Davidelfín and other enfants terribles of fashion at Fundación Rocamora
March, 17, 2022. Written by Clara De Nadal Trias
The exhibition Davidelfín and other enfants terribles of fashion arrives in Barcelona at the stunning Fundación Rocamora.
After two years of hiatus due to the pandemic, the Antoni de Montpalau Foundation resumes its annual exhibitions in the summer palace of the famous Spanish collector Manuel Rocamora, now the private cultural art foundation, Fundación Rocamora, with an exhaustive compilation of Davidelfín works never before shown in Catalonia.
It is now seven years since Antoni de Montpalau Foundation and Fundación Rocamora established a collaboration agreement to annually present unpublished donations received at the Col·lecció Antoni de Montpalau. The first one was From Balenciaga to Jean Paul Gaultier (2015), followed by Moda i Modernisme (2016), Pertegaz diagonally (2017), Queens for a day (2018), and The Three Ladies of Haute Couture, Asunción. Bastida, Carmen Mir and Rosser (2019).
On this occasion, and for two months uninterruptedly, we will be able to enjoy theDavidelfín and other enfants terribles of fashion exhibition, as an unprecedented sample of the wonderful textile collection of the Antoni de Montpalau Foundation with 92 suits of great designers such Davidelfín, Luis Fortes , Vacas Flacas, Estanislao, Bibian Blue, Little Joe Couture, MTX Mertxe Hernández, Gori de Palma, ¡Ánimo, Valiente! and Palomo Spainamong others, pieces on loan from Alaska herself that she wore in some of her Fangoria concerts and wearable works of art from the 80s to the present day.
Curated by the director of the Antoni de Montpalau Foundation, Josep Casamartina i Parassols, and its curator, Ismael Núñez Muñoz, the exhibition begins with Luis Fortes, one of the most well-known and celebrated designers of the eighties in Barcelona, ??with daring proposals that even anticipated the ones that the French designer Thierry Mugler did shortly after.
The monographic part dedicated to Davidelfín occupies the entire first floor of Fundación Rocamora and brings together 65 pieces of clothing that review all the collections of the ill-fated designer, from 2001 to 2017, with very emblematic works along with dresses, coats and outfits, a selection of accessories such as bags and shoes are also included.
“Davidelfin and other enfants terribles of fashion, is a tribute from Barcelona to the brand that was consolidated in the alternative catwalk CIRCUIT, showing the evolution of a Davidelfin from the catwalk to the street with catwalk garments and capsule collections”, says the curator of the Antoni de Montpalau Foundation.
To accompany this tribute, a series of designers have also been chosen, specially those who like Davidelfín, have known how to break the rules of Fashion and that now occupy the ground floor of the Manuel Rocamora private cultural art foundation.
From Madrid in the 1990s, the Vacas Flacas duo, Carolina Azcona and Míriam Cobo, who provoke at the Cibeles Catwalk with their creations made of cloths, gloves, towels, socks, zippers or scarves, a good selection of which can be seen in the exhibition, among which a spectacular coat made with Barça scarves stands out.
Five Alaska show dresses, from her private collection, designed by Juan Pedro del Moral, better known by his brand Little Joe Couture, who for decades has been in charge of Fangoria's wardrobe and at the same time a member of the Nancys Rubias musical group.
Also from the 1990s, two pieces by Estanislao, creator of the well-known Eometricpattern-making method, and Bibian Blue, famous for her bodysuits worn by many international stars and one of Luis Fortes' most talented students. The exhibition includes one of her spectacular dresses with butterfly wings.
Mertxe Hernández, who created her MTX brand and opened a store in Barcelona's Born in 1997, from where she became known, even on an international scale, and from which some of the pieces she presented at the Cologne Fashion Days, made with polyamide stocking fabric.
Gori de Palma, another of the well-known enfants terribles who have worked in Barcelona and paraded in Moda Fad, Gaudí and Cibeles Fashion Week, some of his iconic pieces with military airs are also included.
¡Ánimo, Valiente! A Basque designer established in Barcelona who works with recycled jeans from a determined marginality.
And, as if all this was not enough, it closes the route of the terrible enfants with the today’s mediatic Palomo Spain, who has not only wanted to be included in this exhibition, but has also donated an emblematic piece to the textile collection of the Antoni de Montpalau foundation to be well represented. Are you going to miss it?
When? From February 6 to April 3, 2022, from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday and Saturday afternoons from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. How much? 5 euros the entrance p.p. Where? Fundación Rocamora, Calle Ballester 12, Barcelona.
Article written and translated by Clara De Nadal Trias.
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