Delpozo (Q2895)
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Delpozo is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Delpozo |
Delpozo is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
2012
creative director
Fall is a restructuring season for Delpozo, coming after the appointment of Lutz Huelle as its new creative director, but before he was able to fully draft his new vision for the brand. The 33 looks that Huelle consulted on are not the sea change from the label’s former iteration by Josep Font—ladylike, playful, grounded by a structural froth—to Huelle’s presumably more deconstructionist and experimental tendencies. Instead, Delpozo has done a minor pivot, swapping out its eveningwear for a renewed focus on day. There were just two dresses that could qualify as gowns here, and both were startlingly simple compared to the gumdrops and sugarplum fairies of Delpozo’s past: one, a strapless pink tent number made in the airiest silk; the other, a sequined column with clusters of 3-D beads in midnight blue and tangerine.The rest of the collection was a smart mix of playfulness and polish. The hero piece was a midi skirt with a structured ruffle across the knees, made in several different fabrications, including a workwear-inspired caramel cotton and a blush pink moiré silk. Fancy little things, like a brocade bustier with curvilinear seams, were dressed down with mannish pleated trousers or layered underneath knits flecked with tiny Swarovski crystal beads. It’s a balance: For every dramatic cocoon jacket, there was a car coat in tweed; for every pale blue groovy suit, there was a sharp one in shocking pink. It was modeled by Luz Sanchez Godin, whose mother, Violeta Sanchez, was muse to the house’s founder, Jesús del Pozo, in the ’70s. Godin carried the clothes well, signaling a future for Delpozo that’s rooted in the past but ready for its next adventure.
2 March 2019
Lutz Huelle, the newly appointed creative director of Delpozo replacing Josep Font, will present his first collection for Resort 2020. Pre-Fall was designed in-house and presented in a showroom as a transitional commercial offering. Called Floral Breeze, it was a gracefully watered-down translation of Delpozo’s expressive, illusionistic style.The collection was focused on a practical approach to daywear separates; shapes retained only a distant memory of the architectural extravagance of their previous incarnation. They looked neat, uncomplicated, and certainly wearable. Only a play of ruffles, which were appliquéd on pockets, sleeves, and skirts, kept a certain whimsical spirit alive. They looked like humongous fluttering butterflies.Florals were actually rather charming. Mini bouquets blossomed on a bubblegum pink jacquard tailored pantsuit; faded roses were scattered on the pale blue chiffon of a delicate dress embroidered with sequins. A long evening dress exuded a similar feel of impalpable lightness; cut as a long caftan in silk tulle and finely pleated, it was worn over a silver-sequined slip minidress. The same pleated motif graced the porcelain blue long skirt of a flimsy dress, the floral silk jacquard bodice structured and shapely like a corset. It looked delightful.
24 January 2019
These days, sheer dressing is pretty much an everyday thing. That said, second-skin “naked” dresses are hardly a Delpozo mainstay—the brand was built on architectural codes, after all. That history isn’t lost on creative director Josep Font. He drew from the work of Murano glass artist Fulvio Bianconi to inject transparency into his new collection. It accounted for the Perspex shards that embellished gladiator sandals and encrusted the pockets of cropped evening pants. However, those sculptural flourishes felt superfluous for the most part. The idea was best used to loosen up the line of the clothes—the floor-length column dress made from icy blue tulle had a freewheeling weightlessness about it, for example, alluding to the skin while still being relatively modest thanks to strategically placed micro sequins.Font has a fondness for wisteria, and there was an impressive version of the Japanese tree dripping faux petals onto the runway that looked almost as good as the real thing. The distinctive curvilinear bloom could be traced along the shoulder of blouses and dresses.Ruffles have been big again this season, though they were perhaps a littletoobig in places here. It’s tempting to make grand gestures like that in the realm of eveningwear, but often it’s the subtle details that win the day—in this case, a simple white button-down with gentle bell sleeves, or gauzy summer knits with a delicate weft.
