New York Fashion Week :: Custo Barcelona [The ZOO]

Custo Barcelona :: Fall 2006

If the feudal days never ended, it was nineteen eighty three, and you were the most envied chick at your boarding school who knew about Nirvana before there was Nirvana, Custo Barcelona would be your uniform of choice. We should have known when the zipper graphic and strobe lighting appeared that Custo was not going to begin or end with a surprise. Custodio and David Dalmau was going to reinvent with every look, let paint splatter and textures mate.

A little bit goes a long way, so imagine how far a lot can go. Unrestrained and confident, Custo Barcelona's fox stoles were dyed red, his prints were geometrically vivid and his accessories were loud. For girls who don't let snow or wind put their favorite dresses on the bench, the fantastical tights were a reward for all those red knee January days. Following the knee high trail but quickly diverting onto the road less taken, CB added lace up details at the calf.

Remember how happy we were when logo tees went away? Well, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Like the naive member of the village who wanders away from home and comes back anew, the logo has returned, huge and on the side of a pencil skirt. My how you've grown! Bringing modern graphic design, printmaking and a graffiti influence, the latest Custo show was not influenced by pop culture, it was pop culture.

Taking the formal structure of the king's court, Custo Barcelona created harlequin neckpieces with glam rock outrageousness. Truly adding luxury touches to mens active wear, Custom Barcelona added fur lining to hooded sweatshirts, cowboy boot graphics, tiki pub floral prints and custom prints. Black flowers popped off dresses, boleros made friends with hoodies, dresses had high slits in the back and between the shoulder blades. Skirts were short. Button downs had tuxedo ruffles.

Take on shorts: Make 'em hot pants and do it in suede and its a deal. Prints: Ropes, boots, animals, roses, Hawaiian Pop. Hats: Built in Mohawks and feathers. Accents: Diagonal zippers, chunky burlesque heels, suspenders, plaid, wool, velvet, and patches. [Xenia Viray] more...