MY EXPERIENCE AT THE FIRST EDITION OF THE LANZAROTE FASHION WEEKEND #LZTFW2018

09 Jul MY EXPERIENCE AT THE FIRST EDITION OF THE LANZAROTE FASHION WEEKEND #LZTFW2018

It was 19:00. The parking lot in Jameos del Agua was full to the brim. At the entrance I had seen a few cars resembling the original Seat Ibiza painted by artist César Manrique around 1987, commissioned by the company Cabrera Medina. It was like a sign of what was about to come: Jameos del Agua, such immense work of art created by the artist from Lanzarote, among other reasons, for us to be able to throw incredible parties like we did last Saturday.

Once I got in, the staff welcomed us with a glass of semi sweet Vulcano. It was a good start. As I was tasting that local delight, attendees posed at the photocall. Some were wearing classic and elegant outfits, whereas others went for more original and creative clothes. There was a feeling of freedom in the air.

We were watching the sunset over Jameos when we spotted a woman dancing, taking pictures and laughing, wearing pop colours. «That girl is so colourful», I thought. Of course she is, it was Miranda Makaroff, designer and model followed by more than 240,000 people on Instagram. She was one of the guests at the fashion show.

We went down the stairs, that winding and sparkling staircase with wooden steps that Manrique used to introduce us to the magic and fantasy of Jameos. We got to the stunning pool surrounded by palm trees. People were chatting and taking pictures. We couldn’t wait to see the fashion show.

It was about 20:00 when we headed toward Jameos Auditorium, such amazing stage built on the inside of a volcanic tube. Models, designers and other celebrities were sitting on both sides of the stage. We sat down and the lights went out. Suddenly, some loud music took over the cave, and the volcanic rock of the cave turned to reddish shades. As if it were an explosion of magma, Custo Barcelona’s models started to come out from inside. It was a spectacular show.

The looks were wildly beautiful. There were eclectic and daring textures, stunning dresses and bikinis, bags and summer outfits, with metallic and bright colours clearly trending. Out of the 80 different looks, half of them had never been seen before, and eight of them were inspired by the island of Lanzarote, including traditional Canarian rosettes on the fabric.

The models came down from the stage and walked around the stairs, only half a metre away from the audience. A catwalk inside a volcanic tube? It was like a dream. When it was over, the models along with designer Custo Dalmau, had us all in awe as they went up the stairs toward the exit.

Were were all still clapping in shock after such beautiful display, and then we went outside where models were posing next to the swimming pool and getting their pictures taken. All corners of Jameos were lit up one way or another, depending on how the people putting them up on Twitter were actually feeling like. An innovative software provided by IBM Research was in charge of spotting them.

It was then when the cocktail service started. A flow of waiting staff with delicious canapés. Crab sushi, rabbit croquettes and mini cactus burgers, were some of the canapés offered. I loved the Canarian tuna tartar cone, the sweet and sour meat canapé and the fajitas. But I must admit that the bonbons and chocolate volcanoes were scrumptious too. It’s quite impressive to know that some of these recipes were suggested by Chef Watson, a software that uses artificial intelligence algorithms to create unique and original combinations.

I then moved on to the dry Vulcano. The perfect choice to go with goat’s cheese by local company Queso Project. The other photocall was next to the fig trees. There were human and robot photographers like the friendly Reeti. Many of them took pictures with some of the celebrities like model Helen Lindes, raised in Lanzarote, bull fighter and model Óscar Higares, who was wearing a sensational jacket by Custo, blogger Fiona Ferrer and former Miss Spain, Elisabeth Reyes. Everyone was really approachable. The celebrities were mingling and excited to be part of this event along with the audience.

The music started with electronic beats and a touch of chill-out sounds. But the more wine we drank, the more the music started to get danceable. Even Taro, a Nao humanoid robot, was swinging his hips… Off to the dance floor we went, next to the gorgeous lake where the white crabs live, and the party went on until all hours.

The event was simply sensational and innovative. It outdid traditional fashion shows in a cold venue and replaced them with warm surroundings, a show brimming with creativity and a gastronomic feast for the senses in the midst of nature. Custo has been showing collections for 37 years, all over the world of fashion. But as the different international media said -Telva, El Español, La Razón, ¡Hola! and RTVE- this was a magic fashion show. Custo Dalmau himself said: «I think this was the most spectacular fashion show I’ve ever made.»

If that was the first edition of this event, I cannot begin to fathom what the second edition of the Lanzarote Fashion Weekend will be like.