Patricia Padrón wants fashion to find itself again. Long lost in the frenzy of freshness and fastness, too many in the industry — herself, at one point, included — have kept their foot on the gas at the expense of the product. And amid the spread of sameness bolstered by fast fashion, niche designers are again taking their time to create excitement in sartorial form.
Padrón — with her namesake label, founded in Spain in 2016 and paused in 2019 until the relaunch she’s calling “Chapter 1” set for September — is doing it one hand-placed, laser-cut silk piece at a time. The label’s signature Poroo top brings couture energy and the Venezuelan designer’s sculptural prowess to the brand that more than just the wealthiest can wear.
The top takes up to 10 hours to make, but it’s time the designer has reclaimed having fled the fast-track fashion calendar. “This wasn’t anything to do with the pandemic itself, I needed some rest and I needed to rethink and to have some time for myself,” Padrón told WWD. Though she had been ready for the relaunch in the midst of COVID-19’s reign, the learnings from her time off aligned with some of the takeaways from life in lockdown.
