A Spotlight on Andalusia at Paris Haute Couture Week
Miu’s review of Juana Martín’s “Pared de Cal” peers into the creator’s soul
Hi baby tee readers,
I’m blown away by Miu’s tightly written review of Juana Martín’s A/W ’24 couture collection, “Pared de Cal.” Martín made history as the first Spanish and Gitana woman to show at Paris Haute Couture Week back in July 2022 and this season she boldly integrated symbols of faith found in nature (fish) with the striking visuals of Andalusia’s Pueblos Blancos.
Miu’s research revealed that Saint Teresa (of Ávila), who is attributed a quote in the show notes as inspiration, is the patron saint of lacemakers, giving greater significance to the Chantilly lace and veils found throughout the collection.
“A wealth of Chantilly lace accented by shiny, silvered fruit drives home Martín’s point against binarity: purity and temptation walk parallel with each other, and for one to exist, so must the other.”
Miu dove into Andalusian culture, too, and pointed to their annual religious festival celebrating the Virgen del Carmen, to illustrate the tension between material needs and spiritual aspirations. Miu explains how it features prominently in Martín’s collection, in the designer’s quest to codify and represent her culture through haute couture.
For more of Miu’s couture show reviews, check out Daniel Roseberry Honors Schiaparelli’s Post-War History.
“Perhaps where Roseberry’s genius lies is in the decision to channel the 50’s, the exact decade the atelier had to close its doors after the roughages of WWII. Schiaparelli…”
