LCI Barcelona releases the teaser of its first virtual fashion show within the 080 Barcelona Fashion's OFF program

The last edition of the 080 Barcelona Fashion, scheduled for last June, was postponed due to COVID-19. Now, its organizers have decided to turn the Catalan fashion week into a 100% online event that opens today and will conclude on Thursday.

Taking advantage of this great showcase we present the teaser of "The future is a blank canvas", our first virtual fashion show with the final collections made by the students of the Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design. The preview shows the 12 best projects of the 2020 class, which in the face of the pandemic's challenges has been forced to reinvent themselves and reimagine the future.

Despite the constraints of the confinement and the new normality, a total of 38 students have been able to successfully complete their collections. Throughout the process they have had the advice and help of Gabriel Torres, project director of the Fashion area, and the tutors of Design, Pattern Making and Communication. Each of the presented proposals, composed of eight looks, reflect the spirit of the students and demonstrate their resilience to the complex current context.

The projects shown in the teaser, released within the 080 OFF program, have been selected by rating and are ordered alphabetically according to the students' surnames. In the coming months we will launch the complete video of the fashion show with all the collections in a great online event open to the public.

We have talked with Estel Vilaseca, head of the Fashion area, to get her impressions about the students' work and discover how they have lived this experience:

- What is your assessment of this class' final projects? What would you highlight about them?

As always, they are very personal collections with which the students look for themes and aspects of study that interest them especially. In general, the manual work stands out, both in the manipulation of the fabrics and in the design of the prints, as well as very special patterns and high quality finishes. It should also be noted how sustainability is becoming more and more important in each new class. This year there are students like Queralt Orriols, who has done a great job in the treatment of fabrics and details the elaboration time of each garment in their respective labels, or Helena Cáceres, who has made all her pieces with donations of details from textile companies in London. There are also very interesting projects at the pattern making level, such as those of Georgina Zamblau and Judit Itarte, and others that challenge gender conventions, such as that of Ricard Baldomà.

- How have the students experienced working on their collections during the confinement and having to finish them in the midst of the new normality?

We cannot deny that, although chronologically they have enjoyed more time, the uncertainty during the confinement had a different impact on each of the students. Some were able to concentrate and advance a lot from home (dyeing, printing, etc.), but others were nervous and could not progress with the prototypes, which they had already cut but could not take to sewing. To have finished their projects in such a special year is without a doubt a great feat, and I am sure that for them it will be important to have been able to close their academic stage with a complete collection.

"The future is a blank canvas" was filmed on the campus during three days

- How has the experience of organizing a virtual fashion show been?

Like all the first times, we have been learning as we go. It has been a challenge with a great ending for the students as well as for the staff and professors of the School who wanted to participate in this special experience. An online parade has less limitations than a physical one but, at the same time, it requires much more logistics and preparation. We need a week of pre-production, three days of production and several weeks of post-production. We also took the opportunity to photograph all the collections, since the goal was for each student to have a clip with his/her part of the show and an image book of his/her project. We thought it was a good way to thank them for their effort and dedication.

- What does it mean for LCI Barcelona that the teaser of "The future is a blank canvas" is screened within the 080 Barcelona Fashion?

For both the students and the School, it is important to be part of the city's fashion show, and more so in this new format to which we are betting everything due to the current situation. This is a great opportunity for them to show their visions and their pieces.

Congratulations to all of you, great work!

Keep an eye on our website and social networks to not miss the launch of the full video of the fashion show.