Figura Services was one of the brands presenting their AW2023 collection at London Fashion Week during the Fashion Scout Future Collective show on 18th February 2023. I spoke with Celeste and Valerio, the designers behind the brand, about their collection to get to know them and their brand a little better.
Celeste and Valerio had both studied fashion design in their home countries and had worked fashion internships in Italy and London before meeting in London at the start of the pandemic. Unable to work for others, and not wanting to spend time not designing, they decided to work together.
The name of the brand is based on the word ‘figura’, which in both Spanish and Italian means the shape of a body and what distinguishes one shape from another.
They see their designs as an extension of their personality, and are naturally inspired by drawing new ideas from everyday experiences and feelings, or from art, film and music.
Their AW2023 collection at London Fashion Week is titled The Damage Done’, and reflects the laboratory aesthetic that is at the core of the brand’s DNA. The theme of the collection is a laboratory experiment gone wrong – human curiosity has gone too far and tragedy has struck.
I really enjoyed the show and the collection. Some silhouettes were quite oversize and bulky, others some looks were more figure-hugging but with structured shoulders. The clothes came in a variety of fabrics, some looking more natural like faux fur (athough some of that was an unnatural bright turquoise), some in a shiny plastic finish.
According to Celeste and Valerio, the choice of fabrics is an important aspect that distinguishes their brand from others. They like to work with coated fabrics that give their garments a plastic look.
All the materials in their collections are deadstock or recovered/recycled fabrics.
Another thing I really loved was the make-up and the flashing mouthpieces. The winged eye liner felt quite Y2K, and the mouthpieces flashed red and green as the models walked down the runway.
Figura Services will present their next collection, SS2024, in September.
What is one thing that instantly makes your day better?
Coffee.
What is the biggest risk you ever took?
Starting a brand in another country.
If you could have dinner with three fashion designers, dead or alive, who would you choose?
Alexander McQueen, Martin Margiela & Walter Van Beirendonck.
What has been your most valuable work experience?
Figura Services.
What inspires you?
Everyday experiences and the aesthetics of popular culture. The dark allure of the psyche and the strength of continuous transformation.
All photographs are my own.
