One of Loverboy’s favourite things about moving to Barcelona has been discovering it’s burgeoning fashion scene – and realising that it has always been major!! But besides the models, clothes and designers there has been someone else that has been catching our eye at 080 Barcelona Fashion Week and that is the handsome fashion reporter Rafael Muñoz.
Rafael! Hola! Where are you right now? What can you see?
Hello! Well, you caught me in the middle of writing about Seoul Fashion Week! I’m just watching the live streams online. But if I look out my window I can see el Pirulí, here in Madrid.
For those discovering you for the first time, tell us what you do.
I write about Fashion for the Culture section of RTVE.ES, so this means going to fashion shows, exhibitions, interviewing people – yesterday I interviewed Dominnico & Rubén Galarreta! Who do I want to interview most? I’m still holding out to speak with Sybilla and Antonio Alvarado in conversation together. Both played a huge part in Spanish fashion in the 80s and both continue to do so.
I’m mostly interested in men’s fashion. I’ve loved all the shows this year. Paris continues to fascinate me. I also enjoyed MBFW Madrid and 080 Barcelona Fashion. I have lots of other things on the go at the moment – when they’re finished, you’ll be the first to know!
Talking of mens’ fahion, what do you see being big trends this summer?
A shy minimalism, comfortable garments, summer textiles and very quiet colours – browns, blues, vanilla…I love the fashion for this spring! But for this summer I’m sticking with collections from Christophe Lemaire (I love him), You Must Create and I’m crazy about Oteyza, Garcia Madrid and Two Studio.
You have worked at RTVE since 1995. What were you wearing back then?
Haha…I remember it perfectly! I had just come back from Miami and was wearing wide linen plaid trousers with a white shirt from Antonio Miró. I love the 90s. My favourite designers were Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Romeo Gigli, Amaya Arzuaga, Antonio Miró. I like the minimalism of those years and I think my wardrobe has barely evolved since! From the 90s I would still wear everything, especially the collections of Chu Uroz for Armand Basi and Marithé François Girbaud and Closed. I still hang on to my John Galliano t-shirts from back then…
And what about before that? Who were your style icons when you were a teenager?
Well, right now I love Stephano Pilati & Tilda Swinton. But back then I liked Manuel Piña, Sybilla, Antonio Alvarado from the world of fashion. When it comes to an icon, it has to be Sybilla, without a doubt. For me, her work was and is like poetry. I’m also a massive cinephile. I love all different types of film but for my favourites I’m going to say Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in Notorious, and also Gilda and Rebecca. The classics, right? When it comes to music I love flamenco in general. But I also love Madonna, I have everything by Soul II Soul and of course Fangoria. I am a huge fan!
Fangoria came from La Movida, right? That period of punk after the end of Franco’s dictatorship in the 80s. The influence from this time is still just as relevant to Spain’s fashion today as it was back then.
La Movida will always be a constant theme in Spanish fashion. The 80s were a lot of fun and in Spain there was this idea of doing things differently. Fashion, music, film, art…it was all connected and the result was wonderful. Now there’s talk of a Re-Movida but it’s not the same. Right now there is Rosalía, who is a goddess, but I think we continue to live off the nostalgia and memories of years gone by. We continually live in the past.
Speaking of the past, Spain has not been one of the countries most associated with high fashion, right?
On the contrary. Balenciaga, Pertegaz and Elio Berhanyer were very important and well known all over the world. Pertegaz was even offered the opportunity to succeed Christian Dior! And then there’s Sybilla and Antonio Miró, who are wonderful and have come a long way! There’s also Camper, one of the world’s most recognised footwear brands. Spain has always been a benchmark in fashion but here we do not appreciate it!
I was going to add that in contrast, it feels like Spain is really changing in terms of fashion and becoming a major contender. How would you describe contemporary Spanish fashion?
Right now there are lots of interesting people on the scene. Palomo Spain, Dominnico and ManéMané, Brain&Beast are really making waves. There are other excellent womenswear designers like Teresa Helbig and Juan Vidal. For menswear Oteyza & Mans Concept Menswear are incredible. Two very different but great styles.
Who are your favourite designers outside of Spain?
I think I have answered this one already. But I should add Martin Margiela and Dries Van Noten to the list. I love them.
One designer who recently passed away was Karl Lagerfeld. We’ve seen a lot of documentaries about icons that are no longer with us, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, McQueen, and a lot tend to focus on the subject’s ‘scandals’. Do you think a Karl doc will be in the works and would it be positive or negative?
Look, I was horrified by those documentaries on Amy & Whitney because they focused on the saddest part, their miseries. I liked the McQueen film because it was done really well, although it did focus on his darker side too. Amy, Whitney and Lee were stars, major artists and their legacy has to be more than just their personal lives. That’s my opinion. I’m sure a film will be made about Karl and I hope it will add value to his work. He was an exceptional man!
And I saw Spain’s Penélope Cruz recently walked for Karl’s posthumous-Chanel show. She’s someone who seems to be more popular outside of Spain. Is that fair to say?
I love Penélope Cruz. I have been fortunate enough to interview her on several occasions and she is a beautiful woman, a great actress (as seen in ‘Don’t Move’, ‘Elegy’ and ‘Volver.’ ‘Dolor y Gloria’ is fabulous too). There is a lot of envy in this country. Penélope is a great actress and Isabel Coixet is a great director, neither get the recognition they deserve. I loved seeing Penélope at the Chanel show. She’s a fantastic ambassador!
One of our favourite things about Spain is its music. Who do you listen to?
At the moment I am listening to Rosalía and Fangoria, but also Estrella Morente, Remedios Amaya, Amaral, Depeche Mode, Beyoncé, Bunbury, Cardi B, Britney, Dorian, Luz Casal, María Dolores Pradera and of course Rocío Jurado. She keeps me company when I travel!
Yes, Queen Rocío! We love her, Pantoja, Massiel and all the classic Spanish divas. Who is your favourite and which song?
Rocío!! I adore her. I interviewed her many times and she was, and is, the greatest! What a voice she had, it was pure art. You have to listen to all her records, from ‘Que no daría yo’ a ‘Señora’, from the hits to the big ballads. Everything! But I love Massiel too. ‘Rosas en el mar’ and ‘Más fuerte’ are my favourites. Ah, and also María Jiménez, who is also great. La Pantoja does not do much for me, although the album ‘Marinero De Luces’ has some real tunes on it.
Finally, we are named after the infamous ‘Loverboy’ by Mariah Carey. What is your favourite Mariah song?
‘Without you’ will always be a tune, and also ‘When You Believe’ with Whitney Houston. If we are talking about divas, Mariah is a huge diva! She should be walking for Victoria’s Secret!
