A Search for Stillness: An Interview with Odette Álvarez
photography Framae Studios
image courtesy Madrid Fashionweek
There is a stillness to Nimba. Odette Álvarez looks to the shifting sky for its cadence, one that moves from the pale blues and whites of the clouds to the scarlet of sunset, bleeding into the black of night. Ethereal volumes meet more defined, Japanese-influenced silhouettes allowing softness and structure to exist together.
It is not without reason. Nimba is born at a point where Álvarez herself is looking for greater balance and stillness. In our conversation, she speaks of trying to translate it into clothes, letting colour tell a story and the unexpected piece that came to define the collection.
Sandra Myhrberg: There’s a contrast between very ethereal volumes and more structured silhouettes. How did you approach finding that balance?
Odette Álvarez: The balance between the more ethereal volumes and the structured silhouettes comes directly from the collection’s two main sources of inspiration. On the one hand, the clouds, whose volume, lightness and ethereal quality I wanted to translate into the garments. On the other, Japanese inspiration, which brings more structure and definition to the silhouettes. The combination of these two references is what creates that balance between more fluid shapes and more structured volumes.
SM: The colour palette moves from soft, cloud-like tones to black and scarlet red. What role did colour play in expressing the mood of the collection?
OA: Colour played a key role in expressing the mood of the collection, as the colour palette evolves alongside the inspiration. The first series begins with soft, cloud-like tones, mainly white and light blue, which reflect the sense of tranquillity and lightness of the clouds. The palette then becomes more intense, moving into a deeper blue, followed by pink tones and the scarlet red of the sunset, before ending in the black of night. This gradual evolution of colour reflects the changing sky throughout the day and helps me express the mood of the collection.
SM: Was there one look or piece that became especially important in defining your collection Nimba?
OA: I think the red dress became one of the most important pieces in defining Nimba. It was not something I had planned from the beginning, but once the collection had been designed, I felt there was a transition missing between the blue tones and the black. In the end, that dress became a key piece because it completed the colour transition and helped reinforce the narrative of the collection.
SM: What feeling would you like people to leave with after seeing the collection on the runway?
OA: I would like people to leave the runway with the feeling that the brand offers looks that can take us from morning to night, from simpler pieces to more sophisticated ones, while always maintaining our signature identity: original clothing, handmade in Spain using high-quality fabrics.
SM: Do you feel Nimba represents where you are personally as a designer right now?
OA: Absolutely. Nimba represents where I am personally as a designer right now. In fact, the collection was born from that personal moment. It has been a way for me to reflect and to create a kind of pause in the fast-paced lives we lead. Right now, I feel I am in that place — call it zen, call it tranquillity — where there is a conscious search for calm, balance and connection with myself. I think Nimba reflects exactly where I am personally as a designer at this moment.