16 September 2018
Josep Font’s latest installment for Delpozo started life as a flowering cactus. The creative director was captivated by Korean painter Kwang-ho Lee’s hyperrealistic renderings of desert blooms, some of which only blossom for a single day. Font took this transience and transformed it into a series of dreamy modern looks. Linear ruffles jutted haphazardly across crepe wool blouses, skirts, and dresses, or trailed delicately over knitwear in a way that felt abstract and organic rather than overtly flowery. Shirting was embellished with bright citrus toile that mirrored the translucence of jellyfish. Sometimes these neon flashes of fabric were draped from shoulder to floor on dresses, or formed panels on structured evening looks.Everything here had a lightness of touch; even a minimal floor-length pale blush dress, adorned with a few embroidered blooms, had the easy silhouette of an oversize tee. This season saw Font in obsessive pursuit of the perfect pink. The fleshy palette, which borrowed from London illustrator Charlotte Ager, spanned from salmon to crevette to raspberry. Font punctuated these tones with swathes of jade, magenta, and navy. One vibrant coat and another tailored blazer featuring the full spectrum proved this color compatibility perfectly. Candy stripes, in cherry red and pale blue, were an appealing addition to Font’s romantic repertoire. As were the myriad of fresh accessories: oversize water lily belts, detachable floral embroideries, a new structural moccasin—and the evocatively named bucket-shaped Cactus bag.
15 June 2018
American designers aren’t the only ones ditching New York for Europe. Delpozo creative director Josep Font showed 10 collections in the Big Apple before he chose to take the Madrid-based brand to London this season. There are practical advantages to the move—London is skipping distance from continental Europe compared to the red-eye schlep across the Atlantic. Beyond the time saved, though, there’s a vibrant new design scene gathering in the British capital. What was once dismissed as a playground for experimental young fashion-school kids is fast becoming an epicenter for seriously grown-up clothes. Delpozo has a long history of sophisticated airs and graces, and currently exists in a self-appointed category of its own known as prêt-à-couture.As a former architect, Font likes to experiment with the shape and line of his designs. He kept a tight rein on the silhouette via 3D leather belts that had the appearance of flowers in full bloom, inspired by unpublishedNational Geographicimagery from the 1930s of lily and lotus petals. Font never fails to pluck an unlikely artistic reference for his collections, and this season it was the portraits of French artist Inès Longevial that sparked his imagination. The young Parisian art director and illustrator has an exuberant sense of color that aligns with Font’s optimistic outlook, and the Fall collection was awash with sunny, life-affirming shades usually associated with a spring awakening: hence the use of head-to-toe pink and lemon yellow. Asymmetry was a recurring theme, too, though it threw off the tailoring in places. Indeed, some of the blazers appeared to have a split personality, cut for a traditional nine-to-five wardrobe on one side and trailing off with cocktail-hour draping on the other. However the collection did find its footing with rigorous color-blocked pinafores, slit maxi skirts, and gently contoured suiting.
18 February 2018
The sun shone on Delpozo’s Spring 2018 collection, shown at Pier 59 to the live accompaniment of Roberto Carlos Lange and Helado Negro, and well it might, as Josep Font wove summer into every look he sent down the runway. This is the 10th collection the brand has imported to New York (see, not everyone is on the move elsewhere), and the designer said through a translator that he finds the city has a unique energy and a “certain optimism that no other city has.” From the looks of it, Font was wearing rose-colored glasses while designing this season.Font can be counted on for esoteric references; this season they were Slovakian photographer Maria Svarbova’s “Swimming Pools” series and the bandleader Xavier Cugat. It wasn’t necessary to know that to enjoy the show, though, the music and the silhouette easily communicated a sophisticated Swing Era charm, and the pastel palette suggested blissful summer days lolling by an aquamarine pool as cotton candy clouds float in an azure sky. Flounces and flamenco touches were notable (the show notes said they gave the clothing its own musicality). A smooth groove was set by palazzo pants, a marabou-trimmed knit, and flowing tunics paired with flat, chic raffia sandals. Neon touches and beaded embellishments provided pops of syncopation. Then there was a group of pastel tulle looks that had a cupcake prettiness that contrasted with the slightly more structured finale looks.Delpozo has a unique positioning: Not only is it a Spanish brand showing in New York, it also describes its collections as “prêt-à-couture.” Font, with his appetite for art and his architectural training, is a master tailor, wonderful colorist, and hopeless romantic. All of which suggests his customer is a woman of confidence, daring, and an appointment book full of meetings, social or otherwise. In fact, both Michelle Obama and Melania Trump have bought and worn Delpozo for public appearances. Why then, does the casting for this show consistently veer toward the elfin? Font’s talent and sophistication are elevated and grown-up, and it would be nice to see those qualities in his selection of models, as well.
