The fall-winter collection of the Mexican-Canadian designer is for modern day nomads, who battle the elements but in doing so have fun with style and elegance.
The square shape of the square joins the garments’ decorations, representing the four cardinal points so essential to a nomadic way of life. Models wear primitive symbols such as aurochs heads… artificial, of course, since the modern nomad no longer needs to kill to survive.
The use of fur as protection against the cold, and as a decorative element, is omnipresent in this collection. But again, this is synthetic fur, produced by state-of- the-art technologies. Colourful hairy shoes cover, 3D printed heels. The braiding of materials and the addition of leather pieces adorn the various looks.
Antonio Ortega proposes a nomadism of modern times, where the fur and raw leather of the steppes of Asia are replaced by cotton lace, synthetic fur, silk, nylon, leather and tulle. The contrasts, characteristic of the work of Ortega, are everywhere: fine lace gives way to unruly synthetic hair, ropes that seem coarse from afar are really a confection of metallic thermal fabric.
A wild but futuristic spirit inhabits the nomad of Antonio Ortega: tapping into the deep roots of humanity while at the same time exhibiting outrageous futurism.