Romantic, but Never Too Delicate, An Interview with Yolancris
Before becoming a recognized name in the bridal and couture industry, there were wedding dresses, fittings, and materials. Growing up around her mother’s bridal business and helping her older sister Cristina with fittings, Yolanda Pérez knew that a dress has to be based on the woman who will wear it. This quality, among other things, has made her the creative force behind the label Yolancris .
For now, Pérez is focused on research and development, which is reflected in the latest collection called Ophelia. Created with the help of her Barcelona-based team, the designer spoke of experimenting with feminine roles, which means that a girl can be both romantic and strong, ethereal yet resilient. The designer embraced contradictory textures and flowers to portray this duality as Yolancris returns to Madrid Fashion Week. Speaking with Pérez, we learn more about growing up around the bridal business, her design process, and why she still enjoys experimenting and making mistakes even after years of experience.
photography Framae Studios
image courtesy Madrid Fashion Week
Sandra Myhrberg: Ophelia explores femininity through flowers, texture and movement. What kind of femininity did you get to express through this collection?
Yolanda Perez: For me, femininity has never been just one thing. With Ophelia I wanted to talk about a woman who can be romantic and delicate, but also very strong and very sure of herself. I like that contrast. The flowers bring that more romantic side, but then you have the volumes, the textures and the movement that give the looks much more character. I think women today don’t want to be defined in one particular way, and I like that freedom.
SM: Yolancris began with a desire to challenge traditional bridal design. How has that desire to do things differently evolved over the years?
YP: When we started Yolancris, bridal fashion was much more traditional and I felt there was space to do something different. We never really thought too much about following the rules. We just designed what we liked and what we felt was missing.
Of course, the brand has changed a lot since then, and so have I. Today we work with bridal, couture and ready-to-wear, but that need to experiment is still there.
SM: Your designs are developed closely with the artisans in your Barcelona workshop. How much does a piece change through that collaboration?
YP: I can have an idea in my head or make a first sketch, but then you start working with the fabric, putting it on the mannequin, trying different volumes… and the dress starts telling you where it wants to go.I work very closely with the team in our Barcelona atelier and there is a lot of conversation during the process. Someone tries something, we change it, we take it apart and start again. I really enjoy that part because you never know exactly what the final result will be. For me, the hands of the people who make our clothes are as important as the original idea.
SM: You grew up around your mother’s bridal business. What from that experience still influences you today?
YP: So much. Cristina and I basically grew up surrounded by wedding dresses. We saw our mother working, we saw the fittings, the fabrics, the clients… It was all very normal for us.I think what stayed with me most is the importance of the woman wearing the dress. You can create something beautiful, but in the end somebody has to put it on and feel like herself in it. And also the respect for craftsmanship. I saw from a very young age how much work there is behind a dress, and I think that has always stayed with me.
SM: What does presenting at Madrid Fashion Week mean to you at this stage in the brand’s journey?
YP: It makes me very happy. We have shown our collections in different cities and countries over the years, but being in Madrid and being part of Spanish fashion is important to me.
Yolancris has been around for many years now, but I don’t feel like we have arrived somewhere and that’s it. I still want to experiment, make mistakes, change things and keep moving. Every collection is another opportunity to show a different side of the brand. And I think Ophelia represents very well where we are right now.
