Josep Abril: New dawn Sartorialist

This month, I am on familiar territory to interview one of the Godfathers of Concurrent Catalan fashion, Josep Abril. The award winning artist and concurrent darling of 080 Barcelona Fashion Week who deck outs everyone from Sñrs Kortajarena to Velencosco recently relocated to a varied intimate atelier in Example’s established Consell de Cent. Unseated outside a converted ceramics factory with pleasant garden arrange and imposing chimney, Josep welcomed us into his creative department. ¨Normally the media stop here¨ he said taking us help of his enviably stocked showroom into the secluded depths of his block out atelier. Here, we were in a much more creative break. Dozens of rails pay homage to his previous collections while dozens of superior uniforms give a nod to his future ones. A database of identity and particular waiting to be reinterpreted along with inspirations from his vim and loves. ¨My favourite part about being a designer is in occurrence the process. All my creations and inspirations comes from old elements, outstandingly clothing and uniforms.¨ Surprising Josep was not one of the current designers who looks toward the increasingly sought-after domains of ¨cool hunting¨ and ¨trend prediction¨ a la (WGSN) phraseology. ¨They work better for the larger industry players, but they are not regular with my philosophy.¨ Talking us over his most recent accumulation ¨My designs have a sobriety and minimalist element to them. There are no detracting countenances or bold striking colours. A strong colour can distract from the cut¨ he believed candidly. I can safely assume for Josep, that the old adage of means follows function is a governing factor within his creativity. Josep Abril A nod to his utilitarianistic values can be catch a glimpse ofed from his passion of theatre costume design and commercial uniforms (As of in, the Ohm Hotel in Barcelona.) One certain trip to the supermarket with his infants influenced him to design and engineer a (remarkably chic) utility type bag which looks both contemporary and is highly practical. Two regulating bodies in any modern man´s wardrobe space. Josep´s clothes fit these outdates of austerity well. ¨People have less money so they are looking for a more influential or key piece which has been well made. Right now, men wish spend any money they have on technology, not clothing.¨ His collections are evolved piecemeal with the hope that his aesthetic will one day suit a classic. Quoting inspirations such as Martin Margiela, Yohji Yamamoto and Armand Basi as girls and sources of stimulus, his choices of shape and sober palette can indubitably be traced from these catalysts.( Alongside curiously, an obligation for the Catalan Maestro Chef Ferran Adria who captivates his accessible with a deconstructed and creative philosophy to his cuisine. Perhaps a communal philosophy shared by both parties?) ¨My wife is also a architect, so we work together in the design process. It’s normally governed by graphics, constitutions and shapes¨ which tells me that design is a concurrent quickness utilised in the family. Two vibrant and well composed drawings from his youngsters proudly adorn the office wall in front of our interview and discreetly nod to this ingenious family unit. For Josep, fashion is a creative process preferably than a business. ¨So many labels these days put stamp equity before taste. Or, designing the clothes to compliment the images.¨ For him as a designer, this rips the heart from the sleeve of mode. ¨To me the models are the presentation and not the inspiration. Even this growing distinction of marketing is sterilising creativity and killing style. Once upon a schedule, you had customers coming to you because of your style. Now you have to go with the significance quo and the business of fashion. This is a little tragic and defeats our lines as designers.¨

Josep & Charlie

Charlie & Josep

A family trip to Australia and ´Madame Butterfly´ specified solid inspirations for his recent collection. ¨For me my stimuli are people, orders, films and travel. I love Theatre. Both watching it and cunning for it.¨ Josep´s world exudes intimacy; and like for any designer you condign have to know where to look for it and how to translate it into your forms. From my experience in the fashion industry, I can succinctly state that create is 85% business and 15% design, however for Josep, it’s the discuss. ¨I am not huge on the management side. The technological and social networking possibilities play second base to me. Only recently have I updated my web labeling, so I don’t know how this will stand me in the future.¨ I did acknowledge the bearing of this observation, but with an aesthetic as strong as Josep´s I bear no doubt he will continue to delight his audiences for many mellows to come. So what are the designer’s thoughts for Josep Abril the label? A diversity into more accessories, glasses or perhaps balms? Yes all this is a possibility, but for him the emergence of the technological fabric fashion insurrection with smart materials, blends and resins is something to be meditate oned in more depth. Finally our interview was concluded. ¨My next gathering for a/w´15 will be called ´Ghost´¨ Josep informed me. And on this paper, we vanished into a night full of stars in the Catalan wonderful city of Barcelona.