Celebrity selfies, extravagant clothing, catwalks and parties at the 2015 Barcelona Fashion Week

Barcelona (ACN) – Nearly 40,000 fashion enthusiasts of all ages visited the Maritime Museum of Barcelona last week for the 15^th edition of the 080 Fashion week. The 4-day fashion event drew to a satisfying end after hosting shows from prestigious brands, with the likes of Desigual and Custo taking to the crowded catwalk. Most of the fun was found in the open area, with free refreshments and make-overs for all, thanks to a tagged Instagram post as the key to receiving these treats. As well as a host of celebrities and well-known fashion bloggers in the front rows, big names in the modelling world such as Jon Kortajarena and Andres Velencoso showcased the most popular collections for Autumn/Winter 2015.

A total of 39,800 people, including international media, fashion bloggers and the general public, attended the latest Barcelona fashion Week. This year, the 080 Barcelona Fashion official website racked up nearly 10,000 more visitors over the course of the event, than the last edition in July 2014, despite this year's edition being shorter. There are no clear indicators as to why this year's Fashion Week received such an influx of followers but its prevalence on social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, are largely responsible for this.

Fashion, art and freebies

The Maritime Museum of Barcelona may have initially seemed like an odd choice for Fashion Week, but it proved to be a perfectly elegant setting for the 4-day event. It provided a vast space for the open area, which contained the fashion and design pop-up market, swarming with over 40 Catalan designers over the four days. Some items were a little up-market but there was something there for everyone; vintage, classic tailored clothing, leather handbags, graphic tees and handmade wooden sunglasses. The open area also held the beautiful Celia Vela art exhibition and a live broadcast from the 080 TV channel. Young girls were seen queueing up to get their hair and make-up done by professionals from event contributors Redken and Mac, whilst both men and women opted for a free Moritz beer, once they uploaded a selfie beside the Moritz sign via Instagram; making sure to tag 080 Barcelona Fashion. Miquel Rodriguez, the production manager and his team clearly encouraged the use of social media to promote the week on a global level.

Ruven Afandor behind the scenes

Renowned photographer to the stars Ruven Afanador welcomed members of the public to take a look at the production of a real photo shoot. International actress and icon Rossy de Palma was the star of the live photo shoot, and passers by could witness make-up artists transforming her for the shoot. Afandor wanted to give the public a deeper insight into the world of fashion and photography and display all the elements needed to create a finished product. He was seen holding de Palma's hand and closely directing her before he worked his magic behind the camera.

Only the most prestigious models for 080

Jon Kortajarena, Andres Velencoso and Kristina Pimenova were amongst some of the most talked about names at this year's Fashion Week. Named the prettiest girl in the world, 9 year old Kristina Pimenova from Russia, was unable to model for the Catalan kids brand CND, due to a vital missing permit. Pimenova spent the duration of the show on the front row, as her fellow child models took to the catwalk without her. Many have criticised the young girl´s parents, speculating about the over-sexualisation of her previous shoots, thus, shining the spotlight on her and making her the talk of the event. Top Spanish models Jon Kortajarena and Andrés Velencoso modelled for Desigual on Tuesday 3^rd, one of the most anticipated collections. Velencoso took part in more catwalks, also modelling for the popular Custo.

The top dogs, Mango, Desigual and Custo

Mango was the star of the first night, receiving a standing ovation for their feminine bohemian collection. Desigual was the highlight of the second night, entertaining celebrities and fashion-lovers with a vibrant show and Custo earned the title of busiest crowd. Barcelona's own Desigual remained as anticipated as ever, with international models Jon Kortajarena and Andres Velencoso hitting the catwalk and dancing to the colourful soundtrack. Velencoso returned on the penultimate day as Custo presented its “Shake Before Use” collection. Before the models hit the catwalk, a host of celebrities were highly photographed, such as FC Barcelona player Dani Alves, Spanish Flamenco dancer Rafael Amargo and Danish presenter and journalist Alejandra Prat, to name a few. Alves donned some futuristic black eyewear, whilst Amargo wore an eye-catching abstract slip over; a nod to Custo's notorious use of colour. Amargo was quick to join in on the selfie phenomenon, by taking a snap with Alves and other familiar faces before the Custo show commenced. Whilst members of the public were lucky enough to get a pass for the event, some were not so lucky to find a seat for the anticipated fashion show, having to stand at the side with a restricted view.

080 Award winners: Isometric

There was a lot of talk about this year's 080 award, given that it is its first year with national status. The Generalitat of Catalonia 080 Barcelona Fashion National Award for Emergent Design was chosen by a jury of well-known fashion personalities: Ana Murillas, Fermin & Gilles, Silvia Viudas, Tucho Balado and Ilona Marx. Marx, the German Editor-in-Chief of JNC magazine, and chairperson of the jury, presented the award to the young duo Isometric, for their modern tailored menswear collection. Marx said their line has “the most avant-garde potential”, despite the other contenders being very good. These were Paul Erroz, Edgar Carrascal, and Rita Row. Jessica Montes Bonito and Joan Ros Gallofré, the minds behind Isometric, said their win was “unexpected” and struggled to stop smiling once their label was announced. The shocked designers sat down after receiving their award and had to take a moment to think over their win, not long before taking to their mobiles and sharing their great news with friends and family via social media. 

Sita Murt's presence

Fashion week made sure to provide a fitting tribute to the late Catalan designer Sita Murt, after her sudden death from cancer in December. Three of Murt's children were presented with a commemorative plaque. Murt's final collection -designed by her- was presented on the second day of Fashion week, her women's Autumn/Winter line contained beautiful, masculine-esque shapes and was well-received by the crowd. The Murt family aim to keep their mother's memory alive, through the continuation of the brand.

Justicia Ruano brings the event to an elegant end

Once the award ceremony drew to a close, it was time for Justicia Ruano to take centre stage and present the last of this year's A/W collections. Her beautiful, wearable line of elegant dresses with classic silhouettes provided an aesthetically pleasing conclusion to the week. Normally a more well-known brand is given the honour of closing the Fashion week, but her line was a fitting choice for the final evening.