13 September 2017
Nothing,absolutamente nada, is left to chance at Delpozo, where Josep Font, trained as an architect, has carefully constructed his own universe. In this world shape and color reign, a point driven home today when Deena Abdulaziz made a head-turning arrival in a stunning sculpted pink coat from the Pre-Fall collection. The impact of her entrance was heightened by the space, in which Font had laid white felt and constructed a sort of tunnel of white frames through which the models wound their way as the Sō Percussion group performed Paul Lansky’s “Threads” live.Rarae aves they were, these silent catwalkers, who wore clothes with hothouse colors, which had, in many instances, a cool space-age vibe. Font works from art references—this season the rich palette was inspired by the Nabi painter József Rippl-Rónai, and the collection’s rounded shapes from the work of sculptor Max Bill—but it’s how his work fits within a fashion historical context that’s more interesting, at least to this reviewer.Font, a meticulous tailor of “prêt-à-couture” clothing, is often compared to Cristóbal Balenciaga, and rightly so. The ruffled capes Font showed for fall, some with slightly asymmetric hems, form a continuum with the work of the great Spanish couturier. Similarly, a structured ivory minidress seemed to nod to the futuristic work of the Basque André Courrèges who trained with Balenciaga. Fashion comes full circle, then, is one way to view Font’s Fall offering, which in other aspects felt more scattered than in the past. There was a dizzying multiplicity of fabrications: stripes, florals woven and printed, embroidery, and Lurex plus a new spherical Moon bag which seemed more prop-like than functional. On the other hand, there were (as always) superbly constructed superlative stand-alone pieces: Capes and puff-sleeved coats woven with romance in a floral that would work at the Petit Trianon, and, wonder of wonders, a broad-shouldered pantsuit that had not a hint of Vetements about it. Also of note were the fine hooded knits over which most looks were layered. Not only did they add to the sleek, space-age vibe that defined part of the show, but they suggested how the line might be worn in a more day-to-day fashion by women other than influencers, who have events-filled calendars, and the likes of Rihanna who wore Delpozo to a pre-Grammy event last week.
15 February 2017
Look 25, a column dress in inky blue and persimmon enhanced by ample folds of neoprene, was missing from today’s walk-through because Caitriona Balfe had worn it to theGolden Globes. Indeed, with their “prêt-à-couture” positioning, Delpozo collections invariably feel elevated beyond the every day, especially given creative director Josep Font’s exacting approach to design. Yet the Spanish label’s second Pre-Fall offering yielded sculpted volumes, surface treatments, and ladylike looks that were dialed down just enough to enter into consistent wardrobe rotation. In Paris to present the lineup at the Delpozo showroom, Font name-checked Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and the flower-theme decoupage of Mary Delany, an 18th-century British artist affiliated with the Blue Stockings Society, as motivating his curvilinear shapes, jolts of cerulean and fuchsia, and dimensional embroideries.Font explored the fusion of form and flora with sleeves that pleated inward from a single piece of fabric (apparently requiring two days of fittings) or as the abstracted petals of fabric placed on a tailored jacket and A-line dress, with some encrustations recalling Matisse’s sinuous collages. Intricate crochet knotting, embroidered wool flowers, and spiny acetate blossoms that embellished knitwear, tea dresses, and accessories were restrained relative to Font’s runway lineup. But even at his most basic, the flair was still there—see the black top boasting an oversize bisected bow, the color-blocked embroideries, and the collection’s standout pant with its exaggerated cuffs. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Delpozo’s relaunch, and Font says he seeks to challenge himself each season. If some women embrace his more challenging constructions, others will gravitate toward the crisp poplin shirts or the intarsia turtlenecks, knowing that these essentials are hardly ordinary.
