New York Fashion Week
September 7, 2013
by Keith Widyolar
The house of Pedro del Hierro (Madrid) presented its Spring 2014 Collection during New York Fashion Week.
Impressions of the Collection
We don’t have photos yet, but Pedro del Hierro Spring 2014 is an impressive luxury collection that references the history of the house and of Spanish culture.
In her first pair of collections for the house of Pedro del Hierro of Madrid, Creative Director Carmen March has adapted masculine lines for women in a way that projects an aura of power without giving up any of a woman’s femininity.
In the Spring collection, Carmen manages to put the carefree warmth of a Mediterranean summer breeze in the line. Maybe it’s because she was born on the island of Palma de Majorca off the Iberian coast.
When Carmen mentioned her inspiration from the House of Fortuny, the treasured Spanish textile maker and designer active from 1906-1946, the richness of the fabrics, the combination of classic and unusual silhouettes, and the oriental gown references all made perfect sense.
I hesitate to say this, but it’s almost as if the spirit of Mariano Fortuny has been reincarnated in Carmen March. Fortuny, the son of a family of noted artists, was inspired by art and history. He brought the light, airy clothing of Greek women into modern times with his signature Delphos gown, a hand pleated silk dress that clings to a woman’s natural curves and moves with her body.
Oscar de la Renta produced a wonderful exhibition of Fortuny’s work last year at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute. He made the point that Fortuny’s legacy remains with us today in textile and clothing design, and the visual arts.
After 100 years, Fortuny’s dresses in museums and private collections have held their pleats. No one has been able to reproduce this quality, but this collection feels like Carmen has been following Fortuny around the Mediterranean as he explored the riches of the past.
The fabrics in the collection are not only beautiful, they feel wonderful on your skin the way a cool wind on a warm day caresses your body, giving you pleasant chills.
The collection includes shoes designed by Manolo Blahnik under Carmen’s direction. They are light, almost as if you are walking barefoot.
Now that Carmen has finished her first Fall and Spring collections for the house, I think you have to consider them together. Though there are common threads, the collections feel as different as night and day. The Fall collection, which you can see online, exudes the sensual power of Madrid. The new Spring collection is a warm summer day full of light and fresh air on the Mediterranean coast that recalls the historic work of the great Spanish textile and fashion designer Mariano Fortuny.
The Pedro del Hierro collection is not available in New York yet, but is coming soon. This was the teaser presentation. We will let you know as soon as we hear the good news that Pedro del Hierro has arrived in the City to stay.