WELCOME

​Culture, people, fashion and places where the traditional meets the modern. Viviana takes a great deal of inspiration from her life abroad and travels – in Mexico, to North Africa or Norway, for instance.
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Viviana is a former educator with a masters degree in screenwriting, but her storytelling doesn’t stop with her audiovisual productions on culture, art and design. She has developed her own visual language by combining her bilingual writing and a playful drawing style in her pastel and watercolour sketches. This versatility is what clients love about her. Viviana’s style is feminine in tone and content.

Based in the Netherlands, Viviana’s sketches and lifestyle stories are dropping in The Artist

In this section:

​Getting Dirty With Fashion

Click on image above for ‘Sueños emplumados’

Dutch Design Week ‘25

Stepping Into Autumn

Honoring Our Spring/Summer

Zeeland, Nederland

Curating Craft

CPK Bankitos

We At Mode Fabriek

Mexican Urban Art & Design

London’s Marie Antoinette Style

This autumn we set off to London’s Marie Antoinette Style exhibition, the most fashionable European queen in history who recycled her wardrobe each year, sharing it between her staff.

The Victoria and Albert Museum launched its Marie Antoinette Style exhibition in a show that celebrates her sense of style, and interrogates some of the myths associated with the most controversial queen in history.

London’s Marie Antoinette Style refers to the distinctive fashion and design influence of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, known for her extravagant taste and impact on European aesthetics. 

These are images from the exhibition at the V&A Museum exploring her legacy and showcasing personal items, contemporary couture, and the lasting appeal of her style over 250 years.

Getting Dirty With Fashion

At London’s Barbican Centre exhibition, Dirty Looks
​— on fashion’s relationship with the earth and the dirt it produces.

On the autumn of 2025, the Barbican Art Gallery is staging an ingenious exhibition - Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion - showcasing a bonanza of ripped, torn, stained, and burnt designs from a panoply of greats, including Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen.

From romantic gowns that embrace their own ruination to garments that elevate stains into decorative motifs. An exhibition that questions ideals of beauty and glamour.

The show showcases a large installation of Hussein Chalayan’s poetic designs, which he famously buried in iron filings to observe decay and continued this practice throughout his career.

Decay has its own poetry, and the Romantic Ruins section explores that sentiment in the shape of torn and tattered gowns from John Galliano's Fallen Angels collection, Alexander McQueen's slashed tartans from Highland Rape.

Our Dutch Design Week 2025 Highlights

We met Babs Groote Schaarsberg from Raalte in the Netherlands this year at Dutch Design Week (DDW) 2025 in the city of Eindhoven, who graduated last academic year from the Utrecht School of the Arts, majoring in Fashion Design. Babs exhibited her graduation work She was inspired by the market Bottermarkt.
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My work involves creating a collection of wearable paper sculptures.  These sculptures explore the possibilities of fashion, blending sculptural and wearable elements, sometimes functioning as installations. Material is a central focus, and I frequently use textiles alongside unexpected materials like paper.
The collection Een Ode Aan (An Ode To) is inspired by the market Bottermarkt in Raalte, where traditional Salland costumes are still worn. These garments, worn with pride and care, are a visible symbol of local heritage.
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“My work involves creating a collection of wearable paper sculptures.  These sculptures explore the possibilities of fashion, blending sculptural and wearable elements, sometimes functioning as installations. Material is a central focus, and I frequently use textiles alongside unexpected materials like paper.”

The sculptures in this collection are not replicas, but a tribute in form and material, created out of wonder at the details, rituals and craftsmanship behind the clothing and the market. The title stimulates the imagination and invites personal interpretation by both the maker and the viewer.

TAMAR ALON | ‘Modular Hospitality’ reflects the ethos of hosting. It begins as a single bench, but when fully open becomes nine chairs. The bench is composed of three modular units. Each unit can transform to three chairs, using a simple sliding mechanism.

LÉONIE SANCHEZ | In/Mano, a collection of everyday garments that explore the dress glove and its historical disappearance, providing contemporary reinterpretations of this formal piece of clothing.

MAK STUDIO | Multifunctional furniture pieces. ​
Our highlights of Dutch Design Week so far in Eindhoven, the Netherlands where we hear about the future of sustainable design and visit Design Academy Eindhoven graduation show.

In audio visuals: Christophe Boulmer ‘You Rest, You Rust’ reframing the Norwegian cabin fireplace as a site for exploring ritual, decay, and cultural identity. An enlarged model of the fireplace from the designer’s family cabin is fitted with a MIDI controller that, in response to touch, triggers and distorts the sound of crackling wood. It is clad in veneers made from sandpaper, laminated after high-speed erosion.