11 January 2017
“Fashion is all about surprises,” said Josep Font from Delpozo’s sumptuous Sloane Street boutique. It’s a significant spot to meet: After a decade of shows in New York, the Delpozo creative director will be moving his runway presentation to the British capital come February. The Madrid-based designer is a longtime fan of the city, and with so many collections to create each year, the lack of a time difference understandably appeals.This season the designer found inspiration in the work of two photographers: the Italian Franco Fontana’s richly saturated skyline images, and the British native Luke Stephenson’s bold studio portraits of birds. The painterly quality of Fontana’s horizon shots engendered a series of impeccably crafted wool crepe separates, each with their own geometric patchwork of stripes and organic motifs. At times, Font hid the patchworks in the pleats of wide-leg pants; all were in optimistic tones of aquamarine, carnation red, burgundy, and canary yellow.A freshly acquired ornithology obsession (parrots and exotic birds feature heavily in the lookbook) gave rise to a feeling of lightness and fluidity throughout the collection. It was most apparent in the poplin designs that Delpozo has long featured. This season the fabric was taken to its dressiest extreme with bows and embroidered sequin embellishments (often akin to plumage) on voluminous shirts that occasionally teetered towards capes or took on a dress-like quality. Those wondering what to expect for Fall should start with these playful and transformative pieces.
10 January 2018
The highlighter hues of lime and coral that burst forth from the latest Delpozo collection are surprising nods to nature—specifically, various extraordinary bodies of water around the world (a green lagoon within a volcanic crater of Lanzarote; the saline pink surface of Lake Hillier in Australia) that register far rarer than basic blue. To be clear, creative director Josep Font intensified these chromatic anomalies—so much so that the cascades of tulle in the final grouping of dresses were specially saturated to achieve peak punch. But the effect wouldn’t be nearly as compelling without the secondary influence of Loïe Fuller, the Belle Époque dancer whose captivating serpentine dance (take a moment and YouTube it) is a marvel of movement applied to material. While Font wasn’t aiming for quite that level of theatricality, his extended ruffled forms and shawl-style draping could have been screenshots from Fuller’s sequence.Indeed, Font’s background in architecture has consistently produced strong dimensional silhouettes—see the newly realized ridged constructions arching upward around skirts and dresses—so his exploration of flow felt noticeably lighter and fresh this season. Likewise the recognizable color-blocked, polished looks in crisp poplin. For a label that positions itself as “demi-couture,” these registered as obvious entry points, and the full-skirted navy dress iced with fuchsia waist pleating would be as ideal for an art party as a night by the beach.As for the striped linen, which Font suggested is noticeably different than anything he has done before, the wide-legged pant carved out with arched side openings (not visible in the photos) was original while still wearable—and less precious than some of the surface detailing elsewhere. A final shout-out goes to those petite bow cross-body/clutch hybrids, easily among the most irresistible accessories of the season so far.
14 June 2017
There are few designers working today whose creations might intimidate even the most seasoned writer. Josep Font is one of them. TheDelpozocreative director's exquisite, pret-a-couture designs exist outside the bounds of usual clothing constructions. They swell, curve, arc, dive, and sometimes even jut. They recall a bit of his countrymanCristóbal Balenciaga, and are unafraid to take up space. Their construction is so lovely and singular as to be mightily hard to do justice to.Spring, in particular, left a lot for this reporter to live up to. Backstage post-show, Font ascribed his ongoing love affair with generous, bubble-like volumes to his training in architecture prior to his appointment at Delpozo, and here it was writ large.The perennially art-referencing designer took his inspiration from the Spanish Impressionist Joaquín Sorolla and contemporary artist Soo Sunny Park. The former lent Font the exquisite deep periwinkle of his opening looks (“Sorolla blue”), while the latter set him thinking about handcraft and luminosity, exemplified by her undulating, mirrored installations. Font appears to dream in more than three dimensions. Among the confections he proposed this season: a story in lush, metallic floral jacquard, trousers impeccably nipped at the waist and full through the hip and thigh, and a series of cobwebby crocheted open knits—striking in their contrast to everything you might typically associate with Font, and utterly lovely. The best in that grouping was a top which tied down the sleeves in big, airy organza bows; it came teamed with an almost pannier-like midi skirt in a custom, snowy floral cloqué.The resulting lineup was a bit Old World, yet undeniably modern; even the designer’s most otherworldly proportions felt featherweight. Font’s Delpozo continues to be a singular force in the fashion landscape.
