Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Flamboyant flamenco

Fashion

Fancy trying out one of Seville’s best-loved frocks? Heidi Fuller-Love looks at the history of the flamenco dress and where in town to try them, buy them or just enjoy their jolly twirl

Dogged for years by dodgy postcard images, tacky souvenir castanets and boozed-up lads bawling for jugs of Sangria, flamenco’s reputation has undergone a radical revamp in the past few years. The Andalusian traditional music and dance is hip again, and Seville’s fashion designers are wooing catwalks with their cool new takes on the age-old theme of Spanish fiesta-wear.

In his book The Zincali: An Account of the Gypsies of Spain, writer and linguist George Borrow says that flamenco derives from the Gypsy word ‘flemenc’, used to designate the Romany culture. But the music’s aficionados will tell you that flamenco is a lot more than ‘just’ Gypsy folk tunes. “Flamenco embodies Andalusia’s complex musical and cultural tradition – it is our pride. It tells the tale of our roots, but also speaks of our life now,” declares 29-year-old Juan Orthez, an habitué of the flamenco bars and tablaos (taverns) of his native Seville.

“Flamenco music and fashion are born out of the melting pot of Spanish history and they’re in constant evolution. This is an art form that thrives on improvisation and spontaneity, and it has to evolve to survive,” agrees Anselma, who owns one of the tablaos that Orthez frequents.

Fandangos to tangos

From alegrías and bulerías to tangos, fandangos and seguiriyas, flamenco is a genre with 65 different forms, called palos. But addicts will tell you that the cante hondo, where the impassioned refrain of a lone singer is accompanied by clapping or avid table rapping, embodies the music’s quintessential essence. This multi-faceted chameleon of many musical styles has sucked centuries of nourishment from successive Andalusian, Islamic, Sephardic and Gypsy cultures. Flamenco’s golden age didn’t come until the 1860s, however, when café cantantes, promoting ticketed shows, sprang up all over southern Spain and the passion for all things Gypsy swept across Europe, inspiring Bizet to write his flamenco opera Carmen.

From Carmen in the 1870s to Camarón de la Isla in the 1970s, flamenco has never looked back. “Artists like Camarón and Paco de Lucia brought revolutionary avant-gardism to flamenco,” says Orthez. “Then Pata Negra gave it a punk spin in the 80s and these days the Spanish charts are full of flamenco-fusion and flamenco-rock music influenced by Latin American and Cuban rhythms.”

Flamenco fashion

But what of that frock? Seville’s annual three-day international flamenco fashion event, La Salón Internacional de Moda Flamenca – which takes place in February, when several-dozen designers show their creations to some 30,000 spectators – is probably the clearest sign of this sector’s renewed strength. “We have a lot of new, young creators, most of them from the province of Seville, who are producing a stunning diversity of what they’ve dubbed their ‘regional cult garment’,” enthuses Maria Garcia, one of the organisers.

Said to have evolved from the clothing donned by wives accompanying their livestock-trading spouses to Seville’s lively Feria de Abril, the flamenco dress has, over the past few decades, seen baroque lacing, satin ribbons, spiral patterns and a constantly changing array of accessories. So what’s next?

Pioneer of the new flamenco style, Juana Martín, who combines blue denim with frothy lace or sprinkles flowers on pinstripes to create stunningly original robes, says ‘feminine’ is definitely the next leitmotif. “These dresses are so flattering to all ages – they allow a few extra kilos and they are very womanly.”

Pilar Vera, official designer of Miss España’s costumes, says accessories will be in vogue too. “The key aspect of my collection is colour and reminding people of the 60s and 70s, with dots, comfortable fabrics and fresh, gauzy dresses. There are also extremely lowcut necklines and skirts that allow a leg to unashamedly appear below them,” she adds.

Maria Lopez, who buys four frocks a year from Pilar’s Sevillian boutique, is certain that all the new designs will be charged with sex appeal. “Each style will be startlingly different, but they’ll all have that common denominator because the flamenco dress is designed to show off the feminine form to its best advantage. It is the sexiest dress around,” she laughs. “Maybe that’s why I’ve heard rumours that Madonna will be dressed in flamenco for her next round of concerts.”
Remember, you heard it here first.

Where to buy

Vittorio & Lucchino
10 Plaza Nueva, tel. 

Actress Penélope Cruz modelled flamenco frocks for this top Sevillian boutique before buzzing off to Hollywood to concentrate on her successful film career. The setting is sleek and gleaming, but don’t be shy: step inside to examine some of the best-cut dresses and bolero vests this city has to offer – or pop upstairs to view a sparkling range of bijoux and lustrous homeware.

Aurora Gaviño
1 Calle Blanca de los Ríos, tel. 

You’ll find natural-silk robes sprinkled with polka dots, chic evening wear, tailored boleros and much more in this cult designer boutique.

Pilar Vera
2 Calle Rivero, tel.

