Using fabrics in myriad exciting forms in order to design bold and unconventional couture dresses is something that the fashion industry insiders always admire in a designer. Why so? Mainly because there is a need to look beyond and put on outfits which genuinely speak to the core of fashionistas!

And the one designer working alongside this parameter elegantly from the start is a Montreal-based couturier Antonio Ortega. For him, fashion is being one step closer to inciting social movement and evolution he often imagines himself to be part of.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, we sit down with him to find out how his love of fashion began to take shape, what message he wants to give through his intricately playful creations and much more.

Ortega discovered his passion for fashion at age 8. One day, he secretly took his mother’s sewing machine for the sake of designing what was his first dress ever with the help of a pattern he stumbled upon in a magazine. “I turned to fashion to express myself, my sense of appreciation for the aesthetic and the form of the human body, and the desire to create a movement,” he says.

Originally from Morelia which is a culturally rich metropolis in Mexico, he had the privilege at hand to study at Instituto Modstil where he learnt other disciplines such as theater, classical and contemporary dance, folklore, music, design, sculpture, painting, and singing. As a matter of fact, they are all still his passions.

Chasing his fashion dream in perfect sync, he came to Paris in 2001 to study haute couture at the prestigious fashion school “Atelier Chardon Savard”. Not satisfied with it, he took another huge step as part of this in the form of working as an apprentice for Dominique Sirop (French designer) at the same time. It guaranteed him a chance to hone his skills in couture on a more practical level.

Having spent this invaluable time under the aegis of Sirop, he quickly went on to launch his eponymous label the same year. What we have got out of that is Ortega’s edgy yet cool designs that reflect his Mexican-Canadian-French roots blended with his cosmopolitan and multiple life experience. “I love to mix noble materials with technologically advanced fibers and natural ones,” he says.

He is always pushing the envelope with new possibilities like tattoos on leather, patchy finishing. In that case, he is also great at juxtaposing neoprene and waterproof material with silk, cotton, cashmere and bamboo. “I just enjoy doing the unthinkable,” Ortega admits. “I feel emboldened by it.”

Even the most insignificant things he sees or feels can stir up his volume of interest. And so he believes his creations are an authentic way to bare his soul for all to see. “My dresses are all about pleasure in life and having an optimistic spirit,” he says.

Choosing what fabrics to work with for his seemingly daring collections, Ortega relies on a sensual approach for this. “I love the phenomenon of touching and caressing,” he says. “The color part is also important. It’s the soul and essence of Antonio Ortega. Color and light have intense power which automatically adds a blissful touch to the way we live.”

While he agrees that clothes have to be functional, they shouldn’t be just that. There are other things to chew on as well. “Expressing oneself through what one chooses to wear is as important as breathing, eating or loving,” he says. “It’s about experiencing inner fulfillment through the medium of beautiful dresses at the end of the day.”

Ortega’s bold and gorgeous pieces are designed to suit the style of women who are audacious, sensual and elegant. “They constantly enjoy physical sensation, have a lot of self-confidence and feel good about their bodies,” he says. “Touching their senses is what I tend to emphasize upon.”

For his dashing FW15-16 collection titled “MUMMIFIC”, Ortega’s attention falls on the MUMMY world full of eccentricities. It lets one to see mysterious bandages, clothes sashaying over the body, besides being sensual and fragile.

Dark tones are often enhanced with touches of light; the curves of the waist and hips are draped with bands of color, graphic shapes, and contrasting shades. Dresses, suits, skirts, shorts, pants, overcoats and jackets are replete with sets of embroidery, knitting, weaving, enriched effects, the wink of an eye and a brilliant sheen.

Look anywhere through the collection, there is a theme of boldness running through as the conventional designs have been re-imagined with mixtures of materials, or seemingly casual fringes. On the other hand, for SS16 couture collection titled “Encounters”, he goes on to exploring the beauty of itinerant as travelers’ experiences often get enriched with what they come across on their voyage. He constructs his clothing landscapes, blending camaïeu, shine, contrast — be it tormented or ever so slight — and chiffon, silk crepe, cotton, tweed, riveted leather, taffeta, feathers and rhinestones to form a collection for the seductive, sensuous woman. “I got to meet three remarkable women all quite good at their work: Señora Inés, Señora Camerina Teresa (virtuosos in the art of crochet), and Véronique Loupe (at making lace),” Ortega says.

When it comes to fondly selecting his muses, Ortega is mostly fascinated by opposites and contrasts — the line where the sky and ocean meet, where sadness turns into laughter. “Those are the places where my ideas start coming to me in droves,” he says.

He was waiting for the right moment to launch his ready-to-wear collection. And when it did, he clearly made waves. “I wanted to reach more people. With couture, it wasn’t possible since it’s for a very small group of people. I want to continue doing it, but also offer my creativity to more men and women out there,” he points out.

With the introduction of ready-to-wear now, Ortega’s next possible plan is to develop a line of beauty products and accessories as he intends to make his brand inclusive of everything an international fashion brand must have in its portfolio. Besides, he has one more agenda that he wants done against all odds. “I would like to promote the work of the artisans who are keeping traditional techniques alive. I want the Antonio Ortega lifestyle to be all about elegance but also about respect for some of the traditions of humanity that I appreciate,” he says.

While celebrities’ endorsement can sometimes help spread the word about a designer’s work, he thinks it’s much more powerful when the general public starts to enjoy your work. That’s when even success can easily be defined as he puts it this way, “It is all about being yourself, staying authentic and grounded in who you are and not pretending to be someone else. And respecting all the professionals you work with — the ones that bring your shows to life.”

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