Paula Canovas del Vas was feeling angry, and wanted to share how much of a struggle she feels it is to stand strong as a young female designer and entrepreneur. For her presentation, she recruited six female wrestlers, who put on a choreographed display as the models looked on. During rehearsals the athletes even convinced her to try out their sport, she said.
They were fitted in head-to-toe mesh ensembles featuring one of the themes of the collection, an argyle pattern inspired by school uniforms, with contrasting striped details, paired with cloven-hooved sneakers.
For all the surrealism of her creations, Canovas del Vas is cultivating a very real commercial following, and is keeping consumers coming back for more, reprising her most popular designs in new colorways.
Ribbed knits — cropped sweaters and dresses — with bubbly details on the shoulders and sleeves were worked in two-tone stripes or more subtle tones of black or gray. Unraveled sweaters were worked from deadstock yarns, their colors determined by what was available — two shades of green or pink and white, it turns out.
For the presentation the latter was paired with boxy jeans in a patchwork of lilac and gray and a striped jersey shirt with herringbone strapping details — also from deadstock — and a sharp collar.
The same haberdashery punctuated a crunchy taffeta puffball skirt. Back by popular demand were her fake-fur-fronted jeans and said sneakers, the latter also key to opening up to male buyers, who are increasingly requesting her designs, she said. There were also versions of her unmistakable footwear and distinctive puff-handled embossed bags with bright airbrushed details.
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