Carlota Barrera's "The Matador and the Fisherman" debut menswear collection

Spanish designer Carlota Barrera explores a dialogue between the purpose of beauty in the matador costume with its marked silhouette in contraposition to the practicality of fishermen's attire in her first menswear collection.

Carlota's love for craftsmanship shone through her use of different manual techniques in the collection. It's a way of stating the important role of these crafts in the Spanish tradition, nowadays in danger of disappearing.

Entitled "The Matador and the Fisherman", the presentation was held on July 12th 2018 as part of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid summer 2019 show.

The designer played out the concept of masculinity versus femininity, with a sense of serene beauty on a strong silhouette. The colours have been taken from the soil and the sea, according to Carlota: earth, blue, green, red, ivory.  

The ensembles boldly featured detailed embroidery of flowers, corals and seaweed morphed into abstract motifs ornamenting traditional Spanish tailoring updated with modern techniques of design and making.

Concentrating on natural fibres and leather work in this collection, the designer works with a number of Spanish artisans such as Steve Mono for shoes made of Ubrique leather, Javier Sánchez Medina known for reviving traditional basket weaving using natural materials, such as bamboo, straw, wicker, fibre, and rattan, and Anónima by CM for hand embroidery.

Inspired by the confrontation of the man against the beast, the collection questioned which of the two embodies each role: on one hand, through the Spanish tradition of bullfighting, and on the other with the work of fishermen who fight against storms and marine beasts.

Born in northern Spain, Carlota Barrera was trained at the prestigious Central Saint Martins and Instituto Europeo di Design. She also recently completed her studies with the Master in Menswear at the London College of Fashion and developed her professional skills working with the renowned designer Carmen March.