Alejandro Gómez Palomo celebrated the start of a new chapter for his Palomo label with a show at Madrid Fashion Week.
“It’s a return to the roots, to where it all started,” said the Spanish designer, who previously staged runway displays in New York City and Paris.
With a new investor and chief executive officer, the brand is in transformation mode as it gears up for its 10th anniversary in 2026. So far this year, it has rebranded as Palomo from Palomo Spain, launched womenswear, and moved its headquarters to Madrid from his hometown of Posadas in southern Spain.
It’s fair to say that Palomo also shed his skin, to a degree. Gone were the fringes, feathers and faux fur of his last New York outing a year ago. Instead, he channeled his signature genderfluid aesthetic into crisp, wearable pieces in a light palette inspired by Sofia Coppola’s films.
Models paraded through a ballroom in the recently renovated Palace hotel for the lunchtime show.
Lampshade dresses with petticoat skirts came in sugared almond shades, while graphic contrasting bows appeared on everything from peplum leather jackets to crisp poplin blouses and slinky ribbed knit tube dresses.
For the men, there were fresh takes on the twin set: think matching jackets and short shorts in pastel leather, cotton or taffeta, for a sweetly subversive effect. Billowing shirts covered in Swarovski crystals and ruffle appliqué trim should please his core clientele.
While it represented a major departure, Palomo said designing his first fully fledged women’s collection was easier than expected.
“It’s been something that has stressed me for years: I wanted to do womenswear, and I was kind of insecure,” Palomo said. “Now that I’m doing it, I realize that it’s exactly the same process, the same references, the same ideas — only different bodies.”
He titled the line “Eighteen” because it was both his 18th collection and a coming of age moment. “It was perfect, because that’s what we feel right now as well: that we’re becoming an adult, being independent, leaving home,” he said.
The confident show signaled the brand is gearing up for the next stage of growth, with footwear and handbags in the pipeline. “We’re ready to take on the world,” Palomo said with a grin.