When designer Alejandra Alonso Rojas was researching venues for her New York Fashion Week spring show, she toured the New-York Historical Society on the Upper West Side—and was instantly drawn to the giant Picasso painting inside it, titled Le Tricorne. “It’s inspired by Andalusia, which so happens to be the theme of my whole collection,” said Rojas. It was a sign: The designer ended up showing in the grand building today, with the Picasso serving as the backdrop of her new runway assortment, all dedicated to highlighting Spanish culture and craftsmanship.
While Rojas’s signature dresses always pay homage to her native country in some way, the new spring offering zeroed in on the unique color palette of Andalusia, including lemon yellows, dusty blues, and rosé pinks. She also felt drawn to the more soft, fluid silhouettes that many women wear in the region: “the construction of their dresses, and how fluidly they move.” You could certainly see that in one of her opening dresses, a bright-yellow chiffon number with big flowers along the left shoulder. “All our our flowers were handmade in the garment district,” said Rojas. There was also a sense of ease and movement in her silky champagne-colored suit, paired with bra tops and espadrilles that were crocheted and hand-painted in Menorca.
Given that the line was a love letter to Andalusia, Rojas also wanted to capture the unique handwork artisans do in the region. “It’s an area of Spain that has a lot of craftsmanship, especially with laces and embroideries,” said Rojas. “Over the summer I met these women from Galicia, and they do one of the oldest lace [styles] in the world, called Camariñas.” Their lacework—which is done by hand, using bobbins and pins—was applied as front panels onto Rojas’s silky shift dresses, an elegant fusion of the old with the modern. Broderie anglaise, a needlework technique, was also applied as trim on her fitted corset tops.
The national flower of Spain, red carnations, appeared as prints on the designer’s ruffled white skirts and halter-style minidresses. The graphic print was achieved by stamping flowers with acrylic paint onto her fabrics, then printing it. In a sea of different inspirations and references during Fashion Week, Rojas’s commitment to highlighting her own roots remains a sweet constant.
