Fashion Week Moments: Spray Couture and Mud Art Shaking Up Runways
At a recent Fashion Week, Spanish creativity took center stage as Manuel Torres and the Balenciaga lineup sparked conversations about technology, artistry, and fashion. The scene featured a dress crafted from spray under the hands of a master craftsman, with a raw, mud-soaked backdrop that echoed a living painting on the catwalk. The moment became instantly iconic, signaling a fusion of science, sculpture and style that captivated audiences across continents.
Two of the most viral sequences from the event involved a top model appearing seemingly sculpted by air and liquid, as two technicians wielded spray tools to shape fabric in midair. The effect suggested that clothing could be formed on the person, in real time, blurring the line between design and performance art. A stylist later finished the look with precise cuts and a minimalist elegance, revealing a sensuous dress with a daring leg opening and a boat neckline that balanced drama with restraint.
The entire process, completed in under ten minutes, circulated rapidly through social networks and international media. Fabrican Ltd, a London-based company, plays a pivotal role in this phenomenon. The founder, Manel Torres, a native of Lleida, has long pursued a material that can be applied like paint yet behave as wearable fabric. This approach uses natural or synthetic fibers and aims to be washable and reusable, broadening the practical appeal of spray-on fashion for designers and wearers alike.
Torres, who holds a PhD from the Royal College of Art, has dedicated two decades to developing a product that could redefine clothing creation. His collaboration with the Hadid team demonstrated how the technique can be translated from studio concept to onstage spectacle, with continuous support from assistants to ensure precision during production. The result mavericks traditional boundaries by transforming a conceptual idea into a wearable garment within moments.
Another standout moment involved a Spaniard who has become synonymous with fashion’s aspirational edge. The Balenciaga collection, run by international designer Demna Gvasalia, staged a striking scene on a colossal muddy field. Models moved across the slippery terrain, turning the runway into a statement about opulence and vulnerability, luxury and fate. The muddy landscape functioned as a commentary on consumer culture and the pressures of modern life, inviting reflection as much as admiration among the audience.
That stark setting offered a candid look at the tensions shaping high fashion today. It hinted at the fragility of glamorous worlds when confronted with real-world events and uncertainty. The show reflected a personal history for a designer who spent part of his youth away from his homeland due to conflict, lending authenticity to the exploration of memory, displacement and identity through design choices on the catwalk.
The broader stage of the event featured a collaboration involving a widely recognized Spanish artist who transformed the runway into a charged installation. The piece used 275 cubic meters of mud, transported by truck from a nearby marsh through a logistic effort that underscored the scale of the project. The artist is known for creating provocative performances with strong political implications, and this work joined a tradition of art challenging conventional fashion narratives and inviting debate about the role of spectacle in contemporary culture.
The artist and the production team sparked conversations about globalization, consumption, and the speed at which fashion circulates in the digital age. A major art collector commented on social media about the tension between commercial fashion cycles and the more radical impulses that have historically driven art and design to push boundaries. The discourse around the event highlighted the continuing dialogue between luxury fashion houses and groundbreaking contemporary art, with critics and fans weighing the implications for the industry’s future.
In the end, the collection presented a mix of audacious experimentation and disciplined technique. The spray-on dress demonstrated how technology can change the speed and flexibility of garment creation, while the mud installation reminded audiences that fashion remains deeply connected to environment and memory. The week served as a snapshot of a moment when fashion, art, and commentary intersected in a public dialogue about beauty, power, and responsibility.