It is 14 years of Vistelacalle , the first mass media specialized in fashion in Santiago. It feels like the site has always been with us for those of us who like the social, cultural and historical phenomenon that is fashion; It is felt that his influence has extended over time and that his virtue of always showing us new talents remains intact.
"We are very excited to confirm the return of the face-to-face fashion shows", pointed out the invitation to the Fall Winter 2022 version of VisteLaCalle Catwalk. The instance brought together enthusiasts, journalists, designers, academia and an euphoric public to learn about the proposals of seven Chilean designers who made the "illusion" of the invitation a reality.
For about half an hour, the designers' proposals followed one after the other in the Bosque Luz events center. From the beginning, the public accompanied with cheers, applause, shouts of emotion and celebratory whistles what was unfolding on the catwalk designed by Hugo Grisanti. The emotion overflowed the attendees who witnessed the first face-to-face parade after the health emergency, and the truth is that the event was worth each and every one of the spontaneous applause that followed each proposal.
On the catwalk we saw normal people. Hegemonic beauty models? Something very dated for VisteLaCalle. Those who paraded the designs of local creators were a bunch of normal people, from the street, some digital influencers, all of different heights, sizes, and skin colors. An imitation of the diversity of the street on the catwalk, in a statement that deserves praise.
The Tetrapunk brand was in charge of opening the fireworks, followed by Ente Upcyling and then Cora Design. Then came Kinder Loco, succeeded by Mr. González; Escuela El Taller was the penultimate proposal and Bernardo Santander was in charge of closing the night. Each of its collections are the ones that we will review now in Nashion It.
Tetrapunk, exquisite psychedelia.
The designer Paz Bustamante debuted on the catwalks with this collection. The brand specializes in patterns and prints and for this debut it created 7 looks where neon and fluorescent colors were the absolute protagonists. An explosion of color that felt balanced despite how disruptive; marbled prints in strong colors subverted the idea of a dull, gray winter, in a wide range of garments in just 7 passes. Jackets, dresses, skirts, tops and even accessories became instant desire items. Special mention for the hair and makeup proposal, one of the best of the night.
Ente Upcycling, the reinvention of denim.
As the brand name suggests, what the label does is upcycling. That is, rescuing garments and pieces to give it a new life. The second parade of the night moved in a more restricted chromatic framework than the rest of the proposals, where the colors of the blue jeans range were the ones that built the palette. The garments alternated between commercial and editorial aspects, with commercials being the most successful. The jean pants from the second pass, made based on patchwork, must be a unique garment, but one that has the quality of becoming a commercial hit.
Cora Design, we want to see more!
The designer Yessie Córdova was inspired by her "neighborhood, the people, the buildings and the interculturality that is seen in Santiago" for her Autumn Winter 2022 collection. In a range of just seven looks, the designer achieved her goal of giving it an air urban to your catwalk. In a wide spectrum of materials, silhouettes, colors and types of garments, the creator achieved an exquisite, coherent balance, with a commercial and editorial vocation in equal parts. Each look was a logical evolution of the previous one, the catwalk edition a luxury, and the handling of color an exercise in perfection. In my opinion, the best of the night, which is saying a lot considering that they all stood out.
Kinder Loco, perhaps futuristic haute couture?
The intricacy of the pieces, the level of detail and impeccable construction are understood if we say that the designer of this brand, Renato Provoste, is an industrial designer. Behind his proposal is a meticulous study of materials that included unconventional raw materials such as PVC, rubber and metals. The proposal was eccentric, perhaps difficult to get down to the street, but what does it matter if it left us all speechless with a job that could easily be classified as haute couture, even if it does not show in Paris, does not belong to the Chambre Syndicale de Haute Couture or meet the other requirements to properly call their work as such.
All the garments were handmade, which took between one and three months to complete. Kinder Loco's vision is truly genuine, its "Astra" collection has futuristic reminiscences and nods to pop culture.
Mr. González, the maturity of a consecrated person.
The designer Cristián González presented his “Tiraje número 15”, a nomenclature that he uses to correlatively baptize his collections. The designer showed all his craft and redounded on issues that have already become part of his style as a designer: urban silhouettes, the presence of black, dangling moorings are issues that we can now associate with his brand and that were shown on this catwalk naturally, without pretensions and with all his experience decanted. The maturity of his collection did not require much noise, rather it was an exercise in deepening his aesthetics, with pieces with a commercial vocation. The inspiration behind this print run was the city and its interculturality. The designer has lived in downtown Santiago for some time, whose movement was the leitmotiv of the catwalk.
Escuela el Taller, the vision of two creators.
Another runway debut. Designers Paulo Rodríguez and Francisca Schmidt both had their respective namesake brands and recently came together to create together…and together they are dynamite! The designers decided to combine their respective experiences and styles, and thus Francisca's mastery in molding and Paulo's vocation for colors and prints, gave rise to one of the collections that made the public more euphoric at the VisteLaCalle Catwalk Fall Winter 2022 The models from El Taller walked in pairs, walked with great energy and even danced on the catwalk, all very much in keeping with the colorful mood of their collection, whose prints were created by themselves. This first collection for the duo bodes well for what they can do together.
Bernardo Santander, elegance to all test.
The designer Bernardo Santander showed the best he knows how to do: elegant dresses. Sequins, strass, beads and a lot of shine were the framework of what he presented on his catwalk. Santander demonstrated why the famous and celebrities choose it to wear their designs on the red carpet. His parade was a celebration of the party, although the expression seems redundant, an invitation to go out, to enjoy social life after these difficult couple of years.
VisteLaCalle has marked -without a doubt or comments to the contrary- a milestone in the Chilean fashion scene. Its influence on local fashion culture is also undeniable and its quality as a hotbed for new talent is undeniable. For more events like this, to continue reading and enjoying local fashion, long live VisteLaCalle!
Photo credits:
Marcelo Martin @marcelomartincl for VisteLaCalle