With our wool Sennes purse crafted with 100% wool from Portugal and RERERE the world's first design label of renewed office furniture in the Netherlands.

Christophe Boulmer

Sennes

RERERE

Mexican Design In H&M Autumn 2025

H&M, founded in 1947 in Västerås, Sweden, began as a women’s clothing store. Over time, it grew into a global powerhouse with stores in over 70 countries. H&M, known for its affordable and trendy clothing, built its empire on speed and volume. This was achieved through quick production cycles and low prices. While their success is attributed to their fast fashion business model, H&M is now investing in textile-to-textile recycling through its joint venture with Renewcell, a Swedish innovator turning old garments into Circulose® pulp, used in new fabrics, and designer collaborations that tell richer stories by combining heritage, innovation, and underrepresented creators to reflect modern brand values.

That said, circularity is the cornerstone of H&M’s transformation. Producing less with key materials that include:
Organic Cotton & Recycled Polyester for basics.
TENCEL™ Lyocell for fluid dresses and blouses.
Innovative fabrics from waste: orange peel silk, pineapple fiber, and seaweed textiles under trial.

We support that!

H&M designer collaborations began teaming up with luxury labels nearly 20 years ago. It was in 2004 when they released its first-ever designer collaboration with the legendary Karl Lagerfeld, in 2005 with Stella McCartney, and the following year with Viktor & Rolf. Almost 20 years later, a promising Mexican designer, Lorena Saravia, is on their radar!

My love for dressmaking runs in the family, so such relationships with my garments and the craft behind them had led me to research, write, and produce artistic installations and a short documentation in 2021, with established artists and designers from around the world. So I couldn’t miss this opportunity to continue supporting conscious Mexican design for my birthday month. Treating myself to silhouettes that nod to my Mexican maternal dressmaking heritage and my father’s ranching roots with pieces by this renowned Mexican designer, is magical! Some of Lorena Saravia’s pieces are part of the H&M collaboration Premium Selection.

Now, when my stunning items arrived, I was glad to witness the great quality of the garments. One of the main reasons I stopped buying H&M fashion a long time ago was the poor quality of their clothes. The disturbing news stories about poor working conditions for workers also prompted me to step away and continue supporting anthropological and sociological research that favor conscious practices in the fashion industry.


 H&M x LORENA SARAVIA

My initial choice for H&M x LORENA SARAVIA was the SUEDE CAPE JACK WITH FRINGES and the SUEDE BOOTS IN WESTERN STYLE, but they were unavailable. So I chose the CLUTCH and the PLEAT-FRONT TWILL PANTS. Both pieces embody femininity and strike a balance between contemporary and timeless styles. What I love the most about these items is the great design and the quality. They truly speak to my Mexican heart. I love the soft natural colours of the pants and the clutch. The clutch shape, a rectangular bag beautifully braided in suede, and the lining are 100% cotton twill. It’s a stylish daytime clutch ideal for casual outings. It includes an adjustable, detachable shoulder strap with metal carabiner hooks. The full-length, baggy-fit pants are made in rigid cotton twill with a front zipper engraved with the designer’s logo and a wide waistband tab with discreet side pockets. These pants are unique because I didn’t have anything similar in my wardrobe.  They’re two modern, versatile pieces that combine strength and elegance, so rooted in my heritage. 

Fast fashion has long been synonymous with overproduction, pollution, and exploitation. However, even industry giants can adapt, and we are happy to learn that H&M, one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, is demonstrating this evolution.

H&M x LORENA SARAVIA features only a 29-piece collection currently available online via H&M.

Amsterdam Fashion Week 2025

Today at Amsterdam Fashion Week, with our critic’s shoes as part of the audience for the talk with THORA VALDIMAR and JEANETTE MADSEN, founders and creative directors of ROTATE Birger Christensen.

What did we like the most?

This event is taking place at THE HUB on Sept. 3 and 4, where several AFW Talks led by well-known designers, editors, and industry leaders meet and where visitors find inspiration and join workshops led by creative professionals. The HUB offers a cool space to learn, exchange ideas, and network with others in the fashion world. Our score: 9.

Do we think this event achieved its goals? 

Sure! We would’ve liked to know further about ROTATE’s main manufacturer location and how they are tackling overproduction or what they do with the items people return and previous years’ collections.

