Nicolas Montenegro: Building during lockdown in Spain

Trained in Milan, up-and-coming Spanish developer Nicolas Montenegro possesses dressed Beyonce and Kylie Minogue, but with the pandemic, he's eliminated back home to his village to launch his own brand. Because of the internet and air links "you don't have to live in a major city," the lean 31-year-aged informed AFP at his atelier in Lantejuela, a village of some 3,800 residents about an hour's drive from the southern metropolis of Seville.

Sketches and fabric samples go over one table while wedding gowns are piled on top of another in a room decorated with family photos. His three employees, all native residents, are busy cutting cloth.

Heading back to his village, which in turn is surrounded simply by asparagus farms, is portion of a global trend.

A mixture of the pandemic, shifting attitudes and technological developments that make it easier than ever before to work remotely, are prompting waves of folks to move out of large metropolitan areas and permanently relocate to considerably more sparsely populated areas.

After studying at Milan's prestigious Istituto Marangoni, Montenegro performed for four years at Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana where he dressed big names including Madonna, Beyonce, Kylie Minogue and Melania Trump.

Therefore in 2018, he moved to Barcelona to work at Yolancris, where he designed the spectacular pleated tulle outfit worn by simply Spanish urban music singer Rosalia to the Latin Grammys that yr.

But when the pandemic hit in March and a good strict national lockdown was imposed in Spain, Montenegro decided to move back to Lantejuela to be closer to his father who had tumor, and who died found in November after catching Covid-19.

Encouraged by his father, Montenegro introduced his own brand and 1st collection of wedding gowns called "Abril", or "April".

His sober, elegant gowns which mix classic classics with a daring splash of exquisite cotton lace and dramatic bows have sold in Spain, Britain and Greece for 2,500 euros (3,000 us dollars) a piece.

Montenegro is currently preparing an autumn/winter months ready-to-wear collection. This time around, his inspiration is drawn from the exotic tapestries decorated with tigers, deer and peacocks that his daddy brought back after his military service in Western Sahara in 1971, at the time a Spanish colony.

Montenegro plans to market his collection in Madrid as well as online, a medium which includes more scope than traditional fashion shows which "are actually over very quickly".

"You don't have period to enjoy it, and then everyone forgets," he added.

"I launched the wedding dress collection online, I made promotional footage and each clothing had its own video recording," said Montenegro, calling this approach much more "functional".

'Helping us a lot'

His venture has boosted the neighborhood economy, which includes been hit hard by the pandemic despite staying home to generations of expert seamstresses who get flamenco dresses and children's attire.

"He is supporting us a lot since there is nothing else" here, stated Estefania Ponce, a 38-year-old mother who functions at the atelier.

Unlike his Spanish peers who've found success abroad with unisex clothes for males, Montenegro -- who as a child liked dressing dolls -- targets women's fashion.

He says his role version is his friend Alejandro Palomo, the 28-year-old designer behind the favorite Palomo Spain manufacturer which mixes Spanish traditions with current twists.

Because of Palomo, Spanish designers "are actually once again being looked at abroad," said Montenegro.

Palomo also offers an atelier found in his hometown of Posadas, located about 75 kilometres (45 kilometers) from Lantejuela.

"Without the village, we'd get nobody," said Montenegro.(AFP)