14 September 2016
“I touch with the eyes,” read a quote inDelpozo’s latest collection notes, attributed to sculptor Anthony Caro, one of the house’s chief inspirations this season. Those words might just as well be the mantra of Delpozo creative director Josep Font. Not only does he touch, he seduces his fabrications into all manner of sculptural whorls and organic-looking architectural finishes. The work of Caro sparked in the designer’s mind a series of swelling, petal-like forms, adorning the bodices of his dresses and coming to rest neatly on others’ hips (still other dresses concealed the art behind their forms, like delicate, pannier-type insets just below the waist).In addition to Caro, Font took cues from the work of French ur-director and illusionist Georges Méliès (he ofA Trip to the Moonfame), whose fascination with the sky and the sea yielded star prints and some stunning fish embroideries, respectively. The fantasia conjured up this season was a delight, 35 looks all proffering the chance to get your head lost in the clouds, if just for a while. Those ranged from the opulent—an ankle-grazing coat in tapestry-esque raffia jacquard, stitched all over with candy-color raffia embroideries—to the comparatively simple but utterly lovely, like a blouse in filmy, robin’s-egg blue organdy.This collection marks Font’s first-ever foray into Resort (he showed his inaugural Pre-Fall outing back in December), owing to the strong customer response of recent seasons. The more commercial nature of preseason collections seems an excellent grounding force for the Delpozo aesthetic without going so far as to clip its wings. To wit, even simple pragmatic touches like cuffs and collars, embellished to the hilt with couture-level beading, snapped off so that blouses could be more easily cleaned, and crop tops came kitted out with built-in boning and concealed hook-and-eye closures for ease of wear. Delpozo daywear continues to grow, with the burgeoning categories of knits and bags and footwear, which will delight Font’s fans who may not have black-tie or red carpet needs to be addressed anytime soon, and for whom his signature whimsical volumes are a category to be worked up to. His Technicolor intarsias and a trench in delicate poplin flower appliquéd lace both lingered in the mind after this reporter had left the showroom—pragmatic, but surely not earthbound.
8 June 2016
Metropolismet the eerily romantic illustrations of Italian artist Daria Petrilli on the runway atDelpozotoday. The streamlined futurism of Fritz Lang’s most storied film made for a surprisingly logical complement to creative director Josep Font’s vision. Consider Font’s intensely structured, indeed architectural dresses; from inflated sleeves to pannier-like skirts, they’re clothes that play by their own rules, spatially speaking. Here, Lang’s iconicmaschinenmenschwas traceable in subtle ways: stunning, crackled silver textures; rigid, chromed-looking miniskirts; or a royal purple bustier top with two perfectly round bra-like cups peeking out from beneath, which seemed to hearken back to the distinctly feminine shape of cinema’s most famous robot.Backstage post-show, Font spoke about being inspired by the darkly delicate tenor of Petrilli’s work; fantastical and refined, it features sad-looking girls who walk flocks of scarlet ibises and unbutton their dresses to reveal pools of koi. A similarly uncanny beauty has long characterized Font’s shows, with their serene, even slightly wan, dollish models. Today they took to the runway in embellished opera gloves, canary yellow crepe trousers, and gorgeous, two-tone knits that will be a surefire hit for the shopper keen to dip a toe into the world of Delpozo. A grouping of styles in pink and black speckled velvet jacquard were among the best of the bunch; the structured vest atop a glossy silver turtleneck with ballet pink trousers was Delpozo daytime at its finest. Still, in places there was the sense that perhaps Font has achieved a kind of beautiful stasis, technically faultless and instantly recognizable: the sharply contrasting jewel tones, the couture-level embellishment, the otherworldly hauteur. With his prodigious talent, it would be a joy to watch him creatively push the boundaries of those skills in seasons to come.
