Custo Dalmau

It´s been 13 years since the designer Custo Dalmau shows his first collection at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. As the years went by the brand has gone on to a popular culture on a mass cale, becoming synonymous with a kind of fresh lifestyle Custo himself.

FELD HOMMES: Señor Custodio Dalmau. You dropped out of architecture studies in 1983 and then dedicated yourself to textile design. Is there any connection between architecture, fashion and the fashion brand Custo Barcelona? If so, which?
Custo Dalmau: I believe all artistic disciplines are related one to another.  It is a truly a source of inspiration. For instance, I enjoy going to Barcelona center, the architecture of the buildings is impressive, beautifully designed so many minor details: colors shapes which inspire me, in Fall – Winter 2010 collection we will find many creations an architectural, clean-cut, feminine and sensual look.

Could you tell me about your emotions for the upcoming collection?
Excitement!  We wanted to design a very strong, contemporary solid collection with a lot metallic colours, such as bronze, steel, old or blue gold, black gold and rusty tones, and there is also a dustier palette with make-up and earthy colours, as well as mauves and blue.

Can there also be a melancholic Custodio Dalmau? If so, how would that be expressed/reflected in the collection?
No really, I tend to be a very active person.

A visitor of Custo Barcelona in Berlin once told me: "When I see those colorful clothes, I really get tooth ache from all the color explosions." You, on the other hand, once said that color is like medicine. What do you say about such statements and what kind of color therapy would you recommend him?
To wear your favorite colors, that helps cheer you up. 

Well, German men are rather reserved and diffident regarding fashion compared to other fashion metropolises. ʻBerliner Jungsʼ, as we call them, young men from Berlin are the only ones in Germany who are more daring and keener to experiment and wear gaudy, colorful clothes. How can Custo help German men to open their blocked fashion valve?
We do not want to change any one; we believe our brand is for anybody that is comfortable wearing our clothes.

Is this reservedness of German men the reason why there is no branch (boutique) in Germany yet?
No, it is not.  We are currently looking for a location to open a store in Munich or Berlin but we yet did not find a space that fits our needs.

Colorful fashion is not sold to the same extent everywhere. How do you explain the geographical differences?
Nowadays the markets are more globalized than ever, people tend to follow the same seasonal trends; however we know that we have large market in warm countries.

There is a cliché that financial success curtails artistry and impairs the creativity. Whatʼs your opinion on this?
Well, it is business and what we design has to be translated into the in store collection and I hope into the wardrobe of thousands of loyal clientele we have word wide. But sometime from time I leave the business obligations and design for fun, reedit print that we truly love, experiment with new fabric and play with colors, only for fun.

What is your attitude towards this growth-orientation or profit-focus of people and society?
I respect everyone’s way of thinking toward their believes, I just think we sometimes concentrate much energy in certain things, like work and leave behind the little pleasure of life.

Isnʼt it a good feeling to be regarded as the first Spanish matador, to be the first Spanish designer to have presented his collection at the NY Fashion Week in 1997?
When I think back on, I remember we were so nervous that day, it felt uncertain of what was going to happen. Undoubtedly it was huge step forward for us as designers.  We were there,  in Word’s glass window showing very critic press.

How would you explain the phenomenon Customania?
It was difficult say, at some point many circumstances in my life met each other and we ended up in Runway Bright with Julia Roberts wearing one of my creations, Beyoncé photographed in one of runway look for an American magazine, Antonio Banderas was seen constantly wearing my t-shirts, all of suddenly we were everywhere, in Sex the City 2nd season, to mention one TV show. I realized that they like what I do and I feel much honored to see them wearing my creating.

Has anything ever scared you as a designer?
Yes, every time we have to launch a collection, we are never absolutely sure whether the industry and press will like or not but I guess it is part of the game.

Thank you for the interview Signore Custo.

Author: Zhoi Hy

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