Leandro Cano brings Spanish craftsmanship and tradition to Paris

By

Triana Alonso

Published
Oct 1, 2019

Andalusian roots and highly original fashion were on show at the Spanish Embassy in Paris this season. That's nothing new for the Hôtel Wagram, situated on the French capital's Avenue George V, where, among Goya paintings and a special collection of rugs from the Real Fábrica de Tapices de Madrid, an exhibition organized by Spain's ACME (Asociación de Creadores de Moda España) is organized every year: "Made in Spain: la moda más allá de sus fronteras".This industry link has led the institution to welcome a range of runway shows, from the haute couture of YolanCris to Palomo Spain. And this season it was the turn of Leandro Cano. 

"It all began when I came to the embassy to present in collaboration with ACME and lots of other designers. And all of a sudden I asked myself 'why not do something individual here?'," explained Cano to FashionNetwork.com. Having gained the approval of the ambassador, the Andalusian designer decided to "endeavour to make a collection which took a lot of time, working together with artisans and artists," an initiative which, as Cano pointed out, produced something out of "another world," perhaps a natural result of having worked together all this time." 

The presentation was made up of a total of eight bodysuits, arranged around the embassy's different rooms in such a way as to encourage visitors to interact with the pieces in a dynamic way. Each one of the outfits was produced using traditional techniques and artisanal savoir-faire, with different styles and materials such as esparto, wool, ceramic, upholstery and embroidery. "The idea of the legacy that an artisan leaves to his son is the essence of this project," commented the designer as he explained that his intention was to preserve the traditional techniques used, including processes from Andalusia, Galicia, Madrid, La Rioja and the Basque Country. 

In terms of his business model, the designer stated that he feels more like himself with this kind of creative approach. "We have a new idea for the brand, which involves presenting artistic collections like this one and then channelling them into different commercial collections," explained Cano, pointing out that his other, more commercial collection, "Tarara," is also being shown in Paris this season.

For the moment, the plan of the Andalusian designer, who won Vogue's "Who's On Next" prize in 2017, seems to be working. "The collections are selling quite well," stated Cano, highlighting the strong performance of his brand's e-commerce channel in Spain, as well as in Paris and New York.