Why did we decide to attend this event?
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Because their style is bold and speaks to our feminist identity without undermining femininity.
​Sterre Elaine, a personal story in fashion, celebrates empowerment and confidence through designs inspired by heritage, passions, and family. Elaine offers a sustainable expression of self, from childhood dreams to handcrafted pieces honouring the strength behind her name.
In Tunisia, Turkey, Jerusalem, and Morocco, we had the opportunity to immerse in the regional women’s fashion scene. These historical and culturally rich destinations showcase a distinct style that diverges significantly from our director’s own upbringing (Mexico) and current residence in the Netherlands.

Recently, during Amsterdam Fashion Week, we had the privilege of engaging with two young designers who seamlessly blend traditional elements with contemporary aesthetics. SUITS for her and MAZIYA, shared their creative journey on this platform, providing valuable insights into their designs.

In line with the overarching message of Life Is A Cultural Thread, which emphasizes the significance of intersectional inclusion in the domains of culture, art, and design, we believe that this experience underscores the importance of fostering an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and respects the unique identities of individuals. Equality. SocialAwareness. Diversity.
Amsterdam Fashion Week 2025 hit the runway this weekend, and we were off to Georgette Koning, editor-in-chief of Dutch magazine MIRROR MIRROR, for an interview with Maria Kublin on her father’s book Balenciaga-Kublin.

Balenciaga-Kublin celebrates fashion photographer Tom Kublin, who worked with couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga during the golden age of haute couture in Paris, the 1950s and 1960s.

Balenciaga-Kublin is written by Ana Balda, a fashion lecturer, researcher, and curator, and Maria Kublin, a curator and editor with a focus on fashion and photography, with text contributions by Miren Vives, director of the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum; the model Katinka Bleeker, who was Tom Kublin's partner and muse; the fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri; and Lydia Slater, editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar UK.

Maria Kublin is a posthumous child, and what she knows about her progenitor comes from secondary sources. As she describes in the book, the most important source is her mother, Katinka, a leading fashion model and her father's muse.

The book is a beautiful photo journey of Balenciaga’s creations. This visual material, as Maria Kublin puts it, represents one of the most creative unions in fashion history, with a great selection of Tom Kublin's work, as it shows his contribution to fashion photography.


What is Georgette Koning, editor-in-chief of Dutch magazine MIRROR MIRROR, story?

According to Georgette’s Vintaaage Magazine, our personal style is a continuous process. A test of time and a collection of stories. A blouse that belonged to your dear grandma, or that other garment that has had multiple lives versus a fast-fashion product that sometimes doesn’t survive after a wash.

In this edition of her magazine, Georgette presents the story behind people’s style and their relationship with clothes. Garments from their closets that surprisingly give them happiness and pleasure.

Stepping Into Autumn

August 2025

Sand dunes that inspire our creative process. Learning the wisdom from the nature, plants and flowers that survive the strength of the coastal wind, salt, and sand.
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Feat. crochet bag handmade by J. del Carmen Calderón de la Barca Villagomez

Curating Craft

Viviana’s mother embroidery. An art form using needles, ribbons and threads to enhance a hand towel. Handmade in 2005 in Mexico.

Viviana’s great-niece's elementary school graduation dress. Handmade by Luisa in 2025 in Mexico.

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Documentation as storytelling.

CPK Bankitos

Special design born in the spring of 2025

WE AT MODEFABRIEK

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WE AT MODEFABRIEK 2025
In 2025, we, at Viviana M. C. De La Barca mark five years in the movement and collective advocacy of textile reuse and recycling.

To celebrate this milestone and continue raising awareness, on 6 & 7 July we visit ModeFabriek 2025 — Amsterdam’s fashion trade event happening every year in the Netherlands. For this year’s edition, fashion labels mash up in an impressive dynamic new location spreading out across multiple buildings in the town of Zaandam.

Our Besties

We LOVE seeing more conscious and pre-loved vintage resellers with stunning garments from mid-priced brands to high-end designers, vintage treasures, and collector's items.

We were thrilled with MODEFABRIEK X RESHARE space:
​a niche giving surplus stock a second life and a spot to reshare textile reuse.

The RESPONSIBLE ROUTE is another highlight:
​a guide along brands that take responsibility and commit to reducing negative impact.

Watch our clip featuring young talent in the SPOTLIGHT
​featuring Alegra Collective, Where’Els and Freja Studio.

Homage to

Mexican Urban Art & Design