LONDON, United Kingdom — Our tireless search of innovation, creativity and uniqueness, driven by our desire to learn, listen and embrace new concepts of beauty, art and design brings us to the discovery of exceptional works, techniques and emerging talents that not only make us dream but they also give life to The FG Magazine.
One of the most rewarding moments of directing the content is to find talents that embrace all the FG values we heartily uphold and promote, ranging from wearable technology, sustainable fashion and innovative techniques to 3D printing for fashion and experimental science in design. To complement the melting pot of ideas and the variety we offer to you, we are very proud to explore the designs of an emerging talent, Cristina Peral, that combines the past with the most innovative elements of current fashion and in so doing achieves an unparalleled dreamy, utopian vision of a not too distant future.
Cristina Peral: The Start
Cristina Peral is a well-rounded Sevillian designer who obtained a Masters in Fashion Design and Advanced Fashion Design at the College of Fashion and Business (ESME) to then continue her studies at the European Institute of Design (IED) in Madrid. Prior to these studies, she conducted her university studies in tourism and gained working experience as a flight attendant. Despite this experience, Cristina understood that fashion was her real passion and part of her future:
“For as long as I can remember, I have always been interested in fashion. When I was a child, I loved to create mini collections for my dolls while taking inspiration from fashion magazines and fashion shows.”
Onwards and upwards
“I am very happy with the fantastic response I have received from the fashion community.” Cristina has received various prizes and has participated in many fashion shows including the Coknit Connect 2012 Fashion Show, “Soy Cibelino” and the Exhibition and Fashion Show in “Ethical Fashion Night” in Geneva. Cristina has exhibited at the Cosmo Caixa Museum, “III Salón Internacional del Reciclaje de Arte y Sostenibilidad, Reciclamadrid” in 2011, The Museum of Costume in Madrid and at the “Occhiena” Ethical Fashion Centre in 2013.
Last February, Cristina was selected by Vogue Italia Senior editor Sara Maino to be one of the 10 finalists in “MUUSE x VOGUE Talents Young Vision Accessories Award” following her nomination by Vogue Italia Talents and Wowcracy to take part in “Call the Tune 2”, her publication in Vogue Italy Talents as one of 200 emerging designers in 2013 as well as her nominations at the “IV Muestra Nacional de Jóvenes Diseñadores de Moda Cantabría” and the Fashion Show Competition ADEEM (Asociación de Diseñadores Españoles en Movimiento) in 2012.
Experimentation
The beauty of creativity lies in the experimental techniques that an artist will apply in the process of developing a unique piece – a process well understood by Cristina:
My artworks are a part of a creative process. They are my inspiration and my creative universe; although I also think of them as another way of expressing myself.
Cristina loves experimenting with textiles and new materials as part of her own signature style, but she also embraces more traditional techniques in her designs such as embroidery: “…I wanted to bring more traditional techniques of embroidery to the table and apply my own personal take to it with great designs and unconventional textile spinnings.”
“My philosophy is to make quality articles and accessories; pieces that you want to acquire, like precious jewellery, and hold onto forever. All of my pieces are handmade using a laborious process and featuring high quality. They are not meant to be used once and then tossed away.”
Cristina Peral Collection: Utopia
Cristina’s latest collection is inspired in the masterpiece film 2046 (2004) by Kar Wai Wong where the past is captured and reflected in a future play. Her collection Utopia combines the past with the most innovative elements of fashion to achieve a utopian vision of a not too distant future. As Cristina explains:
“Imagination creates future. Utopia is an artistic and an artisanal project, everything is handmade, from the lookbook to the individual pieces in the collection. I have spent many hours on each piece and have used special materials and techniques throughout the entire collection. Behind each piece and design there is a lot of research and experimental work with different textiles and inspiration. All these elements and dedication makes this project more than just ‘another’ collection.”
More to come
Cristina has been very active not only exhibiting and developing new collection, but also collaborating in great projects including a project on artwork with VICE Magazine and a collaboration on embroidery with ALVARNO for its Autumn/Winter collection 2014-15. She is also in the midst of a new collection, but no sneak peek for now: “I am currently working on a new collection but I cannot tell you more. It is a surprise!”
Despite the current success Cristina is experiencing, she remains with her feet on the ground as she understands the challenges of this business and holds onto every opportunity that knocks at her door:
“It is not easy, there are not many opportunities for new designers and I believe that apart from innate talent, you also need to apply some elbow grease and determination if you want to achieve your goals. Perseverance, hard work and discipline are key to get ahead in life.”
Cristina Peral would love to collaborate in the development of technology textiles that she can apply in her future work. This is a great call to our community and creative minds who might want to enhance this opportunity and exchange ideas with this talented designer.
