Palomo Spain returns to New York with 'The Closet'

‘The Closet’ by Palomo Spain is an introspective conversation with our childhood self. An Alejandro who discovers for the first time a very powerful connection with beauty that he will analyse from a very early age with a privileged sensibility, the characteristic trait that will define his peculiar vision of men’s fashion.

Back in the great city of New York, Palomo has presented his AW23 collection after an aesthetic enquiry into a stage of his childhood in which the designer contextualises the first layers of personality formation and the first interactions with clothing, which often arises from the furtive exploration of our mother’s wardrobe.

The Palomo boy unwittingly experiments with the barriers of gender conventionality as he plays with towels, silk scarves, duvets, blankets and other household items to construct an elevated self-image that flirts with the queer. Meanwhile, what were once the initiatory images of a “primitive” Palomo look will eventually be professionalised to a new level of sophistication.

The drama and aesthetic grandiloquence that characterises the designer’s work, present in voluminous pieces in the form of coats reminiscent of cocoons created from the quilt of the house of a very young creative, coexist with simpler pieces that correspond to the more street exercise of the house.

With vivid colours that transport us to a gay Alice in Wonderland, a delicate work with drapes in tops and long dresses that the styling, in charge of Alicia Padrón, is combined with fine mesh t-shirts, blouses made with vortexes of fabrics in floral prints, knitted scarves with rustic reminiscences and mini skirts of (artificial) hair that lengthen the model’s figure, bringing a new (even more) fashionista breath to the designer’s proposal.

As for accessories, Palomo brings back the house’s most representative silhouettes, giving them new colours (in the case of the ‘Castellana’ briefcase bag) and adding to our wishlist a selection of high-heeled shoes in loafer, ankle boot and boot versions, which contrast with other models by Puma, Palomo‘s most recent collaborator.

In her most sparkling side, she dazzles us with Swarovski crystal pieces sprinkled throughout the collection. An exercise that culminates with jewellery from the brand’s new collection, which has already become her best ally.

The beauty look accompanies ‘The Closet’ with a naive aesthetic of soft and cheerful tones. A proposal directed by Marcelo Gutierrez’s team for M.A.C. Cosmetics. The hair-styling, by Sebastian Professional with Shay Dempsey and Anthony Cole at the helm, reminded us of the tousled looks of a teenager just out of bed, contributing to the perfect understanding of the inspiration behind Alejandro‘s proposal. The headdresses, by Ruslan Baginskiy, are inspired by genderless fun and childhood memories: putting a pillow on your head, making a towel cape, appropriating shapes and materials around you…

“We created five unique styles in fourteen different colours and materials for the Palomo Spain collection. The light-hearted idea of the collection has been refreshing in the harsh reality in which we live and create, reminding us of the innocent and sincere, the nostalgic and pure. Overall, there has been a very kindred spirit in working with the PS team as we share many common values,” says Ruslan.