Another young talent taking part in the upcoming Vejer Fashion Weekend, is Manuela Liñares with her project, Color Blind. Manuela is a perfect example of what we’re looking for at So Catchy! Where Fashion Begins, a designer who wants to innovate in the world of fashion, mixing technology with design through 3D printing and by researching new materials. She is, without a doubt, a designer that we’ll be following closely, and you should too. Be sure to check out her innovative project and the interview that she gave us below.
So Catchy!: Manuela, what brought you from the engineering world to the world of fashion?
Manuela Liñares: Since I was a child, I‘ve always had a great passion for the art world and for mathematics. In the beginning, I was drawn more to engineering and new technologies, but I never abandoned this creative part of myself. After finishing my degree in Systems Engineering and working for a few years in the field, I felt that I needed to do something with my love for design, so I decided to travel to Madrid to being a new stage of professional training, studying fashion design. I think the blend of the two disciplines gives me a different take on things in the world of fashion and adds a different touch to my work.
SC!: Tell us about the creative process behind your COLOR BLIND collection.
ML: With Color Blind, I wanted a collection that represented my identity as a designer. To achieve this, I thought up a project that would bring together art, technology and manual processes. I began to research the kinetic art that is scattered around my hometown of Caracas and found inspiration in artists like Jesús Soto and Carlos Cruz-Diez to create patterns that evoked this artistic movement. AS for the new technologies, I immersed myself in the world of 3D printing, creating pieces with ABS which, when embroidered to the patterns, would increase and accompany the visual effects, along with glasses to complete the looks, with handmade lenses. With the help of some professionals in the field, I also researched how to make knit garments, specifically Jacquard and Intarsia produced industrially and manually, which allowed my to expand my collection. To make the patterns, I took inspiration from the union of basic geometric shapes that allowed me to create clothes with clean, well-defined lines.
SC!: And how did you choose your colors and fabrics?
ML: After spending time researching kinetic art, I noticed that one of the resources that is most commonly used is the union of complementary colors to generate contrasts which produce visual effects. So, I decided to sue primary colors and their complements. To select the fabrics, I looked for something that brought together the basics, like poplin and cotton taffeta, with unconventional fabrics for fashion, different weights of neoprene, nylon and latex. For the knit garments, I used 12 gauge yarn made from cotton, merino wool and polyacrylic fiber.
SC!: Are there any other young designers that you admire?
ML: Noa Raviv, Kira Plastinina, Sasu Kauppi, Rocksanda, Mary Katrantzou, Alex Mattsson, Aitor Throup, Devon Halfnight Leflufy and Julien David.
SC!: Where do you find inspiration? What blogs, websites or Instagram accounts should we be following?
ML: I usually look for inspiration in the art world and technological innovation. I try to keep up on what’s happening in museums, galleries, tradeshows and I follow websites like Ted Talks. Some of the Instagrams I follow are @lazyoafs, @momoshowpalace, @id-magazine, @nowness, @heystudio, @jvdnieuwendijk, @esrarois.
SC!: What projects will you be working on next?
ML: I want to dig further into how to bring new technologies like Arduino and 3D printing to the world of fashion and how to use them to innovate in the sector. I also want to experiment with different ideas and, at the same time, continue studying new techniques.
SC!: Where would you like to be in 10 years?
ML: In ten years I’d like to have my own label, offering innovative products to the fields of fashion and product design.
Credits
Photos, designs and styling by Manuela Liñares. You can see more of her work on Instagram and Tumblr
Models: Shari Demas & Marta Urdanpilleta
Translation and Layout by Michael Padilla
