DIFFERENT AND FOREVER
By art gallerist and writer Lola Crespo
Since the late nineties, Fernando Lemoniez’s voice has been heard over the characteristic background noise of the fashion world. To achieve this accolade there has been necessary an undoubted talent besides heavy doses of conviction and perseverance. In these fin-du-siècle times in which the end of everything -ideologies, literature, painting and so on-have been dictated, couture could not be the exception and in fact it is not.
Nevertheless, during all these years, Fernando Lemoniez, faithful to some inalienable principles in his quest for perfection and style, oblivious to any commercial conditioning and intent on expressing himself with absolute freedom, has been presenting successive collections that, besides revealing a singular creator, have given visibility to a woman almost always forgotten on the runways and to whom the creator has given identity.
Educated, intelligent, independent and discerning, Lemoniez’s woman, does not follow predefined trends. The qualities that define her can occur at any age, social class or nationality. In the words of designer, they are real women, friends, sisters, girlfriends, colleagues, mothers… The clothes created by Fernando are directed to those women we meet on the street, have fun with, live with, know and love. Real women away from any stereotype. It’s not usual that this kind of communion between designer and client occurs but, when it happens, mutual fidelity is guaranteed and the sacred fire of illusion continues to burn in all circumstances.
Talisman creations made by Lemoniez, far from hiding the personality of whoever wears them, actually boosts it, even discovering some hitherto unknown aspects of the same. All women are some priestess, some Mata Hari, some Pavlova… – we could go on without interruption- but often do not know it until suddenly one day, they discover it while looking into the mirror, dressed in a certain way. Obviously this is not a fancy dress, it’s something much more subtle, a nuance, a subconscious sense that suddenly awakens from the touch of silk, wool, linen, mink … The list of materials is endless because they are essential on Lemoniez garments, either pure colours or patterns often inspired, never copied, in the historical avant-garde. They are sought and carefully chosen to strike a balance for each case.
And that’s why sometimes clothes float and caress, others fit, protect and dress while suiting and seducing. To identify with the clothes you have to start feeling it on the skin and in this respect, Fernando Lemoniez is a master. So too is the cut, versatile, precise and determined, full of personality and contemporaneity equally. Garments created by Lemoniez do not respond to the immediacy of the moment, but reflect an age. They are stylish, different and forever, like diamonds.