RIDIN’ PRETTY: CARLOTAOMS

Turns out, 080 Barcelona Fashion Week is home to several design duos. Having just been cool-schooled by Isometric, we move on to an exercise in “rendering the purely conceptual visible” with Elisabet Carlota and Elisenda Oms. Their label, CARLOTAOMS, aims to dress city dwellers for the everyday. Spring-summer 2016 collection is full of contrasting, competing ideas as any livable shared space: at once clean-cut and messy, monochrome and luminous, on-the-go and static. The always-welcome bicycling ethos made me reminisce about commuter couture by Venturist. And it’s not often that such a warm-glow yellow gets to lit up the runways in general and menswear in particular. Accessorized with messenger helmet-caps featuring phone straps, this straightforward offering could almost pass for “no frills.” Except there were frills and in some looks, lots of ‘em. The loose embroidery panels (while conceptually suitable) would’ve fit better in a home décor aisle. I can see them on a hallway wall as a reminder of bright urban complexities or as a mat for keys and other grab-before-exit essentials. However, nevermind my merchandising fantasies! CARLOTAOMS packed enough good ideas into these clothes to last more than a season!