The Association grows with the arrival of three new firms and continues with its purpose of bringing together the main Spanish designer fashion brands. Aurelia Gil, Javier Delafuente and Maison Mesa are design brands that represent the values of slow fashion. They are creative fashion brands firmly committed to a local workforce, the transformation of artisanal crafts and placing value on sewing trades.
Aurelia Gil, a designer attached to the Gran Canaria Moda Cálida program of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, spans a twenty-year career in the fashion world. Tradition, passion and innovation define the work of this fashion creator trained in Fine Arts, who has focused her efforts on the recovery of the artisanal trade of sewing. From her atelier in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, she creates the swimwear and prêt-à-porter collections, as well as her bespoke designs. Additionally, she started a year ago with her own swimwear atelier providing services to other brands. “For me, being a part of ACME is taking a business leap: going from being a local brand to being a national brand and being part of Spain’s fashion fabric,” comments Aurelia Gil, who recently made her debut on the official calendar of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid.
Javier Delafuente is a designer from Antequera trained at the Centro Superior de Diseño y Moda (CSDMM) in Madrid. At this college, a benchmark for fashion training in Spain, he had the opportunity to attend the Balenciaga Chair learning sewing techniques at the hands of two seamstresses from the emblematic firm. In his eagerness to learn, he then specialized in leather at Loewe while working for different brands such as Roberto Verino or El Corte Inglés, a career that he completes with his facet as a stylist for film, press and television. After gaining experience, in the year 2000 he decided to found his signature brand and opens a small studio on Calle Santa Teresa in Madrid from which he develops four fashion lines that combine tradition and modernity, highlighting his bespoke couture. Delafuente is committed to the durability and quality of his garments, taking care in the choice of materials and emphasizing local manufacturing. “For me, being part of ACME is a dream and a challenge achieved, it is a recognition to my professional career and the perfect place from which to continue defending designer fashion”, he stated.
Juan Carlos Mesa has 30 years of experience in fashion design and styling. After working as a creative for important brands such as Ángel Schlesser, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada or Jesús del Pozo, in 2017 he founded Maison Mesa. Throughout his career, he has achieved important recognitions such as the L’Oréal Award for the best collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid for his work in the Schlesser house. From his own brand, Mesa wants to recover the values of bespoke couture, making creations that adapt to each client. In the latest edition of Madrid es Moda, he presented his first launch of ready-to-wear garments, for sale exclusively in its own online store. For Mesa, “belonging to ACME is like being with the family to broadcast, together with great professionals and friends, Spanish fashion’s common project”.
