Tradition reinvented for the woman in full bloom
S.C.O. / Translation: Gary Cook
The flamenco dress transcends classification as a regional costume. The
attire which brings the women of Seville out in bloom each Spring, in which bailaoras
and cantaoras blossom on stage, is constantly evolving, under pressure
from the trends it creates, and reinvented every season.
La Macanita wears traditional flamenco dresses (Photo
Javier Hurtado)
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Genesis. The origins of the flamenco dress lie in the work dresses worn
by nineteenth century Andalusian women, the dresses worn by the those who accompanied
the livestock traders who gathered at the Prado de San Sebastián for Seville's
Feria de Abril from 1847 onwards. As business gave way to pleasure the
fair changed from a Feria de Ganado - a livestock fair - to simply become
a Feria that was a celebration of those original outfits, obtaining the blessing
of even the most distinguished ladies at the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition. Around
the same time, the increasing acceptance of flamenco as a professional art form
acted as a parallel force in consecrating the traditional Andalusian dress as
de rigueur on stage. The material used became richer, as did adornments and complements:
lacing, embroidered ribbons, flowers, costume jewelry, Manila
silk shawls, ladies' fans... A new-found creative freedom which accentuated
natural feminine beauty, and spurred on the evolution of a dress which even transformed
itself into a miniskirt in the sixties.
Tradition in evolution. The flamenco dress brings together tradition
and innovation. While it does conserve a basic structure of a figure-hugging body
and a skirt layered with flounces, creativity flows within this framework. In
the eighties the flamenco dress lived a baroque decade of lacing and satin ribbons.
In the nineties, in a show of simplicity, it shed its embellishments, its starched
rigidity and concealed hips, and underwent a metamorphosis to become light, airy
and sensual. Now women were beginning to wrap themselves in silky smooth material,
plain colors and those ubiquitous spots. The dress showed off women's contours,
drawing in the waist and flounces, regardless of whether the arms were stripped
bare or covered in modesty. As we move into the 3rd Millennium, the style draws
inspiration from the past, poplin is brought back (though the close fit is maintained),
the dress is divided into a two-piece outfit, the spots start to grow... A continuous
state of flux and invention which is mirrored in all types of complements
or avíos. If this year a large flower is the thing to have in your hair,
worn low next to the bun, then the next it'll be a small flower placed up high.
If this year the earrings to have are ringlets, the next they'll be pendant earrings.
If your shawl this year is decorated with painted flowers, the next it'll be made
out of patterned cloth…
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Eva Yerbabuena wears a Francis Montesinos design in
'La voz del silencio' (Photo Javier Hurtado).
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Industry. And this incessant reinvention keeps everybody's vision focused,
looking for the next direction. And the next direction might be born at the sewing
machine in the workshop of a flamenco seamstress, or more likely in the chains
of better-known firms dedicated to tailoring this unique attire. In fact, the
annual turnover in the sector is already more than 120 million euros according
to the Asociación de Empresarios de la Moda Flamenca, a body which oversees
the flamenco fashion industry. This figure is shared among thirty or so clothing
manufacturers concentrated largely around the province of Seville. A clear sign
of the sector's strength can be found at the Salón Internacional de Moda
Flamenca (Simof), an international flamenco fashion event organized by the Doble
Erre fashion house and Hotel Alcora. The eighth edition of the event, held in
February 2002, brought together more than twenty designers, putting their creations
on show on eighteen catwalks for ten thousand visitors.
Haute couture. And the flamenco dress has even found a place in the
world of haute couture, inspiring designers like Yves Saint Laurent, or Vittorio
& Lucchino from Seville, who have created an exclusive line of flamenco dresses.
And these dazzling designs have moved onto the stage too - Francis Montesinos
designs Eva Yerbabuena's wardrobe, while Joaquín Cortés is dressed
by Armani. But the entente isn't by any means universally accepted, especially
not by female artists. The stiff traditional bata de cola dress worn by
Matilde Coral has nothing to do with the light, fluttering dresses worn by Sara
Baras. Purity against renovation. The same old debate comes up everywhere evolution
creeps in.
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