After six years devoted exclusively to menswear, Jaime Álvarez, Mans’ creative director, decided he was ready for the next step: womenswear. It was a decision that came from requests from his own customers. “Especially in Spain, our audience consists of 95% women,” the designer explains. “It is very difficult to find women’s suits that are structurally on par with men’s suits. They never have plastrons or interlinings, which means the garments last less long and lack structure. This is something that you don’t often see in women’s clothing and that we respect here as much as possible.”
But customization is not the only attractive option her. Tulip dresses, minimalist designs with a 60s vibe and capes are some of the garments that gained fame this season. The designer explained that he was inspired by designers such as Cristobal Balenciaga, André Courrèges and Mary Quant. “We didn’t want to overdo them, so they are often very neat dresses, but with a high patina, like the pearl mesh that covers the wedding dress.” The result is a collection in which tailoring and femininity come together and in which textiles continue to play the leading role. “We used them to balance the feminine-masculine dynamics of the designs,” Álvarez added. “Experimenting with materials as different as wool or silk, but always with a refined twist.”
