SANTANDER DESIGN RUNWAY 2026: SCARCE THOUGHTS TRANSFORMED THROUGH NOSTALGIA INTO COMMERCIAL GARMENTS
Photo by Juan Amieva
A big step was made in the city of Santander on May 23rd for the incipient fashion industry that is growing out of there. After 10 years of Cesine Fashion Shows, the annual event that serves as a presentation of the new talents that are coming out of CESINE Centro Universitario steps its game up. Collaboration is the main thing that students have to take into account to develop a strong and desirable collection, so the university has decided to partner with Adarsa Mercedes-Benz to elevate the concept of the event and have more resources to invest into a greater way to show the collections to the world. A new identity that is projected to become one of the main catwalks of the North of Spain in the near future, a representation of what the Bay of Biscay has to offer to the world of fashion.
A new editorial line that can be pushed to the max in upcoming editions with more partnerships (and even the creation of prizes for the students and for alumni, just dropping ideas out here for the people in charge of everything, let’s make it happen). There was an array of collections, from students that are graduating this year or that are in second and third year to alumni from the Class of 2025 that have had industry development throughout the year (CABERO, utahia and rraguez).
A sense of commerciality flooded the catwalk, where the difficult times we are experiencing are evident. Students' proposals are becoming less effective and visceral due to the difficult experience that is entering into a saturated job market post-graduation. Building a technical portfolio is considered more important to the new generation than creativity. As a past student, I applaud them for such a radical decision, but I would like to see something more, take the proposals to the next level with new silhouettes or social commentaries that can be present through the music curation or the casting used (something I saw in the collections of previous years).While glimpses of unconventionality can make a collection stand out on the international scene, we cannot expect international press coverage if some collections feel conceptually and tactilely like a missed opportunity.
This year was so special to me, because I was one of the lecturers (first time doing the job and I absolutely love it) that was in charge of giving a little push into the conceptual research via a course where the focus was to understand the Current Fashion Environment. I've seen the ideas grow from the first weeks of thinking and I'm clear on which proposals have evolved correctly, so here are my favorite collections out of the students that are graduating this year (five picks out of the eleven that were presented):
“Bruk-out” by Laura Fernández de Bobadilla Rodríguez
A proposal that is raw and sensible to the current urban scene of the country. Her creations revolve around the idea of creating a neighborhood spot in the summer that transforms into a trendy sound system party. It feels transgressive in a stagnant city like Santander, but at the end of the day, just the youth can change the image of a city from its core. It could be much more radical, but as I said in the introduction, comfortability was such a big theme this year. The soundtrack was eclectic mixing rhythms from Leiti Sene and Tego Calderon to ROSALÍA; a representation of the Caribbean imagery that was presented throughout the sketchbook and translated into a contemporary music palette. Ana Quesada (or Joga Bonito Jewelry) killed it in the accessories department, giving life to metallic forms transforming them into speakers with subliminal messages on them. Colors, attitude and a curated stylistic choice, putting pieces of her personal wardrobe into the models. Definitely, “On theme pero reinterpretándolo” as ROSALÍA said to the press at the MET Gala where she wore a Givenchy custom look by Matthew M. Williams.
“Regina Coeli” by RoRe of Marina Rojas Reija
It was a storytelling experience, a construction of a desirable buyer. We can see how different pieces can become part of the wardrobes of hundreds of people; But you might wonder what will make this proposal special. Well, for me is the casting supremacy over the rest of the collections (at the end of the day, she is not inventing anything new, just beautiful girls in good ass looking clothes). There was a sort of an underwhelming reveal at the beginning and chunky jewelry over the leopard mesh, but overall for me as a viable and commercial project it works. Silhouettes that makes us feel the power of the person wearing them from a mile away and like Nicki Minaj reminded us in the introduction, you need to be a bitch to navigate through a lot of industries (so you better be perceived through the right clothing). RORE can become the new favorite wardrobe of your favorite influencer or figure with power, but the real question is, how is she going to communicate with the right audience? Because certainly the selling point is going to be all about the presentation, so let’s see how she develops it, wanting more at the moment.
“Cavada” by ASC Studio of Soraya Arce Cavada
An ode to family and tradition, a feminine point of view to the place that let her be. A need for womenswear designers in the industry is tangible, so it is interesting to see how a proposal about empowerment can be expressed through a non-normative casting. There is a sense of connection between traditional and contemporary garments in the music in itself, the work of DELLAFUENTE has been always about sharing how he is inspired by the impact that relationships have in our lives (so it’s literally a match with the themes that the designer is trying to explore). I really appreciate all the handwork that was put into each creation, but I would like to see it even more (or reinterpreted in new ways, because in the case of bags; there was a feeling that it was work I'd seen before, and that's the last feeling you want to evoke to a graduate fashion show viewer). Distilled classic silhouettes that make the commercial side of her design fly free, I want to applaud the use of blue to shake things off.
“SYLA” by Miguel San Sebastián Sámano
What does it take to create an artistic movement from the periphery? That is the lore that the designer is trying to express, how we can support our own local artists in ways that feel productive and efficient to them. His vision about fashion is limited due to his lack of experience sewing and pattern-making, but his take on upcycling and rethinking clothes that are discarded by others. From Torrelavega to the world, his proposal is simple, let him alter your clothes by stamping his personal artistic mark, which can be seen in his paintings. There is a lack of chunky brush strokes that kills my nerves, but I do think that one pair of pants are really cute, the idea of stain in the workspace crossed my mind while seeing them. I just have a question, do we need boys on this specific runway, if the girls are standing out through their diversification of attitude and personal styling? Surprisingly, I want more womenswear from him.
“Max & More” by Clara Trisac of Clara Fernández Souto
There is a complicated idea behind the work of this Galician designer that I want to focus on, what is maximalism in today’s age? How can we implement into our outfits maximalists ideas without compromising our confidence? There is a need for an interview here with the designer, but I was mesmerized by the solidity of this proposal. The use of pink as her own obsession, that can be linked to the vision that society has on femininity, but at the same time, I had a feeling of empowerment through the norm (creating with the codes that are known to transform people¡s way of thinking). With an array of silhouettes that can be wear by women from different age groups, rethinking what is inclusive in an industry where women can be constantly reviled. The use of that specific print give cohesion to the whole collection, but I admired the juxtaposition of texture and volume to create a concrete focus. A path of comfort and sophistication through a demure styling with a touch of reality that position the collection as one of the most desirables and commercially valuable to buy.
Words by @alraco43
Photos Lookbook by Álvaro Morcillo