2006 FLAMENCO FASHION. SPECIAL FEATURE + PHOTO GALLERY

Flamenco fashion reinvents itself in retrospect

Marina Heredia, Alba Molina and Estrella Morente, among other artists,
display the new proposals in the design of the frilly dress

Susana Muñoz Bolaños. Seville, February 5th, 2006

For the tenth straight year, Seville has been the place chosen as the catwalk to display the manifold and most original ways of understanding the flamenco dress, at the International Week of Flamenco Fashion (Simof). Since Seville's first April Fair was inaugurated in the year 1846, the regional costume has been subjected to the ups and downs of the whims of the fashion world, acquiring so many styles that at this point in time it's impossible not to be surprised by creators' capacity to go on innovating.

(Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

With a full house in the over thirty shows by as many creators, the audience packing the room were able to see, in a festive ambience livened up by the good music of Son de la Frontera, Vicente Soto ‘Sordera’, José Mercé, the group Echegaray and a very long et cetera, that the frilly dress is still capable of reinventing itself in retrospect.

Bailaoras and bailaores, cantaoras and cantaores such as Cristina Hoyos, Lalo Tejada, Sara Campos, Marina Heredia, Macarena Giraldez, Estrella Morente, Falete, Manuel Molina, María Jiménez, besides an endless number of bullfighters, famous people from the social scene and show business as well as international models were on or at the foot of the catwalk enjoying what has now become the international flamenco dress festival. The catwalk is not just a showcase, but also a show.

The over one thousand models seen over a four-day period have made it clear that the flamenco world is still one of the main sources of inspiration for flamenco fashion. And not just because of the live performances that livened up each show with guitar, box drum and cante; or the baile on the catwalk by bailaoras appearing as models, but for having been the inspiration for many creators. Thus was understood by Javier Márquez, a young Sevillian creator who has been inspired by Bambino for the creations presented at the "Catwalk for Newcomers"; and the recognized Pepe Jiménez ‘El Ajolí’ and Aurora Gaviño, who wanted to each pay tribute to Lola Flores and Rocío Jurado in their collections.

Bata de cola (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

2006 flamenco Fashion (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Alba Molina (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Among the designers, recognized names and very related to the flamenco world, such as Lina, who has been dressing bailaoras and cantaoras in and outside of Spain for five decades and who presented her first collection at Simof marked by elegance, purity of lines and colors and perfectly studied cuts in her batas de colas to make baile easier.

Also standing out were other great ladies of the flamenco dress, such as Ángeles Verano, who did the entire wardrobe of the latest show by Charo Cala at the 2004 Bienal, a genuine forerunner of the frills movement and of the use of new fabrics. Pilar Vera, on the other hand, has created a collection of flamenco dresses and batas de cola especially aimed at her extensive list of Japanese customers, with special patronage. Standing out likewise is the good work of the firm Faly, de la Feria al Rocío, creator of the wardrobe of the Antonio el Pipa Dance Company, of that of María del Mar Moreno and in charge of dressing bailaora María José Franco

(Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

magazine@flamenco-world.com