Palomo Spain

It is clear that the pandemic has affected us all in all areas of our lives and has brought terrible consequences at all levels. However, this hiatus has also led people to reflect on how we treat the world and its industries.

Having emptied the streets of cars and so much pollution, it seems that the wild nature has re-emerged from the slabs of civilization, and many specimens have - at least momentarily - recovered their lost lands.

Creative director Alejandro G. Palomo takes these events as a metaphor for the respect we have lost for our origins, for the savoir faire and for our planet. Specifically in an industry as remote from reality as that of fashion, where due to the frenetic pace of its calendars and the demands of the capitalist market, it has lost the technique and local artisan work that is slow by nature.

That is why Palomo Spain wants to pay tribute to the splendor of the Haute Couture in the 1950s and 1960s and its great Parisian houses, as a result of the reflection carried out during the industry break and with the aim to reconnect with the essence and the reason why Alejandro G. Palomo began his career in the industry: the passion that the creations of the great masters of the 20th century aroused in him.

We want to inspire the world to slow down processes and invest in quality fashion made in a sustainable and conscious way, both socially and environmentally.

The SS21 The Rehearsal collection has been created following an upcycling philosophy, from archive materials and fabrics that have been given a completely new second life through techniques such as patchwork. It has been developed by a reduced atelier team in record time due to the global context.

The Rehearsal is made up of 12 looks with a wide variety of silhouettes inspired by couture masters such as Cristóbal Balenciaga, Christian Lacroix, Saint Laurent, Christian Dior or Paul Poiret, and are updated with a Palomesque marked feeling and savoir faire.

The collection goes from classic but revisited tailoring twin sets to historical silhouettes with extreme volumes, combining the essence of ready-to-wear and haute couture pieces under the same leitmotiv. Fabrics such as silk, crepe, taffeta or poplin mix with materials such as PVC, floral landscapes that spontaneously emanate from seams and cut-outs to create looks where nature becomes a fundamental piece.

The use and treatment of color becomes an active part of the storyline, symbolizing the irruption of nature and its energizing tones in the gray and contrasting urban environment. Thus, starting from black and white, the color palette is complemented by shades such as apple green and pastels such as blue or pink, as well as some touches of red and green. This chromatic leitmotif is reaffirmed with the makeup proposal by M · A · C Cosmetics and its Creative Director for Europe, Baltasar Gonzalez Pinel, playing a fundamental role in the reflection process of the Palomo boy and focusing on a critical and bucolic glance with elongated shades and concrete outlines.

The collection:

Look 1 – Black crepe twin set. Composed by a Japanese sleeve top with a rigid and architectural silhouette with a classic signature high waist pant from the House of Palomo with a cut-out on the back from which wild flowers sprout.

Look 2 - Black silk fitted suit. The jacket, fitted at the waist inspired by Dior's signature Bar Jacket silhouette, is revitalized with a large handcrafted poppy in organza that buds from the lapel. The suit is completed with a Swarovski crystals embroidered tulle top with green feathers on the collar, evoking the weed that arises from the most unexpected places.

Look 3 - Vichy checked gingham suit made with a patchwork technique from white and black silk mixed with black tulle to create a halftone. It is completed with a tulle top with feather applications on the sleeves and collar.

Look 4 - Vichy checked gingham twin set. It is enhanced with a PVC raincoat with a classic French-style cocoon silhouette, inspired by historic Balenciaga.

Look 5 - Apple green tone look consisting of a long crepe coat and pants from which wild flowers sprout. It is accompanied by a silk blouse with Swarovski crystals applications in the form of small delicate flowers.

Look 6 - Look consisting of Algerian silhouette pants with extreme volume in pastel pink tone made in puffed taffeta, inspired by the great Paul Poiret. It is accompanied by a poplin shirt with Perkins neck and a floral landscape of poppies, daisies and spikes.

Look 7 - Look made up of Algerian silhouette pants with extreme volume in black, made of puffed taffeta and from which a row of weeds and two large poppies sprout from the waist, taking height to function as a top.

Look 8 - Top with a landscape of green feathers and wildflowers accompanied by black vinyl carrot pants.

Look 9 – Light blue jumpsuit composed of an Algerian pants silhouette combined with an asymmetric neckline fitted piece.

Look 10 – Black sequins dress inspired by the simple shapes of the 1920s in a Vionnet cut on the bias technique, with a Swarovski crystal chain trim.

Look 11 - Jumpsuit made in the Vionnet cut on the bias technique with black sequins and finished with a hood made of Swarovski crystal mesh and cut-out on the back, evoking Alaïa’s creations for Grace Jones.

Look 12 - Algerian silhouette pants with extreme volume in white, made of puffed taffeta, with a shirt and a high-volume veil with Swarovski applications.

The Rehearsal has been premiered through a fashion film and a lookbook during the first digital edition of Paris Fashion Week. The piece has been produced and led by Shine Iberia with the support of M · A · C Cosmetics and Swarovski, and has been directed by Miquel Díaz with the collaboration of Andrea Lazarov in the creative direction.

The fashion film combines fiction and documentary, through a cinematographic portrait of the fashion show that has not taken place for an audience that will never be there, in a dreamy world out of the current context, and structured by nature, music and the voice of the designer himself.

The makeup proposal of the lookbook and fashion film has been developed by M · A · C Cosmetics and its Creative Director for Europe, Baltasar Gonzalez, with energizing tones, while Isaac Salido has led the proposal of hair styling with architectural volumes.

This collection has been made possible thanks to the illusion of a team that shows their loyalty every season. We have worked with a smaller infrastructure than usual but with a renewed hope and with the intention of returning part of the Spring that we have not been able to enjoy.