Fucking Young: OTEYZA Spring/Summer 2023
OTEYZA presented their SS23 collection, “Air,” at the Ambassade D’espagne. The designers, Paul García de Oteyza and Caterina Pañeda, presented their collection exemplifying upon progression, sophistication and a message of freshness. The concept, “Street à Couture,” incorporated functionality with a pop of color and versatile rhythm. Garments featured raised collars, polo shirts, elongated fabrics and side slits. Lines are an intriguing aspect of this collection, as they signify OTEYZA’s contemporary feel in their unstructured shapes with larger volumed garments. A more urban atmosphere was encompassed to fully establish the feel for the collection.
OTEYZA has drawn great inspiration for this year’s collection from art, nature and culture. A key inspiration to “Air” was drawn from French painter Raoul Dufy, who was known for his colorful, decorative style. The various tones and the soft but strong lines of Dufy’s work is what mainly inclined OTEYZA to incorporate into their own designs. OTEYZA is contemporary, and the designs highlight this through their numerous influences.
Founded in 2012, the Spanish menswear collections are produced in their workshop in Madrid. OTEYZA additionally has received the “Protagonists of the Year” award, recognized by the prestigious media Moda.es. This year’s show featured a portion of select poses curated and directed by García de Oteyza, which was a key differentiating experience from other Paris Fashion Week presentations.
How was the turnout of the show today? How do you feel it went?
We’re really happy and really proud to be here again, back on the stage because it’s the sixth edition we’ve shown in Paris Fashion Week. But the first was just right before Covid in January and then we had to do our second edition digitally. So we’ve done way more for digital so to be back physically, it’s really amazing. I have goosebumps and everything and I’m really happy.
I wanted to ask about the theatrics. I have never seen a show where the designer was involved in styling on the stage!
Yes! That’s one of our trademarks, it’s important. It’s because normally designers don’t expose themselves in the show. We like to be exposed to feel that adrenaline to let the audience see how we work. Obviously, it is not possible to show everything, but normally designers like being backstage, but we’re not able to see the show. To do our performance we expose ourselves with all of the humility that we can. Not because we want to be exposed or not, but because we want to be generous with our audience and so they can feel how we work and share the moment with us.
What is your inspiration behind the collection?
We are always inspired by nature and art, by animals and little things by culture. We really want to reflect Spain with high craft, we really are the kings in high craft. So we really want to show a message of high craftsmanship, high tailoring.
