Dear Shaded Viewers,
The invitation to the Juana Martin collection dropped names like Rossy de Palma, artists Diego del Morao and Israel Fernandez and words like flamenco and gypsy. It made me want to start this post with a quote from Federico García Lorca:
Ditty of First Desire
“In the vivid morning
I wanted to be by myself.
A heart.
And at the evening’s
end
I wanted to be my voice.
A nightingale.
Soul,
turn orange-colored.
Soul,
turn the color of love.”
For Juana Martin’s first on schedule Haute Couture show in Paris, she brought the nightingale voice of flamenco to underscore her collection titled Andalucía. The collection features a series of black and white ensembles, a hallmark of the designer’s work. There were volumes of crinolines made out of organza and tulle, over sized bows, floral embroideries on leather, rhinestones and crystals decorating her contemporary version of boleros, capes and flamenco dresses. Menswear inspired mules by Maison Felger designer Marie Weber grounded the dresses with strength and added the perfect balance to the vivacious ensembles which merged the masculine with the feminine. Vivas Carrión headdresses— each had lattice work inspired by Andalusian architecture and helped to bring her Spanish mood to Paris along with the arches of roses.
In the end it was the fire of flamenco that carried through the entire show.
Vive El Jaleo, Vive Andalucía!
Later,
Nafiseh
