It obsessed the entire world in the 2000s and filled our lives with color and crazy designs. She coined the term “Customania” to refer to army of fans who only wanted to dress with the Catalan firm and he even customized planes a la Custo Barcelona. What happened to all that fame?
Custo Line: the germ that started it all
Many do not know the prior to Custo Barcelona. But back in the 1980s, a 20-year-old Custo decided to tour the United States on a motorcycle and ended up in California. Over there fell in love with the surf lifestyle, including graphic t-shirts. An idea that the Dalmau brothers imported to Spain with the creative vision and graphic design that have made history today.
Custo Line was a bombshell because it did not have any type of competition in Spain, much less in the men’s fashion departments. However, the lack of experience in production and distribution caused the firm to go bankrupt in 1996. Nothing happens: they already know the way.
La Customania: from Phoebe Buffay to Carrie Bradshaw
The two brothers do not give up and decide to try again to put their creative designs on the radar. fashion with Custo of Barcelona, which would later become Custo Barcelona. They return to California and they manage to sell their t-shirts in multi-brand stores of the Angels.
One of them was the favorite of Hollywood stylistswho became obsessed with prints and took them to friendsa sex in new york and even to Runaway Bridewith Julia Roberts wearing one of his shirts.
Now yes, the Customania arrives. The Catalan firm is invited to show at New York Fashion Week in 1997 (and hasn’t stopped doing it ever since) and the Dalmau brothers are crowned kings of fashion at an international level, if they even have Perrier by Custo Barcelona water bottles!
Custo Barcelona is different from the rest: the posh hippie loves it
A party of colours, graphics, prints and textures that have become its hallmark and that young people adore with all their hearts. That effect patchwork eclectic so psychedelic dresses a whole generation.
Nor does the firm allow others to prove its key to success so easily: in 2008 Custo denounced Desigual for plagiarism. It is clear: the 2000 are his, of the free spirit and of the posh girls with money who wear Custo Barcelona.
The return of minimalism makes a dent and Custo’s optimism has no place
Everything that goes up has to go down. The psychedelic fever of Custo Barcelona had replaced minimalism in fashion in Spain. Especially the men’s, who wore Fruit of the Loom basics like those that Zara has recovered. But the universe of trends is cyclical and the simplicity of the wardrobe is gaining strength againdisplacing the Custo and Desigual style to the wardrobe of the most eccentric.
The debacle of Custo Barcelona
With the loss of bellows and fans of the firm came the drop in sales and profits. The drama began Custo Dalmau entering the Treasury delinquent list several times, looking for buyers and financing and some losses and setbacks of millions of euros.
Custo Barcelona ended up selling its clothes at Lidl, reducing staff and closing some of its stores. flagships most iconic in Spain and the rest of the world. Today Custo Barcelona has moved to Italy, where tries to resurface in a market where menswear has much more pull and daring.
Photos | Gtres, Etsy, Friends, Runaway Bride.