NYFW S/S ‘14 – Desigual: the playful spirit of the Mediterranean

On a fun and radiant show during the first official day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week S/S ’14, Barcelona-based label Desigual presented its new collection.

The brand, known for its flamboyant bold colors, surprisingly opened the catwalk with eight fully black and white dressed models. I loved Kika, stripped dress with balconette neck line, and Nykhor, geometrical op-art print coat. The black and whites were also admired by  Isabella Rossellini seated on the front row. She mentioned her preference to a series of geometrical black and white dresses and told AFP it was a “very cheerful show”.

However, with Desigual it can never be just black and white. Red, blue and yellow accents started popping up, followed by the signature for the brand: abstract, circle and floral prints. Along with the monochrome canvas, clothes featured lovely colors in florals, tie-dye and stripes to capture the essence of the good life. Among the 46 models presented, key looks were a yellow jacquard print, white and orange polka dot coats, jungle printed looks and a sleeveless multi-colored striped shirtdress.

The brand included few male models in its show as well – a Barcelona city view sketch t-shirt, a floral shirt paired with linen blazer and blue denim, and green mint trousers accompanied by a glazed hooded bomber jacket, all capturing the freedom of the coastal life.

Desigual’s spring/summer 2014 collection is inspired by the playfulness of the Mediterranean sunshine and the culture embodied in the Spanish label’s motto “La vida es Chula” or “Life is Cool”. The brand’s CEO, Manel Jadraque, explained the collection as “more quiet, more sophisticated” and “practically Lacroix”, pointing to the key role of the designer who worked with the brand since 2011.

Desigual already presented parts of its new collection during the Barcelona Fashion Week in July, when Brazilian model and actress Adriana Lima walked some of the clothes.

Photos by Bogdan Seredyak http://seredyak.com/

The article was written for The Upcoming. See more photos from the collection here.