Oscar Wilde became Carlota Barrera’s latest muse. The designer crafted an entire story around the author, unfolding not just through the clothes but also in a travel diary that accompanied the collection. At its heart was a Dorian Gray-like protagonist who took us on a vivid journey—by night, he stepped out in a crisp, starched shirt and a perfectly tailored tuxedo, his pristine elegance slowly fading as the hours passed, with sleeves rolled up and collars loosened.

“It’s about the journey of the clothes, how they change along with him through the night,” Barrera explained. Woven into this transformation was a reflection on masculinity, femininity, and the unstoppable flow of time.

At their core, the pieces showed how clothing evolves with us. “I want to create collections with a life of their own—because life reveals itself in the smallest details,” Barrera said. It’s an idea the brand has explored over several seasons. At first glance, the garments might seem torn or distressed, but a closer look reveals meticulous precision in their construction. “That’s the playful, punk side of it,” she added. “It may look like everything’s been ripped apart, but every detail is intentional.”

Duality is central to Barrera’s vision—a balance between knowing tailoring rules and knowing when to break them. “There’s a phrase that sums up the collection,” she noted. “‘Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos.'” And true to that, nothing was quite as it seemed: unexpected double collars, sashes that turned into belts, cufflinks with whale motifs, shirts on the verge of slipping off, and jackets worn inside-out to reveal their linings. It was a collection where garments intertwined, each with a subtle, rebellious twist.