They do it with Custo

The founder of an avant-garde fashion label makes a fleeting visit to check on the progress of his Dubai store. I-Cheng Chan reports

Be warned: This is not a brand for the faint hearted. Custo Barcelona is a label that makes all others look dull by comparison.

To fully appreciate the Custo experience, cast aside any previously held beliefs of what you understood fashion to be and open your mind.

It cannot be denied: When I first saw the clothing I was dumbfounded.

Rules broken
The brothers - Custodio and David Dalmau - behind the range have broken all the rules.

Their trademark mix of patterns, clash of multiple colours and use of wildly contrasting materials all add up to a fashion faux pas ... or so you might think.

But Custodio Dalmau, visiting Dubai last week, gives a different interpretation, describing it as a "balance between colour, graphics and style".

Visit
Aged 48, Dalmau is a man who works hard and plays hard. We meet at his store in Emirates Towers as he visits Dubai for little over 24 hours in between opening a new outlet in Moscow and flying to Paris.

The first thing he does is to change out of one Custo Barcelona t-shirt into another, all for the interview.

I take the opportunity to soak up the whitewashed shop, which has a kaleidoscope of colour provided by clothes on rails and tops that are neatly folded and stacked in cube shelving. Everything is pristine and bright. I can't help but feel a touch drab by comparison.

Imagination
Dalmau returns, his toned torso carrying off a tight-fitting t-shirt as it should be worn.

As he talks about his designs and inspiration you can see, despite the wacky outfits that display an imagination with abandon, Dalmau takes his work
seriously.

He began in fashion by setting up a company with his brother in their home city of Barcelona in 1980, and went on to launch Custo Barcelona in 1996. A year later they showed their new collection at New York Fashion Week which proved a launch pad for success on a global scale.

The celeb link
Their clothes were used in the sitcom Friends, and stylists and wardrobe designers in film and television also made use of the striking brand.

It wasn't long before Custo Barcelona made it into the wardrobes of celebrities, such as Julia Roberts and David Beckham, providing maximum exposure and rapid expansion.

Visual
Dalmau says: "When we arrived in the American market, the main current in fashion was minimalism and our project is very visual and colourful.

"Hollywood started using our products and many celebrities began wearing our clothes, which is a big reference in the market and was a main change in the growth of the company."

The brand favours stretch materials for comfort and because it "makes the woman very sensual".

Understanding colour
Bold use of high-tech digital prints, holographic sequins and elaborate beading appeals to the young in spirit and those keen to express their individuality. Most of all, Custo Barcelona speaks to those who understand colour, says Dalmau.

"Colour and sun are very related. In the areas of the planet where you have more sun, people understand colour more, but in the areas where sun is not so common, people wear more plain colours, like black, brown and grey."

I glance guiltily at my dark brown skirt from England.

Design
Inspired by the likes of painters such as Matisse and Gauguin, the brothers and two assistants work with external graphic designers to create more than 1,000 graphics per collection, of which around 75 per cent will be used.

While a t-shirt may include three different "graphics" - textiles featuring patterns or images - a coat could be made up of as many as five. Dalmau explains: "It's like a DJ. When he's ready for a session, he has a thousand records to choose from but, with experience, he knows what to play and what will work."

Custo Barcelona has definitely discovered what works. Filling a gap in the market with 50 stores worldwide, the brand's turnover last year was ?80 million (Dh355 million), and it's unlikely to stop there.

The label is developing handbags and shoes for next year's collections, and is planning to open more stores across Europe and the United States.

In Dubai
Explaining its appeal in Dubai, Dalmau says: "There is a big fusion here and fusion is what we do in our work. That's probably the reason why people understand Custo Barcelona here in Dubai. It's a very sunny place and when you are in the sun, the mood to wear colour is very open."

Like light through a prism, it all becomes crystal clear.