The colorful brand Desigual opens a new chapter with a collection of dosmilera aesthetics that revisits her legacy and connects her with the new generation. Her 40th anniversary commemorative parade featured an international front row, led by Paris Jackson, Ester Expósito and Greta Fernández.
From the singular to the mainstream. From the initial slogan ‘It’s not the same’ to the worldwide popular one ‘Life is cool’. From shabby for some to cool for others. It doesn’t matter what label Desigual is classified under, it all depends on the lens through which you look, but if something keeps the Catalan brand in the limelight it is its great capacity for reinvention and its groundbreaking spirit that reveals its own authenticity.
The rebellion in Desigual has nothing to do with punk; It is a kind transgression that is transmitted through a unique but wearable fashion that defends such universal values as freedom, diversity and optimism through color, patchwork, prints and arty messages. Faced with the dilemma of disappearing or rising, Desigual has always opted for the second option, metaphorically rising from its own ashes and emerging stronger thanks to its ingenious and creative attitude. Now, a new stage is approaching that is already bearing fruit: “We are back”, assured Thomas Meyer, CEO of Desigual, to Yo Dona.
Lights and reflections
Yesterday, Desigual demonstrated the good times it is going through with a grand celebration of its 40th anniversary, which culminated with the presentation of the ‘Reflections’ collection for next summer. “40 is a key date,” company representatives joked at a press breakfast. Thomas Meyer added the signature spark: “We must celebrate every day that we are alive and rise,” he said before the parade.
To achieve this, Desigual did not skimp on the staging, recalling its time of maximum splendor. He did it in his hometown, Barcelona, in front of its headquarters with views of the port and Barceloneta beach, and in the same location where the Copa América 2024 will take place. The stage lived up to expectations. All the details were designed to capture sunlight, from the glass mass of the W Barcelona hotel that marked the limits of the venue, to the iridescent ceiling lights installed by the brand, which attendees took advantage of to take photos.
The warm lights of the evening also illuminated the more than one hundred meter walkway, with mirrors lined up replicating the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea. The stage design, devised by Parisian studio Matière Noire, It connected the sea with the city, symbolizing the intertwined history of Desigual with Barcelona and reflecting the concept of ‘Reflections’.
An explosion of celebs
More than 400 guests arrived an hour before the show to show Desigual’s new image through the ‘Dress to Impress’ dresses from the summer collection. Among the VIPs to step onto the extensive yellow carpet – the vibrant corporate color – were supermodels Amelia Gray and Paris Jackson, daughter of the late king of pop. Paris did not feel comfortable with the evening lights and she covered her face in front of the press so she could see the cameras. “Paris, put on these sunglasses better,” she offered from Desigual. “No, thank you,” responded the most anticipated nepo baby of the date.
The actress and activist also attended Hari Nef, image of the latest Desigual campaigns. The one who shone with his own light was Ester Expósito, clad in a strapless tropical-inspired dress: “I want to feel like I’m in Cuba!” she joked to journalists. The actress was also present Greta Fernandez and the multifaceted Sita Abellán and Miranda Makaroff, known for connecting colorful rebellion with the artistic universe. Miranda, by the way, surprised with a black dress, far from her usual style: “Now she has given me sober colors,” she said before the parade.
Unite past, present and future
‘Reflections’ symbolizes a meeting point between the originality and creativity of Desigual’s origins and the progress that marks its future lines, based on the integration of technology and innovation in the creative process. The new collection is also conceived on demand, with a manufacturing process that is activated with the purchase. In its conception, the brand’s human team has used artificial intelligence tools to devise some key garments and accessories. “We cannot give up our roots or our identity, but fashion is change and you always have to bring something new without ceasing to be yourself,” Thomas Meyer explained to Yo Dona.
To capture this transition between tradition and the avant-garde, Desigual has revisited its historical archive, bringing to light iconic garments and giving them a new twist to adapt them to current tastes. With a two-thousand-era aesthetic, the SS25 collection shows garments that refer to the fashion of the beginning of the century, coinciding with a stage of expansion for the brand. Gradient dresses that fit the body like a second skin, along with airy models of athleisure inspiration, designs with Floral prints spring, sports tops combined with cargo pants that leave the navel – and beyond – exposed, woven in networks and metallic details.
There was no shortage of star garments that nod to Desigual’s heritage, such as the Hunter cowgirl that Thomas Meyer made from fragments of pants – and that his daughter Andrea wore. Techniques such as patchwork or superposition were also seen in this stylistic proposal under the creative direction of Helena Tejedor.
The beginning of a new stage
The commemorative ‘Reflections’ collection also represents the culmination of a rebranding and the crystallization of a new strategic repositioning which the company started in 2021 to attract Gen-Z, a new generation with purchasing power and a desire to have fun through fashion. In fact, the values of youth have always been in Desigual’s focus.
The journey began in 1984, under the vision of Thomas Meyer, who wanted to create fashion for people, not bodies. The first store established in Ibiza and the disruptive campaigns accompanied by guerrilla actions marked a unique style unprecedented until then in the Spanish fashion industry. Desigual achieved something that is difficult to treasure today: the public attention, to later become the brand that expresses a vision of free, optimistic and authentic fashion, linked to a Mediterranean spirit that unites people from all over the world.
Since then, Desigual has gone through different stages, between honey and ice, but if something remains intact it is its essence and its desire to innovate to continue being a relevant brand, especially for young people. This commitment has been expressed in multiple collaborations with artists such as Christian Lacroix, Stella Jean, Tyler McGillivary, Alphonse Maitrepierre or Collina Strada; international ambassadors such as Hari Nef or Nathy Peluso; on-demand sustainable collections supported by artificial intelligence; and irreverent campaigns on social networks that laugh at themselves, achieving a beneficial rebound effect. “Super unpopular opinion: I like Desigual’s clothes” or “At what point do I like Desigual’s clothes, holy cow?” expressed two tweets from anonymous users that confirm that something is changing at Desigual. Now, it’s cool again.
