Photos: José Luis Navarro
Fabiola García-Liñán, born in Córdoba and living in Seville, is pure passion when she talks with hands, with eyes, with her body, of her profession: making flamenco dresses. Profession in which she’s a veteran and the be a veteran is a degree, althought shwe claims to have a youth spirit, distant of ancient and grouch traditions. Twenty-seven years keeping her style, which i show to keep erect the spine of a suit that in recent years has been defeated too much to trends. “Don’t ever change or I would have bought the entire collection”, are some of the compliments of her legion of clients. “This suit has so many possibilities that it’s not necessary to invent anything”, sais Fabiola categorical.
She’s euphoric because she has triumphed on the recent fashion show We Love Flamenco. “This catwalk is like someone had opened a new door, because where there is competition there is quality and that’s healthy. Every year is a different challenge and a huge effort to be good enough, because it never is all said and done in a design. Me affirm the beauty of a flamenco dress; a beauty that’s in its colour, its undulating shape and movement. Mine is not better or worse than others, just it isn’t the same”.
Fabiola is a multifaceted woman. She has published a novel and even dares to paint. “Mi dresses are a canvas of very good quality to play with them. It’s true that they are sober because they keep the essence. We continue with polka dots of different sizes and colours, and with layer flounce of different measures, but never matted. The tailoring is of clean shape because there’s a good pattern; the sleeves, neat and elegant. The fullness of my dresses is relative, just to be graceful. Without forgettin our petticoats, whic are showed when the woman walks”.
The colours are the classic of the Fair: red, strawberries pink, all shades of blue, Green and coral, which is the star of the collection of this year, without losing sight of the black, “my black is very flamenco”, says Fabiola, who confesses that what she likes the most is learning everyday. The fabrics go from satin of stretch cotton to poplin, through cambric. “I also agree with that general opinion that the essence of classic flamenco dress has lost. The reason is because it has penetrated in the world of design and that’s dangerous for a national suit”.
“To be designer you have to be prepared and in the case of flamenco suit anything has to be invented. The same dress has so many possibilities that it isn’t necessary to leave the script. The important thing is to combine it with flair and flair is equal to movement. The elegance of a woman is also showed when she dresses up with a flamenco suit correctly. Yo can not be presumptous with the fabric, with the tailoring and much less with the accessories. Mi goa lis that my dresses have to be seen because of their light, movement and good sewing”.
And, really, Fabiola’s suits have her label; a classic hallmark that is renewed each season, without leaving from established rules. They are distinguished and they are distinguished in the Fair. It’s what she wants to do and what her public demand to her. Fabiola sells her collections on her online store, www.fabiola.info plus the physical store on Muñoz Olivé, 7, street in Seville. There you can find the eternal suits of this woman who one day may write a novel of her time between seams… of flamenco.