Feb 23, 2015

The Man Behind Custo Barcelona


Last Wednesday night I had the great pleasure to meet and interview Custo Dalmau, one of the designers of Custo Barcelona. He arrived in Miami for the grand opening of his new store in Dadeland Mall, after showcasing his new Fall line on Sunday in New York Fashion Week. Due to unforeseen circumstances the event was moved to his Lincoln Road location where I was able to meet and interview him.

He is a kind, eloquent and cultured man, along side of being extremely artistic and enthusiastic about his brand. We originally did the interview in Spanish, being that he is from Spain and I speak spanish it only seemed natural. I have translated the interview down below and have also posted the original in spanish.


Interview Questions with Custo Dalmau

1.     I know that you were first influenced by Californian surfers to begin your company but what are some things that inspire your collections today?

"What inspires us is our identity, which is based on the function of color in the world of graphics and the materials. It has been 34 years that this has been the DNA of our collections. So basically what inspires us is the challenge of each collection to remain the same as our consumers. For them to identify the brand without having to see the tag. To be the same but in a new, refreshing and attractive way." 

2.     What was your initial reaction once you began to become involved in the fashion industry?

"We started in the industry playing, we didn't know exactly what fashion was. We began by experimenting with graphic designs on t-shirts. 34 years ago graphic t-shirts were not as they are today, they were exotic. How old are you? You weren't even born? -"No I am only 24 (haha)" Well imagine 34 years ago graphic t-shirts didn't exist. So we did collections of graphic t-shirts that caught stores attentions as a new and exotic product. Then we noticed that we had potential and in 34 years we have surpassed just doing graphic t-shirts, even though they are still a great part of the collection we created full looks for men, women and now children. Since 34 years have passed we have learned about fashion by practicing, we never studied fashion. Our beginnings were not easy but they were not difficult. Things really took off." 

3.     What were some major obstacles you had to overcome with your brand?

"Let's see, fashion now a days is a very complex industry because you are obligated to market your product globally. It is hard to live off a local market. Because the great fashion industry is dominated by large multinational companies whom each day keep gaining a greater margin of the market, so it is very difficult to live off a local market. The complexity lies in the fact that since we can not live on a local market we must have a larger range of action and that complicates our work because not only do we have to be creative but we have to be able to strategize the market and and the logistics. Things get complicated, that is the hardest part of this business."

4.     What made you expand in opening an other store in Miami?

"Well Miami is becoming an important city for us, separate from the fact that it is an important city for the United States, I believe it to be the virtual capital for Latin America. Our product is recognized in Latin America and the presence of our brand in Miami is very important to us. We don't believe just having one store is sufficient. Now we are going to open our second store in Dadeland and if things go well we will continue to open more."


5.     What new things can we expect are coming for the future of Custo Barcelona?

"Last Sunday we showcased the collection in New York, the fall winter collection which was inspired as always by our DNA but we had to some reinvent ourselves, by creating a new Custo. The start of the collection was the classic wintry look with the esthetic of black and white squares that began to mix in with the ethnic and colorful prints because the objective is to create a contemporary language. This was what we showcased on Sunday, which in all honesty we were quite happy how everything turned out perfectly, just how we had planned it. We also believe it was a step forward in our DNA because as well as reinventing our brand we have given it a sense of sophistication and refinement."


Las Preguntas de la Intrevista con Custo Dalmau

1. Se que cuando usted empezo su compania fue influenciado por los surfers de California. Hoy en dia que cosas lo inspira para crear sus collections?

"Nos inspira nuestra identidad que es una identidad que esta basada en la función del color del mundo gráfico y de los materiales. Desde hace 34 años que esta es la ADN de nuestro proyecto, entonces lo que nos inspira es el reto de que en cada colección es ser los mismos que nuestro consumidor. Que identifiquen el producto sin necesidad de leer el nombre en la etiqueta. Ser los mismos en un modo nuevo, refrescante y atractivo."

2. Cual fue su primera reaction cuando empezo a realizarce en la industria de la moda?

"Nosotros entramos en la industria de la moda jugando, no sabíamos exactamente lo que era la moda.  Entramos experimentando diseño grafico sobre camisatas. Hace 34 años camisetas gráficas no es como hoy, era un producto muy exótico. Tu que edad tienes? Tu ni habías nacido. "No solo tengo 24 años..(jaja)" Bueno imaginase, hace 34 años camisetas gráficas no existían. Bueno, nosotros hicimos unas colecciones de camisetas gráficas que las tiendas de moda se interesaron como producto exótico, como producto nuevo. Entonces nos dimos cuenta de que había potencial y en 34 años hemos pasado de hacer camiseta gráficas que siguen existiendo en la colección a otras lineas de producto hasta tener un look completo para hombre, para mujer y para niños. Pero han pasado 34 años, entonces si hemos aprendido la moda ha sido practicando, no hemos estudiado nunca la moda.  Los comienzos no fueron faciales pero no fueron difíciles. Empezó la cosa a funcionar enseguida."

3. Cuales fueron gran obstaculos que tubo que superrar con su compagina?

"Haber la moda hoy en día diría que es una industria muy compleja porque estas obligado a plantear tu producto globalmente, es decir es muy difícil que puedas vivir de un mercado local. Porque el gran mercado de la moda esta dominado por grandes empresas multinacionales que van cada vez ganando mas cuota de mercado entonces es muy difícil que puedas vivir de un mercado local. La complejidad existe porque como no puedes vivir de un mercado local estas obligado de tener un radio de acción muy grande, y eso complica tu trabajo porque aparte de ser creativo tienes ser un estratega de mercado y estratega de logística. La cosa se complica, eso es la parte mas complicada de este negocio."

4. Que fue lo que lo hizo deciders a habrir otro almacen in Miami?

"Bueno Miami se esta convirtiendo una cuidad important para nosotros, aparte de ser  una cuidad importante dentro de los Estado Unidos, es yo creo la capital virtual de Latino America. Bueno nuestro producto es reconocido en America Latina y nuestra presencia de nuestra marca en Miami es muy importante para nosotros y con una tienda pensamos que no es suficiente. Ahora vamos abrir la segunda en Dadeland y si las cosas van bien vamos a seguir abriendo mas."

5. Que cosas nuevas podremos esperar ver en el futuro de Custo Barcelona?

"El domingo pasado presentamos la colección en Nueva York, presentamos la colección para el próximo otoño invierno que era una colección como siempre inspirada en nuestro ADN pero que de alguna manera teníamos darle un giro de para re-inventarnos y bueno hemos tratado de crear un nuevo Custo que el punto de partida es lo clásico invernal, hay una estética gráfica que se apoya mucho en los tartanes, en los cuadros blancos y negros pero que luego se va mezclando con lo étnico y colorista porque el objetivo es crear un lenguaje contemporáneo. Entonces esto es lo que hemos preparado en la ultima presentación del domingo, que la verdad es que estamos muy satisfecho porque salió todo perfecto, tal como queríamos nosotros y pensamos que ha sido un paso adelante en nuestro ADN porque aparte de renovarlo creo que le hemos dado un giro hacia la sofisticación y el refinamiento."

After the interview a private event began people were able to mix and mingle alongside the well known designer. After that night and seeing the Fall collection online I am extremely excited for all the new things to come from Custo Barcelona.

xoxo,
V











Top: LOFT
Pleather Midi Skirt: Zara
Booties: Steve Madden 



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