The young designers of ESNE kick off MBFWMadrid FW23 with ‘Paranoia’

Fashion |In Pictures

Image of the Paranoia collection catwalk show, courtesy of ESNE

On Tuesday, the final year students of the Bachelor in fashion design at ESNE, University of Design and Technology with its campus in Madrid city centre, presented their creations on the Madrid Fashion Week runway.

With their collection, they inaugurated the 77th edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid (MBFWMadrid). Madrid's biggest biannual fashion event kicked off on Wednesday February 15 and concludes its FW23 programme on Sunday February 19.

Under the name "Paranoia", a total of 39 young designers from the design school showcased their work in a collective fashion show that took place against the backdrop of the historic Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid. A "space that evokes tradition and makes us reflect on the evolution of industrial processes in the world of fashion," the press release sent out by the school reads.

ESNE's Paranoia is based on 'uglyism', an artistic trend that aesthetically values what present day society views as ugly. The movement can be understood as a rupture with classical aesthetic canons and a revindication of traditional forms of fashion.

Image of the Paranoia collection catwalk show, courtesy of ESNE

Each of the students presented a total of three designs in which they expressed their point of view on current issues varying from mental illness, the consumption of narcotic substances or the aesthetics of the new urban tribes.

The end result is a conceptual presentation consisting of a wide variety of contrasting silhouettes. Students have created an imaginary landscape full of textures generated by experimental textile manipulations, combined with artisanal techniques such as natural dyeing processes, crochet or felting.

FashionUnited was able to talk to two of the ESNE students who participated in the fashion show. On behalf of their classmates, they shared all the details about how the design process leading up to the catwalk was for them, as well as their training period and what they think the fashion world will look like in the future.

An intense formative period: behind the scenes of Paranoia

Student Elisabeth Piqueres Soria was inspired by the effects of drugs in the work of Bryan Lewis Saunders. One of the pictures painted by the artist under the effects of various narcotics served as a visual reference in one of the looks she presented on the runway. In her designs, she has also taken the opportunity to capture, on the one hand, how those addicted to drugs feel and, on the other, the feeling of liberation that they sometimes trigger.

She explained that she and her classmates started working on this collection at the beginning of the academic year. This was when they took the first steps in their search for inspiration, references and their own identity. Once the students finished their moodboards, it was time to get to work designing the collection.

Her experience at ESNE has been very rewarding overall, she said. She told FashionUnited that the fashion show has been a great motivator for her and her fellow students, as they see it as the ideal way to showcase themselves professionally to the world of fashion design.

Image of the Paranoia collection catwalk show, courtesy of ESNE

She emphasises that her studies have been tough, which have been very intense. The degree she is pursuing is a very comprehensive one. It has required her to acquire knowledge in fields as diverse as fashion legislation, marketing, industry. We have "not only [learned] to design, but everything there is behind a collection, which is more than just basic sketches".

In addition to technical knowledge, her fellow student Claudia Pintados Morales emphasised that during this stage she has learned "that in the world of fashion we all have our place, that there is not one designer who is the same as another and that we are all valued for our uniqueness."

Backstage image of the Paranoia fashion show by ESNE, courtesy of Claudia Pintados Morales. Details of one of her looks.

For her collection, which is based on the shared concept of ugliness, she has been inspired by body deformities, dysmorphia and eating disorders.

""I wanted to shine a light on all those people who suffer in silence, to create a space to explore an issue that often goes unnoticed. In my designs, I wanted to reflect this through what I love the most, textile experimentation and textures", Claudia explained.

In this case, the choice of materials was a very important factor in the development of the collection. After endless tests and months of experimenting, she decided to incorporate circular volumes of different sizes, "because these are what personally bring me back to the original design concept", she said.

Lace, quilting and the colour white are of great importance in the designs. "After a year of preparation and work, I can proudly say that I have finally created my first collection and that I am delighted with the result," she told FashionUnited.

Backstage image of the Paranoia fashion show by ESNE, courtesy of Claudia Pintados Morales.

Claudia said she wants to pursue a career in textiles and Elisabeth wants to explore the world of fashion management, styling, consultancy, trends... to get to know the world of fashion little by little. Two very different career paths that underline the versatility of what working in the fashion world can mean.