17 February 2016
How do you doDelpozofor the day? In response to customer demand, the Spanish house is adding both Pre-Fall and Resort to its lineup—and creative director Josep Font has gamely set about streamlining his specific brand of pret-a-couture fantasia to its most wearable essence.Naturally (and happily), Delpozo could never be wholly quotidian; too great are Font’s taste and skill for intricate and sculptural patterns, for kaleidoscopic beading and fanciful touches. But as it turns out, that confectionery precision translates into some lovely daywear. Spurred by the work of Mexican architect Luis Barragán and Japanese lensman Nobuyoshi Araki, the designer turned out a palette of super-saturated hues, brilliant turquoise Lurex, and spongy tomato-red stretch crepes. Vivid separates found a foil in crisp poplin shirting adorned with matching, almost paperlike white flower brooches that recalled Araki’s famous botanical photos. Knitwear also proved a strong, shoppable category, from woven cable-knit sweaters to capelets, both sporting heaps of looped fringe. Of course, Font’s eye for the finest finishings was as present as in Delpozo runway outings. Crisp tulle inserts lent structure at the hip of a crepe mini, while a spare top in blush organdy came with an exquisite, densely embellished removable bib that could take it easily from day to night.
14 December 2015
One imagines thatJosep Font’s mind might be a lovely place to spend some time. There’s an anachronistic quality to the designer’s brand of demi-couture as he has established it in his three years at the Spanish heritage houseDelpozo. His romanticism and unreservedly fairy-tale brand of femininity hearken back to another time, and the designer has a love of dressing women that’s palpable.For Spring, Font’s women were those of Federico García Lorca’sGypsy Balladsand Emilie Flöge, muse to Gustav Klimt and, in fact, a fashion designer herself who envisioned proto-bohemian styles far ahead of her time. Many a creative director has name-checked Flöge in the past, but rather than appearing merely as a vessel for Klimt’s famous aesthetic, here Font found a grounding force in Flöge’s love of folklore, and the similarly earthy qualities to be found in Lorca’s famous book. Font, whose work so often has an almost synthetically confectionary tenor to it, incorporated those craftier elements into his vernacular in rich and compelling ways. Take a stunning hand-crocheted long raffia vest, or that same material brought to life in a massive icy blue belted wrap. Pieces like that served as textural, welcome foils to Font’s most purely extravagant looks.If otherworldly volumes are a signature of his tenure with Delpozo thus far, then the larger-than-life shirtdress in a metallic palm jacquard with tiers of generous ruffles, or a sheer pannier-like miniskirt, surely pushed even Font’s own boundaries (the fabric of the former came to life beautifully and more quietly as a fringed wrap over white trousers). A grouping of polka-dotted pieces early on and a long rounded skirt in graphic orange and blue scrollwork could surely have been cut from the collection, since their sharpness felt so at odds with the ethereal ideas Font proposed elsewhere. A blue and pink moire frock served as an especially vivid testament to Delpozo fantasia at its best, and contrasted nicely with the house’s first move into purses, a chicly boxy doctor’s bag.
16 September 2015
The human experience is filled with drama and richness—and why shouldn't there be clothes to match? Season after season since he was tapped to relaunch the Spanish house of Delpozo in 2012, designer Josep Font seems to wordlessly ask that question, and in response turn out fantastical prêt-à-couture creations that draw a buzzing mix of editors, bloggers, and buyers to his shows. Backstage today, Font cited a pair of inspirations: the "sinister," vibrant paintings of Rhys Lee, and Andrey Remnev's contemporary reimaginings of Pre-Raphaelite works. Art is a perennial source of inspiration for Font, and there was certainly something painterly about his palette of blush, green, and Yves Klein blue (a very cool fluorescent yellow, perhaps less so).Font's outerwear here was one of his biggest coups, like a powder blue coat with a patchwork of abstract leather birds and leaves. And it wouldn't truly be a Delpozo outing without those balloon sleeves, seen on blouses and a grass green coat, looking like they might at any moment burst at their seams—it's a feeling of control that marks many of Font's designs.But for all that structure there was a lot of softness, too, both in spirit and in form: the column gowns, for instance, including one in scarlet bobbinet with a cape detail. Knits were strong, too; Font's pullovers came with creeping crocheted blooms that were a nice, crafty reminder of a human hand in his meticulous and often textureless designs. The grouping in velvet was almost a shock amidst a sea of sculptural. After all, it's been Delpozo and a handful of other labels (Vika Gazinskaya, et al.) who have lately reignited a taste for richly constructed, high-volume clothes that de-emphasize the body and emphasize their own couture-like presence. And here Font turned out a bewitchingly eccentric example of that. His crimson gown would be a welcome sight on the Oscars' red carpet come Sunday.
