Toledo—the City of Three Cultures

Yesterday I posted an article on a Spanish label entitled “Spinning Destiny” by Ana Locking.

Today I would like to introduce you to the world of the label’s founder and designer, Ana González, who was born in Toledo, Spain.

The first time I ever travelled to Spain was in 2004, at which time I visited Madrid and the surrounding cities of the nation’s capital with my father.

We spent a day in Toledo—capital of the autonomous region Castile-La Mancha—which is about 70 km from Madrid.

Toledo dates back to ancient times. The Romans called the fortified city Toletum (192BC-570AD), which passed to the Visigoths (570-711) as the capital of Spain and, then, on to the Moors (711-1085).

During the Moorish rule, Christians and Muslims coexisted, while a Jewish population sprouted into a flourishing community. In 1085, however, Toledo was conquered by King Alfonso IV, becoming part of the King of Castille.

Hence, Toledo has been the birthplace or home to many famous people and artists, including Spanish Renaissance artist El Greco and world-renown astronomer Al-Zarqali.

In 1986, Toledo was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site for its cultural significance and heritage, as well as a location in which Moorish, Christian, and Jewish cultures coexisted for centuries.



Photo & slideshow Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.

Andrew Nowell, Striking the Right Balance

Andrew Nowell is probably one of the nicest guys that you can know! He is one of those fellows that make you feel at home, relaxed—you just want to kick your shoes off, sit back, and talk about whatever is on your mind.

Don’t misunderstand me, though. Andrew Nowell may be down to earth, but he is also intense in his feelings, pensive in thought, and very reflective with every spoken word.

After viewing his collection last week at the Menswear Collection Show at DC Fashion Week, I grabbed Andrew for a second interview. (Standing left in photo.)

Your profile reads that your design philosophy is rooted in the New York cultures of hip hop, R&B, and rock… So, how do you translate music into menswear?
By simply looking at the icons of each music genre, such as David Bowie, Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols, Kanye West, and even Michael Jackson and taking little elements. I then put my own spin on them, and this is what comes out on the runway. As you saw in my collection tonight, there were drop-crotch pants, which come from the hip hop influence of Kanye West…

Previously you stated that you design for men to feel sexy…. How do you define ‘sexy’?
Just being aware of your sensuality, your body, you ability to attract others—and with that, feeling confident. I think everyone wants to feel that way…and now it is changing for men. For the longest time, men were not allowed to feel sexy, because they equated it with being vulgar.

How do you bring sexiness into your designs?
What I do is try to focus on the cut of a man’s physique. Nowadays, men are going to the gym, not for health reasons but to look great on the beach or in a tank top: they want to feel sexy. So, that is who I am designing for.

Last week, you summed up your look as ‘modern’, ‘edgy’, ‘sexy’, and ‘restrained’… How do you combine ‘restraint’ with the other characteristics?
Well, there is a fine line between good design and costume, and what keeps it from going over to the costume is restraint—being able to pull back. Whereas some people go all out and do something that is totally eccentric; it looks great on stage, but not a lot of people can wear it. In my design process, I do take it to that point, but then I ask myself, “What can I do to make it a little more wearable, a little more believable, and not so far out into outer space?”

Tell me something about the collection tonight…
I just wanted to capture the essence of masculinity in all its different forms. For example, the fur coat with the leather pants is inspired by the illustrations of Tom of Finland; the fitted suits are a little bit of David Bowie, the sexy rocker. A lot of these influences played out on the runway this evening…even the military influence of the aviator.

What inspired the aviator look?
I was thinking a little of Amelia Earhart… I was looking at an old movie with the Red Barron, and I really got into the costumes, wondering what I could bring into my work, such as the goggles, the leggings, the boots... But there was a lot of mixing from different periods and influences, as well.

How do you define the Andrew Nowell kind of man?
The Andrew Nowell man is a confident man who feels good about himself and his body. He is knowledgeable of music, arts, and culture.

Is there a country that you have visited where the men’s fashion impressed you?
I would say Benidorm, Spain. The men wear what they want to wear, whatever color they like, because they are free-thinking people and not bogged down by what others think they should wear. I thought it was great to see that—such a freedom!

What do you do when you are not designing?
Go to the gym; eat gray boring food… (Chuckle)

Music?
I like lounge music; I love alternative rock… For example, Zero 7, Air, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, Tool and Alice in Chains—I like to mix it up!

Favorite TV show?
My favorite TV show is Damages with Glenn Close—that’s the one I don’t miss.

Male icon…?
Harrison Ford… He is a man’s man without trying to be one. True masculinity—Indiana Jones, Patriot Games… Even when I was in college, I kind of dressed like him… (Laughter)

As you can see, Andrew is a man of quality and hard work, which are vividly reflected in his collections!

Andrew Nowell—the designer that knows how to strike the right balance every time!



Photos & slideshow Copyright DC Fashion Week.

Photo top left Andrew Nowell and Emore'J Couture, Copyright Shy Magazine.

“Wood do Wow” & the Memories of a Young Girl by Karlota Laspalas

Earlier this summer I wrote an article on Pamplona, Spain, and the Festival of San Fermín, featuring a label that designs t-shirts for the festivities of the events.

Now, I would like to introduce you to a promising young designer, who is also from Pamplona. Her name is Karlota Laspalas, who moved to Barcelona to study Fashion Design at the Escuela Superior de Diseño y Moda Felicidad Duce.

Karlota is unique in that approaches design by transferring her life experiences and the emotions that they evoke—such as memories, fears, sorrows, and the like—in to one concept, which represents her internal and external being. Her recent collection exemplifies this approach.

Karlota’s father comes from a small Basque village called Ochagavía, which lies in the Salazar Valley of Navarre, Spain, where the Irati forest is located.

Having spent 12 years in the area, Karlota nurtures strong childhood memories of the forest. A documentary on the land art of British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy triggered Karlota’s memories of the trees’ crooked branches, the feel of bark, and the smell of autumn leaves.

Two years after the completion of her schooling, Karlota presented at Ego Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week her first collection, which she named “Wood do Wow” and pointed to wood as a symbol of simplicity, purity, and longevity.

Karlota drew inspiration from one more source: the folds and wrinkles in the wooden sculptures of Venetian wood artist, Loris Marazzi. As Loris carves ornamental garments of apparel out of rugged wood, so Karlota has fashioned a collection of rugged menswear that is inspired by the grooves, knots, and grains of wood.

For more information on Karlota, have a look at out her blog.



Photo top center Irati Forest Copyright Karlota Laspalas.
Photo middle right & slideshow 2009 a/w collection “Wood do Wow,” photographer Salva López, Copyright Karlota Laspalas.