Custo Barcelona, the popular Spanish brand renowned for their brightly colored designs inspired by California surfer chic, introduced a bold new collection on Sunday night, appropriately dubbed “Hairy Metal.” It offered an open invitation to experiment with unusual combinations of fabrics, patterns and textures in dazzling metallic hues.
Designer Custo Dalmau’s women’s looks paired eclectic mixtures of shaggy fur and textured woolens and knits with bare legs or iridescent, patterned leggings. Geometric patterns were in plentiful supply as were accessories like belts and bags. Colors included bright blue, green and mauve, mixed with silver and gold.
The form fitting shape of the mini dresses contrasted sharply with the bulky fake fur coats. One of the slightly more subdued looks was a grey knit mini with a multi colored wrap that coordinated with similarly hued leggings. At the other end of the spectrum, a voluminous shaggy fur in a predominant green shade, paired with metallic leggings, gave the model an almost bird like appearance.
The menswear looks took the classically tapered suit in colorful new directions. A shiny black jacket and pants was matched with a colorful turtleneck, and a suit in a bright swirl pattern revealed a contrasting tee beneath.
Custo Barcelona has never been for those whose taste tends toward the conservative. In fact, even the adventurous dressers among us will probably find some of these runway looks to be challenging. But loyal Custo fans will no doubt appreciate the innovative style of this collection and find wearable pieces throughout.
– Rhonda Erb
