Alejandro Gómez Palomo made a stunning comeback to New York with the Palomo Spain’ latest collection, called “The Closet.”
This was Palomo’s third time showcasing in New York, and the fashion world eagerly awaited what he had in store. The collection was inspired by Palomo’s personal experiences and those of the people around him, reflecting on their relationship with clothes before they fully understood the concept of gender and its norms.
At a preview, Palomo revealed that the moodboard for the collection was filled with childhood photos of the design team, capturing a feeling of innocence and freedom, a time when everything was possible and clothes were just a form of expression. Palomo himself was pictured as a young child dressed in his mother’s clothes, playing and exploring his imagination with the clothes he had available to him. He credited his mother for allowing him this freedom to express himself and for educating him in a way that allowed him to continue to be whoever he wanted to be, even in his work.
The collection transported the audience to a world where anything was possible, a place where pirates could mix with choirboys and Cinderella with jocks. Palomo’s dream closet was filled with vintage Balenciaga and early 60s miniskirts and babydolls, all worn with cuissard boots straight out of a fairytale. The designer also ventured into the bedroom, with models wearing pillow hats and shirting worn backwards, referencing bedclothes. The terry fabrics used in the collection were a nod to towels, creating a feeling of comfort and coziness.
Despite the tender and sweet themes, there were underlying tones of transgression. Palomo stated that he was after the feeling of safety but also the thrill of doing something that is somewhat prohibited. His work is rooted in history, as he draws inspiration from his Spanish and European heritage, and he incorporated baroque music into the show to emphasize the historical aspect of his collections.
In Palomo’s world, time is never still and travels in a continuous loop. He revisits his archive and finds inspiration from the past, and this collection was no different. The opening look and many others were created using a couture-like technique of layering thousands of strips of tulle by hand, a technique first used in his second collection.
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Click on this link to read this article in French version.