After 30 years in the world of flamenco fashion, Pilar Vera opened her own shop two years ago, in Seville’s historic centre, selling her inimitable flamenco style. To see a little of what she does best, view some of her latest collections on her website www.pilarvera.com

Where to wear

The hippest spots in the city to see flamenco – and to be seen wearing your flamenco gear:

Head for the picturesque alleys in the Triana district, bright with geraniums and bustling with bodegas, and you’ll find Casa Anselma (49 Pagès del Corro) – a tapas bar with a festive ambience, where you can savour good wine and caldarete (fish stew) as you listen to live flamenco. A few doors away, Hotel Triana is the place to sit out on the patio and listen to flamenco recitals. In the Calle Betis, there are a cluster of typical tablaos, where – if you’re not lucky enough to join in an impromptu flamenco jam session (a juerga) – you’ll at least be able to hear a good concert.

At the heart of the Barrio de Santa Cruz, La Casa de la Memoria de AlAndalus (28 Calle Ximénez de Enciso, tel. ) – dedicated to the culture of medieval Muslim Spain – is one of the town’s most authentic flamenco venues. Some of Spain’s greatest flamenco artists have played here. Equally, a must-not-miss venue is the newly opened Museo del Baile Flamenco (3 Calle Manuel Rojas), which offers activities related to all things flamenco.

Flamboyant flamenco

Longtemps immortalisé par des cartes postales kitsch et des souvenirs tenaces en forme de castagnettes, le flamenco a subi une transformation radicale ces dernières années : le flamenco est à nouveau hip. A Séville les stylistes de mode débarquent sur les podiums avec leurs nouvelles inspirations tape-à-l’œil, issues de l’ancienne thématique des tenues de la ‘fiesta’.

D’après la tradition, la robe flamenco serait une émanation des toilettes portées par les femmes qui accompagnaient leur époux à la Feria de Abril à Séville, pour la vente de bétail. Au fil des décades, la robe en question s’est vue affublée de lacets baroques, de rubans de satin, de motifs en spirale ainsi que d’une gamme constamment variable d’accessoires. Que nous réserve donc le prochain défilé ?

Pionnière de ce renouveau, Juana Martin, mélange le denim aux matières vaporeuses pour créer des robes originales, étonnantes…un véritable retour de la féminité. “Ces robes sont si flatteuses pour toutes les femmes, de tous les âges, elles autorisent quelques kilos superflus tout en gardant une belle ligne.”

Pilar Vera, styliste officielle des tenues de Miss Espana, nous confie que les accessoires comme les peignes ornés, de couleurs vives, et les perles dans les cheveux, reviendront aussi au-devant de la scène. “L’aspect central de ma collection est la couleur, et le rappel également au public des années 60 et 70, les pois, les matières confortables, les robes aérées. On mentionnera aussi les coupes très échancrées”.

Le shopping flamenco à Séville Découvrez Vittorio & Lucchino (Plaza Nueva 10), Aurora Gavino (Calle Balnca de los Rios 1), Pilar Vera (Calle Reivero 2).

Les lieux flamenco les plus tendances de la ville sont:

Casa Anselma (Calle Pages del Corro 49), La Casa de la Memoria de AlAndalus (Calle Ximenez de Enciso) and the Museo del Baile Flamenco (3 Calle Manuel Rojas Marcos).

Flamboyante flamenco

Het imago van flamenco ging jarenlang gebukt onder oubollige postkaartplaatjes en castagnetten voor toeristen. Vandaag krijgt het een radicale opfrisbeurt. Flamenco is weer in en modeontwerpers in Sevilla verrassen de catwalks met hun frisse visie op het eeuwenoude thema van de Spaanse feestkledij.

De flamencojurk zou ontstaan zijn uit de kledij die vrouwen aantrokken om hun mannen, veehandelaars, te vergezellen naar de levendige Feria de Abril in Sevilla. De voorbije decennia passeerden vooral barokke kant, satijnen linten, spiraalpatronen en immer nieuwe accessoires de revue. Wat heeft de catwalk in petto voor de toekomst?

Pionier van de nieuwe flamencostijl, Juana Martin, combineert blauw denim met frivool kant tot verbluffend originele jurken. Volgens haar wordt ‘vrouwelijk’ beslist het volgende leidmotief. “De vrouwelijke jurken flatteren alle leeftijden en verdragen enkele extra kilootjes.”

Bij Pilar Vera, officieel ontwerpster van de outfits van Miss España, maken accessoires zoals fel gekleurde sierkammen en haarparels het mooie weer. “Kleur is de rode draad door mijn collectie. Verder zijn er knipoogjes naar de jaren 1960 en 1970 met stippen, comfortabele stoffen en frisse jurken. Ook laag uitgesneden halslijnen zijn in.”

Flamencoshoppen in Sevilla?

Beproef je geluk bij Vittorio & Lucchino (Plaza Nueva 10), Aurora Gavino (Calle Balnca de los Rios 1) en Pilar Vera (Calle Reivero 2).

Enkele hippe flamencoadressen in de stad zijn:

Casa Anselma (Calle Pages del Corro 49), La Casa de la Memoria de Al-Andalus (Calle Ximenez de Enciso) en Museo del Baile Flamenco (3 Calle Manuel Rojas Marcos).

Images Rex Features, Getty Images, Daniel Muñoz, Scope, www.catwalking.com

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