Originally hailing from La Rioja, Spain – an area most widely know for the excellent wine it produces – fashion designer David Catalán is currently residing in Porto, where he runs his own studio. At ModaLisboa 2015 he recently presented his collection titled ‘NO SIGNAL’. DASH editor-in-chief NoéMie Schwaller sat down with him after the show for a little chat.
David, this the first time you’re showing at ModaLisboa, how is it for you?
I like the space; the catwalk, it’s all very different from my show in Madrid, but I love it here. This is my second collection with 26 looks, but we’ve only showed ten here.
What’s coming up after Lisbon?
I had another show in Madrid with my Spring / Summer 2015 collection, where I won the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Talent, so now I’m going to Istanbul for my next show on Friday and then on to Venice. I’m taking the train tomorrow for a 12 hour-trip to Istanbul Fashion Week with the whole collection packed in four bags. I have two friends helping me, so at least it’s more comfortable.
You were also part of the Spanish contribution to the International Fashion Showcase London – what was that like for you? Did you profit from it at all?
It’s so good for us, for the designers because all the important people from the industry came to see our work, which is very important for me as it gave me the opportunity to showcase to the international market.
Did you meet any buyers?
Yes, I spoke with a couple of people from London, but I think it’s too soon for me to tell. I need more time to produce the collection. I made a little production from the last one, but maybe after Istanbul I can work on this.
At the moment, where can we buy your collection?
I have an online shop – though actually I’m still waiting for it to go live – and I’ve got a showroom in Porto called MUUDA and another in Madrid, Showroom Ellectrika, which showcases the whole collection.
The colours in your collection ‘NO SIGNAL’, mostly pinks and reds, are really strong.
The concept arose from problems in TV and black and white pixels. This is something different, so I’m not using the black and white, I’m using the red. All people think in black and white.
You’re basically talking about technical problems by translating the noise patterns that are black and white into red signals?
Yes. If you look at the fabrics you’ll see they all have little pixels.
Can you talk about the shapes and volume of the clothes?
Well, I draped the fabric on the sleeves to create the volume. The fabric is stretch and, for example, one dress can be used in two forms. You can create another dress with the elastic by putting up the straps. That’s the idea.
Is that something you’ve always wanted to achieve with your collections, multiple ways of wearing them?
Yes, I have a lot of zippers here and there, meaning you can use one part of one zipper and another part of another one and thus create different forms. The orange dress with the extra long sleeves can be worn completely unzipped. The zippers also allow you to move the sleeves from one part to another.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
London maybe? I like it there, but it’s expensive. First I want to try different catwalks, might be cheaper. Maybe if I find a sponsor I can move. For now, it’s important for me to showcase the collection, produce more and reach the level I want. I would like to have my own atelier and my own shop, even if it’s the same.
Where would your shop be preferably?
I love Madrid; it’s easier for me for the language, but London or Porto are tempting. I prefer Porto to Lisbon as a city.
It was a real nice show today, the best from all the eleven designers we’ve seen. Good luck with Istanbul!
Thank you!
Now it’s time for some champagne.
Yes!
Interview: NoéMie Schwaller
