Fashion in Buenos Aires...

I've been reflecting this afternoon on how hard it is to design a fashion collection in Argentina today...

First of all because of the economic limitation we all are aware of: not many dare to import exclusive and expensive fabrics from abroad, loaded with terrible taxes and then face the risk of a devaluation stuck with unsold merchandise. 

Then there's the issue of the past or coming Seasons, which never coincide with those showcased in New York, Milan or Paris. I mean, what we see in Buenos Aires these days is mainly a leftover of what was presented abroad a year ago, without being able to reflect what was seen on international runways two weeks ago... because there's simply no time!

Most certainly, too, there are some influences of Spring-Summer 2010's trends, which already crowd all main fashion magazines... 

So what to expect from a Fall-Winter 2010 Argentine collection?

Of course, none of these apply to those very creative designers (two or three) who present mostly local trends, but which do not fit everyone. 

All these thoughts crossed my mind as I sat watching Menage à Trois' runway show today, at the Sheraton Hotel, surrounded by the "It" women of Buenos Aires. Menage à Trois is a respectful label, its owner, Amelia, is lovely and she dresses many of the refined and elegant women in town.

What was shown was inspired in Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, Lanvin, Prada, etc., but that mixture of trends instead of becoming weird, was certainly charming. Correctly adapted to its clientele, the outfits were presented by beautiful models, all of them carrying their hair in a low untidy bun, very chic and elegant.

I liked the jewelry: big and shinny earrings and necklaces with huge stones, very Swarovski. The dominant color was definitely black, with some sparks of red, mainly on party dresses. And as an exotic detail, a leopard imprimé fabric that worked perfectly when paired with black lace. 

Brava Amalia... As I was saying in the beginning of this post, it takes a lot of courage to do fashion here...!!

Menage à Trois, Fall-Winter 2010

(Photos: Courtesy of mass+ Grupo PR)