18 February 2015
Josep Font's reverie-inducing creations are fashion at its most fantastical. Each of his imaginative collections for Delpozo is a meticulously composed exploration of sculptural shapes and couture-like fabrications. This season, the Madrid-based designer made brave new proposals about color, specifically referencing Josef Albers' artwork as an inspiration. Font opened his Spring show by reinterpreting sportswear staples in extreme proportions, pairing structured jackets and crisp shirting with ultra-wide-legged culottes or trousers. A particular standout was a strapless, color-blocked frock with voluminous structured pleats, which was layered over a short-sleeved button-up.From there, Font moved into a series of intricate looks that highlighted his innovative approach toward materials and craftsmanship. Shiny, crackled vinyl spots contrasted beautifully with delicate chiffon on several pieces, densely crocheted crop tops and dresses had three-dimensional appeal, and an intricate jungle-patterned jacquard peppered with monkeys added a touch of wit to the mix. The lineup ended on a dramatically feminine note with a trio of embroidered tulle bobbinet numbers (influenced by artists Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka) that floated like clouds over the bod—they were the stuff that dreams are made of.
10 September 2014
Delpozo has quickly become a must-see show after making its NYFW debut just one year ago. Under the stewardship of creative director Josep Font, the Madrid label has successfully revitalized the legacy of Jesus del Pozo and repositioned itself for a global audience. (Delpozo recently opened its first stateside flagship in Miami.) Font's inspired, meticulously crafted clothes blur the lines between ready-to-wear and couture. Each collection is an elegant composition of contrasting themes, simultaneously structured and fluid, strong and ethereal.Font cited two specific sources of inspiration behind Fall: the work of Italian painter Duilio Barnabe, and the retro-futuristic novel,Logan's Run. As a former architecture student, Font has a preoccupation with shapes. This season, he aimed to "create something unattached to the body that flows," he said backstage. The designer added controlled volume to the hips of fluttering chiffon maxi skirts with subtle bustles, for example, and showed a gauzy mohair dress shaped by sheer, structured petticoats underneath. Silhouettes had geometric appeal. A triangular, A-line coat featured dramatic, peaked shoulders, and fuzzy mohair capes boasted rounded shoulders—the Technicolor plaid toppers here would cheer up any wintry day. Font continued to riff on circular motifs with appliquéd holographic discs and delicate "tubular crinoline details" found on embellished evening gowns, which came in gorgeous color combinations. A particular standout was the strapless finale gown worn by Magdalena Jasek, which merged saturated shades of teal and coral that complemented the model's alabaster skin and fiery tresses. Ultimately, Font's creations make you dream, and that's what fashion should be all about.
8 February 2014
Madrid-based label Delpozo made a splash with its New York fashion week debut last season and delivered again for Spring with a positively enchanting collection inspired by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot's portrait of a Gypsy woman with a tambourine. Creative director Josep Font, who relaunched the storied Spanish brand just over a year ago, has become known for his unique "prêt-à-couture" that combines unexpected volumes with intricate embellishments in a modern, unstuffy way. Font opened with a romantic off-the-shoulder top and dramatic, structured ball skirt clipped above the ankles, which echoed the one in the nineteenth-century painting. He showed several iterations of that statement-making silhouette (shaped by old-school hoopskirt petticoats) throughout the lineup. A sunflower-printed chiffon version looked cool paired with a relaxed gingham top, and the floral appliquéd white finale number would be stunning on a summer bride. While those structured skirts appeared to be straight out of a twenty-first-century fairy tale, they had almost zero real-world appeal. Fortunately, Font also offered covetable daytime options, including a cap-sleeve linen jacket with braided trim and matching matador-inspired trousers, as well as a densely embroidered raffia dress and macramé lace culottes. Overall, the lineup was simultaneously strong and feminine and suggested a promising future for Delpozo and Font.
7 September 2013