“PATA POLLO” the new collection presented at the latest edition of the MBFWMadrid has won the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talent award
Fashion sometimes ventures into uncharted territory. Designer collections have come to be inspired by events ranging from the reign of Marie Antoinette to the Jack the Ripper murders because what’s on a designer’s mind is always a mystery box. Rubearth, the menswear brand led by Gabriel Nogueiras, has been receiving acclaim from specialized critics for a few years now, extolling it for its diversity and its ability to achieve a fusion of comfort and complexity in its clothes. His latest collection, “PATA POLLO”, inspired by magical realism and his childhood in Venezuela, has led him to create diverse garments that seem ready to be worn on a fun adventure through the mangrove or in any suffocating urban jungle. . A winning combination, which during the last edition of the Madrid Fashion Week made him take home the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talent award. Because who does not like a classic adventure of magic and mysteries?
Gabriel, first of all, congratulations. This year you have once again won the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talent award. How do you feel?
Hello Juan. Many thanks. I am still speechless. The second time we have won the Mercedes Benz Fashion Talents, and the third season awarded. It still seems like a dream.
You got this award in the last edition, did you expect to have this opportunity again?
Anything is always possible, but with such powerful new talent always around us on the catwalk, it’s amazing to win for the second time. Expect it? no, dream it? of course. You always dream that all the hard work and economic effort, both from me and my team, will be rewarded at the end.
I’m curious, what is success for you?
Not at all, it still makes me blush. I think that having several years of experience before this recognition helps me see everything with a certain healthy calm. Success, at this point in my career, is to have a viable brand that allows me to be honest with my vision while being sustainable both at a production and business level. All this recognition is incredible and an absolutely brutal push forward.
I would like to know how you would say you have evolved from the last edition, where you presented “FAT MAN”, to “PATA POLLO”, your most recent collection.
“FAT MAN” was part of my personal development with Rubearth, with “PATA POLLO” we have strengthened the identity of the brand. It was a process of a lot of work to carry out a collection that was both commercial and the maximum expression of our identity. The intention of this collection is that it is much more viable than everything that came before on a commercial level.
If “FAT MAN” was inspired by Japanese atomic bombs, “PATA POLLO” is based on your own Venezuelan roots. It seems that your own and collective history are something that you have very present, don’t you think?
I am always looking for stories to tell and transform through textiles. Storytelling brings much more value to each piece. For example, the knitted hats themselves are beautiful, but when you know that they are a tribute made by Wayuu indigenous people from the Amazon, their depth and emotional value grow. Everything is a potential source of inspiration, and with my presentations I try to convey the same feelings that lead me to create each of the layers of the collection. In the end, despite the shared human experience, we are all unique, and in the dichotomy between these two realities is everything that can help us create beauty.
I can’t help but ask you if you consider yourself a nostalgic person. Would you have liked to live in a time in the past?
Yes, I think all my childhood memories have influenced this collection. I remember in great detail every expedition to the jungle as a child, seeing my grandfather taming a snake, or even my uncle teaching me how to make a fire with two sticks. This stage of my life is a huge part of me, and in one way or another, it always finds its way to inspire me when I sit down to create something new.
Tell me about the name of the collection, why “PATA POLLO”?
In addition to the print of some pieces designed with Andrea Carandini, it goes for my uncle. He always talked to me about my roots and made sure he never lost sight of them. They called him “tío pollo” because of his skinny legs, and it is a very important layer of inspiration for the collection. This makes it possibly my most personal creation. It is also a good way to break with too much solemnity and seriousness, in the end fashion it is also humor and fun.
Is there any garment for which you feel special predilection?
Wayuu hats. It was a huge challenge to coordinate everything with so many kilometers apart, but being able to collaborate with the Wayuu community made everything worth the work. It fills my spirit, and brings me back to my origins every time I see them.
Mirages and the feeling of getting lost in an arid and mysterious place is one of the main sources of inspiration. Is it easy to get lost in an industry like fashion?
The same as in all of them, with the addition that here many of the players are very young. It’s easy to get lost when you doubt yourself, so it’s important to create a strong self-identity and be both true to it and flexible to adapt to whatever comes up or learns. It is important to believe in your vision and that it has its own place in the world.
Can you tell us in more detail about how magical realism has influenced you in “PATA POLLO”?
It is a way of seeing the world that I always carry with me. I see everything from another side, like when I stand in front of a tree and almost expect that at any moment it will move and shake my hand. This collection was the development of that idea, of seeing myself lost in the jungle at night, and starting to hear noises. Your head begins to build tremendous forms, and you think that something is going to attack you at any moment.
Your fashion shows are characterized by inclusion and diversity, would you say that the industry is really trying to change or is it all a mirage?
Well, it’s a good question. It all depends on what we decide from here on out. It’s easy for things to fall out of trend, which is ultimately how fashion works. I really hope not, because as we are seeing the positive social effect is brutal. From the beginning, my fashion has been inclusive, not exclusive. I do not conceive of celebrating only one type of beauty.
What advice would you give to a designer who has just started his journey in the world of fashion?
May he find his identity and be faithful to it. May he have humility and feet on the ground to adapt and evolve. And that he surrounds himself with good people who want to create and work. This symbiosis is vital.
What can we expect from RUBEARTH for the remainder of 2022? Tell me about your future projects.
To bring the brand and this collection to market. We are working on our web image and on our e-commerce. We work through pre-order, with approximately 20 days between when a piece is ordered and when it arrives at its destination. This pace is important to us because it guarantees quality pieces and stays true to the Rubearth brand concept. We are also already thinking about Prague, where we will present the collection in September. And of course, other projects that we can’t count yet 😉 .
