IMAGES Courtesy of 080 Barcelona Fashion Week
No stranger to the 080 Barcelona Fashion Week runway, creative director Domingo Rodríguez Lázaro founded his ready-to-wear label Dominnico in 2016. Characterised by its commitment to slow fashion via its meticulous craftsmanship, innovative fabrications and sustainable practices, Lázaro speaks to his heterogeneous audience who value inclusion and freedom of expression above all else.
Having debuted Dominnico with the European Fashion Union in Budapest, Lázaro went on to showcase his designs at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Madrid and Tbilisi before returning to his home city in late 2022 and establishing himself as a leading Spanish designer in the international industry. This was thanks, in part, to a lengthy list of celebrity clients, including red-carpet royalty Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa and Aitana, and his custom tour looks for Rosalía and Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour.
For his AW24 collection, Lázaro took his signature blend of nostalgic 90s and sports-core to the shores, combining nautical stripes, lattice ropes and dixie cup hats with heavy denim and the brand’s staple sugary-sweet colour palette for a fun and flirty runway show.
Following his ‘Hook’ runway show, BRICKS caught up with Lázaro to talk sexy sailors, sustainable sourcing and supporting Spanish designers.
Firstly, can you please tell us in one sentence how you’d describe this collection?
Sexy renaissance from the sea but make it hot and steamy.
What were your main inspirations for this fall 2024 collection? What story are you telling about the people who wear your clothing?
This season we are expanding into another chapter of the Dominnico realm. Inspiration comes from sea elements, imaginary – and sexy – pirates and sailors, and contemporary and pictorial art.
I know it’s like picking between your children, but what’s your favourite piece from the collection?
That’s a tough one! I would say my favourite is the total denim look with the big skirt. The closing look at the show.
Sustainability is at the core of your production ethos – can you tell us about the production process of this collection?
This is very important to us – we source old stock fabrics in different regions of Catalunya. We work a lot with old denim, upcycling old denim pieces, as well as recycling fur and other materials. In this collection, we continued working with patchworking techniques as we traditionally do and it’s becoming part of our aesthetic.
How has your work developed since you launched your label in 2016?
We are still a very small team and all our garments are started and finished in our studio. I always feel like I am still discovering some new parts of myself with every collection, it’s like following this creative path that feels so organic. In the beginning, I felt like I had to control almost every part of the process, from design to the fashion show, but as I and the brand grew, we welcomed new team members and learned how to delegate.
Fashion is known for the Big 4 – what makes showing your collections at 080 Barcelona Fashion imperative for you and your label?
080 Barcelona Fashion is a great support of local talents, and I am very happy to be showing my collection here right now. We have always felt so supported by the organisation and this is something very important to us – the human factor.
How do you balance being original and creating art versus having commercial appeal?
Most of the time it’s just following your instinct. We don’t make things for the pure essence of wanting to be viral on the internet, and I don’t consider Dominnico to be as super commercial as other brands might be. Our collections are always inspired by pop music and artists so they have a strong look and feel.
You’ve previously mentioned that success can seldom be supported at an economic level — there’s a cost to creativity. Currently, the cost of living crisis is pushing many emerging designers to rethink and reuse, so support is even more imperative to maintain their craft. What advice would you give to anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
This might sound a bit cheesy, but really, follow your dreams. Life is hard, and working in fashion is exhausting and very expensive most of the time. However, if this is what moves you on the inside, you’ll find a way to surf the waves of tiredness and learn to make the most out of tight budgets.
What else can we expect from you throughout 2024?
We have some exciting collaborations soon that we are really looking forward to!
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