets in Latin America (Peru and Brazil) and increasing its presence in Asia (in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore).

The Catalan fashion and fragrance multinational Puig, which runs international brands such as Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier and Prada, has unveiled its new international headquarters, located in L'Hospitalet business district in Greater Barcelona. The tower has been designed by Rafael Moneo, who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1996. The Catalan company has also presented its results for 2013, organising a press conference for the first time. Puig's turnover reached €1.499 billion last year, posting a net profit of €176 million, 2% more than in 2012. In addition, the multinational's CEO, Marc Puig, announced that the company aims to become the world's 3^rd largest luxury brand group by 2020. Currently it occupies 6^th position.

The Barcelona-based fashion enterprise announced that the French investment group Eurazeo will join the Catalan company after a €285 million injection. For this operation, Desigual will issue a share offer that will increase its capital by 10%, which will be entirely covered by Eurazeo. In 2013 Desigual posted a net profit of €129 million, which represents a 71% growth on the 2012 figures. The Catalan retail company's turnover reached €828 million, 18% more than the previous year, according to the Director General of Desigual, Manel Jadraque. On Tuesday, when presenting the company's results for 2013, Jadraque disclosed an EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) of €242 million, representing 29% of the sales figures.

The Born Cultural Centre has been selected as the venue to host the latest edition of the 080 Barcelona Fashion Week, from the 27^th until the 31^st of January where the newest collections for Fall/Winter 2014-2015 will be showcased. In the show’s 13^th edition, more than thirty designers and brands are ready to participate from Albéniz to Zazo & Brull to already established names such as Custo Barcelona, Desigual, Mango, Sita Murt, TCN or Punto Blanco. The fashion show will take over different spaces inside the Born Cultural Centre leading to the closure of the cultural and historical centre, which has closed its doors to the public from the 25^th to the 1^st of February 2014.

The new facilities are the second longest building in the Catalan capital, as it is 186 metres long. Desigual’s new headquarters are located on prime real estate, just in front of Barceloneta beach and next to the W Hotel. They will initially host 840 employees but at a later stage they will host up to 1,500 people. The building is split into 6 storeys and occupies 24,400 square metres. According to Desigual’s President, Thomas Meyer, the building is inspired by the retail company’s values such as “positivity, respect, compromise and constant improvement”. The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, attended the unveiling event and praised Desigual for combining the “informality” of its clothing style with the “seriousness” of a company with shops in more than 100 countries.