The Bold Type

Spanish fashion brand Desigual is reinventing itself for a new generation of creativity and diversity

- Annah Fairservice

In mid-June we found ourselves barefoot on the beaches of Barcelona, wearing cocktail attire accessorised with headphones, ready to take part in a mass Suco session – a kind of silent disco meets mindful workout – alongside 1,200 other guests. The ultimate icebreaker (fashion events tend to steer on the side of serious), the unconventional experience provided a preview of what Spanish fashion brand Desigual had in store for its top secret event. Against the backdrop of the company’s seafront headquarters in the Catalonian city, next we were shown to our seats, where along with the unveiling of Desigual’s boundary-pushing new branding, we witnessed a dynamic catwalk presentation interspersed with eclectic dance acts in a dramatic showcase of the label’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection.

To cap off the night, rising Spanish R&B artist Aleesha came on stage for a live performance of her hit single Myself Again, a song created with Desigual along with producer Alizzz.

As Emirates Woman went on to learn, the epic event was just the beginning of the transformation of one of Spain’s most popular brands.

Making a business out of boho

Founded by Swiss designer Thomas Meyer in 1984, who remains with the brand to this day, Desigual was born in the El Raval neighbourhood of Barcelona with a plan to, “dress people, not bodies”. The label’s name stuck after famous Spanish filmmaker Isabel Coixet raved that the brand’s now iconic jean jacket crafted from scraps of vintage denim “is not igual, it’s desigual”, meaning “distinct” in Spanish. More than three decades later, the same jacket has been reinterpreted by new artists, Okuda and Spanish actor Jordi Mollá, who took to the catwalk to model the unisex pieces.