By Luis Miranda
It's been 14 years since Vistelacalle , Santiago's first mass media outlet specializing in fashion. It feels as if the site has always been with us, those of us who love the social, cultural, and historical phenomenon of fashion; it feels like its influence has extended over time and that its ability to always showcase new talent remains intact.
"We are very excited to confirm the return of in-person fashion shows," stated the invitation to the Fall Winter 2022 VisteLaCalle Catwalk. The event brought together enthusiasts, journalists, designers, academics, and an audience excited to discover the proposals of seven Chilean designers who made the "dream" of the invitation a reality.
For nearly half an hour, the designers' proposals followed one after another at the Bosque Luz event center. From the start, the audience accompanied the unfolding runway designed by Hugo Grisanti with cheers, applause, shouts of excitement, and celebratory whistles. The excitement overflowed among the attendees who witnessed the first in-person fashion show since the health emergency, and the truth is that the event was worth every single spontaneous applause that followed each proposal.
On the runway, we saw ordinary people. Models of hegemonic beauty? Something very out of fashion for VisteLaCalle. Those who showcased the designs of local designers were a bunch of ordinary people, from the street, a few digital influencers, all of different heights, sizes, and skin tones. An imitation of the diversity of the street on the runway, in a statement that deserves praise.
Tetrapunk opened the show, followed by Ente Upcycling and then Cora Design. Next came Kinder Loco, succeeded by Sr. González; Escuela El Taller was the penultimate offering, and Bernardo Santander was in charge of closing the night. Each of their collections will be reviewed now on Vístete Local.
Tetrapunk, exquisite psychedelia.
Designer Paz Bustamante made her runway debut with this collection. The brand specializes in prints and patterns, and for this debut, she created seven looks where neon and fluorescent colors were the absolute protagonists. An explosion of color that felt balanced despite being disruptive; the marbled prints in bold colors subverted the idea of a dull, gray winter with a wide variety of garments in just seven passes. Jackets, dresses, skirts, tops, and even accessories became instantly desirable pieces. A special mention goes to the hair and makeup designs, one of the best of the night.
Ente Upcycling, the reinvention of denim.
As the brand's name suggests, the label upcycles. That is, it salvages garments and scraps to give them a new life. The second show of the evening followed a more restricted chromatic framework than the rest of the offerings, where colors from the blue jeans range formed the palette. The garments alternated between commercial and editorial styles, with the commercial ones being the most successful. The denim pants in the second show, made with a patchwork design, must be a unique garment, but they have the potential to become a commercial hit.
Cora Design, we want to see more!
Designer Yessie Córdova drew inspiration from her "neighborhood, the people, the buildings, and the interculturality seen in Santiago" for her Fall Winter 2022 collection. In a range of just seven looks, the designer achieved her goal of infusing her runway with an urban feel. Across a wide spectrum of materials, silhouettes, colors, and garment types, the designer achieved an exquisite, coherent balance, with equal parts commercial and editorial flair. Each look was a logical evolution of the previous one, the runway editing a luxury, and the handling of color an exercise bordering on perfection. In my opinion, this was the best of the night, which is saying something considering everyone stood out.
Kinder Loco: Futuristic Haute Couture?
The intricacy of the pieces, the level of detail, and the impeccable construction are all understood when we say that the designer of this brand, Renato Provoste, is an industrial designer. Behind his proposal lies a meticulous study of materials that included unconventional raw materials such as PVC, rubber, and metals. The proposal was eccentric, perhaps difficult to achieve on the street, but what does it matter if he left us all speechless with a work that could easily be classified as haute couture, even though it didn't runway in Paris, didn't belong to the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, and didn't meet the other requirements to properly call his work such.
All the garments were handmade and took between one and three months to complete. Kinder Loco's vision is truly authentic; their "Astra" collection has futuristic reminiscences and nods to pop culture.
Mr. González, the maturity of a consecrated person.
Designer Cristián González presented his "15th Run," the nomenclature he uses to correlatively name his collections. The designer showcased his expertise and emphasized themes that have become part of his style as a designer: urban silhouettes, the presence of black, and dangling ties—these are themes we can already associate with his brand, and which were displayed naturally on this runway, unpretentious and with all his experience on display. The maturity of his collection didn't require much fanfare; rather, it was an exercise in deepening his aesthetic, with pieces with a commercial vocation. The inspiration behind this run was the city and its interculturality; the designer has been living in downtown Santiago for some time, whose movement was the leitmotif of the runway.
El Taller School, the vision of two creators.
Another runway debut. Designers Paulo Rodríguez and Francisca Schmidt both had their respective eponymous brands and recently teamed up to co-create...and together they are dynamite! The designers decided to combine their respective experiences and styles, and so Francisca's mastery of pattern making and Paulo's vocation for color and prints gave rise to one of the collections that most excited the audience at the VisteLaCalle Fall Winter 2022 Catwalk. El Taller's models walked in pairs, walked with great energy, and even danced on the runway, all very much in keeping with the colorful mood of their collection, whose prints were created by themselves. This first collection from the duo is a very good omen of what they can achieve together.
Bernardo Santander, elegance beyond reproach.
Designer Bernardo Santander showcased what he does best: elegant dresses. Sequins, rhinestones, beads, and lots of sparkle were the backdrop for his runway presentation. Santander demonstrated why celebrities choose him to wear his designs on the red carpet. His show was a celebration of the party, although the expression may seem redundant, an invitation to go out and enjoy some socializing after these difficult couple of years.
VisteLaCalle has—without a doubt or commentary to the contrary—marked a milestone in the Chilean fashion scene. Its influence on local fashion culture is also undeniable, and its quality as a breeding ground 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