By Iris Edén Santiago
Special to The Star
Every fashion designer participating in events around the world will work miracles to attract A-list celebrities to their show. And if those celebrities model their label for the photographers, their job is done. This coordination is extremely vital because the people sitting in the first row of these events often are the main course of the show. And their looks are instant publicity, sometimes better than the collections on the runway.
Dignitaries, actors, actresses, performers, supermodels and royals are favorites amongst these guests. Tamara Falco, Victoria de Marichalar, Macarena Gómez and Luz Casal were some of the celebrities spotted at the shows in Madrid. But it was Pedro Sánchez, head of the Spanish government, who took the crowd of fashionistas by surprise. Sánchez attended Teresa Helbig’s show with wife Begoña Gómez. And even though Gómez is a regular at these shows, Sánchez is the first prime minister to attend a fashion week show in Madrid. Her Majesty the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, caused a similar commotion when back in 2018 she attended Richard Quinn’s show during London Fashion Week.
And back to the 77th Edition of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid. So much talent, so many trends, so many fantastic collections. In a nutshell, the collections were full of color, drama, sequins and volume. Still trending? Green, fuchsia, orange, purple, metallics, feathers and cropped tops. We loved Teresa Helbig, Isabel Sanchís, Andrés Sarta, Paloma Suárez, Lola Casademunt by Maite and Jorge Vázquez. Custo Barcelona, Roberto Torretta, Eduardo Navarrete, Hannibal Laguna, Carlos Duarte, Pedro del Hierro, Otrura and Pertegaz were among the 70+ designers who presented their fall winter 2023 collections at Ifema Madrid and other venues throughout the city. We will review the best shows individually. In the meantime, enjoy some highlights on this page.
Emerging fashion designers like Adrià Egea, Alejandre, Charlie Smits, Fátima Miñana, Guillermo Décimo, Sabela Juncal, Reparto, Aitor Goikoetxea and 93 Sierra presented their proposals at their own event, Allianz Ego Catwalk.
For the first time, the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid included two Moroccan designers in the weeklong calendar. Internationally popular labels Maison ARTC and Albert Oiknine presented their collections at the special event, “Morocco Kingdom of Light.” Maison ARTC was awarded the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize in Qatar, the most prestigious fashion award in the Arab region. The brand exhibited its creations at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and are expected to exhibit them in New York. Albert Oiknine is known for his luxurious Moroccan kaftans and is considered the designer of reference for the Royal Court of Morocco.