mainframe apparel
SPANISH DESIGNER ALBA BAMBAM
TAKES GETTING DRESSED INTO THE
DIGITAL REALM.How did BAMBAM come to be? The label was born just over
a year ago. I’d been working in communications and lost my job,
but suddenly felt the need to communicate my own project to the
world. BAMBAM is the result of mixing my great passions:
fashion, design and communication.
Describe the BAMBAM aesthetic in five words. Funny, colourful,
nostalgic, millennial and sarcastic.
Talk us through the concept behind this collection, ASAP.
ASAP is a criticism of the dizzying speed with which we move
today, and the hyperconnectivity that technological advancement has
brought on. We are slaves to a movement that, at the same time,
keeps us voluntarily hooked with the pull of social networks.
How is technology represented in the range? Keeping faithful
to our fresh and colourful aesthetic, we’ve translated this 2.0 drama
into wearable satire. The patterns are fairly unisex, with t-shirts,
polo shirts and short-sleeve shirts that remind us of the geek
aesthetic from Silicon Valley in the ’90s. We’ve also made use
of iconography related to the internet and software.
What were you watching or listening to while designing?
I sincerely prefer silence when I’m trying to design! However,
I absorb inspiration from my daily life. The song that’s playing
on the bus, the colours of a scruffy flyer... it’s all fresh inspiration.
What kinds of silhouettes and materials have you used? Straight
lines and sporty shapes will always be a fundamental part of our
collections. Our knitwear has been made in Aranjuez, Spain with
Egyptian cotton, and our ‘Ctrl-Z’ earrings were also produced locally
with 100 per cent biodegradable plastic.
And what about the colour palette? TECHNICOLOUR! We love to use
primary colours, and pink, of course. Bright colours are justified in
this collection, because they remind us of the brightness of a screen.
How do you hope people will feel when they wear your clothes?
Openly represented and like they’re having a really good day. If you
choose BAMBAM to wear to a job interview, it’s because you know
you’re going to get that job!
What’s the trickiest part of designing a collection of clothing?
Getting all the pieces of the puzzle to fit well together. Also, being
willing to say goodbye to things that you’d really love to see on your
clothes, but they’re just too expensive.
What’s your creative space like? Describe it for us, please. My studio
is my father’s old workshop in Madrid. It’s colourful, illuminated and
has extreme temperatures – last winter I had to use gloves to work
on the computer! But I feel really inspired when I’m there.
What’s your dream for the future of the label? To be able to live
doing exactly the things I love! Having my own concept store shared
with other emerging brands would be amazing, too.
Where can we see more of your stuff? bambam.es or on Instagram
at @wearebambam.looks we like