Sitting down with Adolf Maldonado feels like having a conversation with an old friend as we swiftly become acquainted across the screen. Later, we’ll discuss our shared disdain for an increasingly tech-driven world, but for now, Google Meets serves its purpose.
Looking back to his formative days, Adolf paints a picture of a time when fashion was a family affair. Between stealing barbie dolls from his sister and crafting their own miniature looks, and spending days in the atelier of his dressmaker mother, he proves there really is no siesta for the style obsessed. Even as a child he was laying the foundations for his future successes.
“I would help her [my mum] unpick things and see how items were made. All these things help me make clothes now. It’s like muscle memory. I know it’s my calling to make clothes.”
From the streets of Spain to the runways of London Fashion Week, that call has certainly been answered. Reflecting on his LFW debut, the recent London Metropolitan University graduate offers a deeper insight into his finished looks. Characterised by intricate textures, confident structures, and natural colours, the collection, titled ARTHROPODA, blends traditional haute couture with nature’s captivating forms.
Adolf tells us: “Right now, everything is so technological and artificial. There is so much AI – we’re disconnecting from the natural world in a sense. I just wanted to have something that’s close to nature, something ethereal and organic.”
True to his word, Adolf weaves meaning and intentionality into every piece. Look Nine, a personal favourite, takes flight as an homage to the Valley carpenter bee, echoing the vibrant mustard-gold tones of its muse – a look that, I’m told, Maldonado himself has even worn on a trip to Tesco’s for a meal deal. Made from Mongolian sheep shearling, the coat’s exaggerated proportions command attention, its bold colour delivering a striking sting. Similarly, inspired by the black moth, Look 10 showcases specialised hand-sewing techniques that seamlessly translate the density of the winged creature.
There’s an undeniable irony in bugs becoming the face of high fashion, but Adolf explains the rationale behind the collection. “With insects, I started looking at microscopic photography. When you look at a picture up close, you get so many textures and so many colours. They’re kind of ugly, but in their own beautiful way.” As unappealing as they may be to the untrained eye, for Adolf, their subtle details open the door to endless possibilities.
Drawing on the freedom of the natural world, he refuses to confine his work to any one gender. Looking through a historic lens, Adolf talks us through the thought process behind his inclusive looks. “Clothes have no gender. You know, only kings would wear heels, and the higher the heel, the more masculine and more respectable the king was. Pink used to be the most masculine colour, and now it’s more feminine. Men and women used to wear dresses, until they [men] decided it was more comfortable to wear trousers to ride horses in war.”
Every decision is intentional, down to model choice. “I showcased on men because everything that is different is showcased on women – slay, love that – but, in menswear right now, it’s either suits or tracksuits. Everything else is hyper camp – like super tiny crop tops that are all super gimmicky. People that don’t wear the classical suit don’t have to wear the bright pink top with Pikachu or the super cropped mesh top. There is a medium.”
Adolf’s garments certainly represent a middle-ground for those looking for it. Nevertheless, he is still quick to show his appreciation for flamboyance in fashion: “I love camp. I wear those slutty corsets – but there is more than that too.”
As we wrapped up our lunchtime exchange, the conversation shifted to what’s next for the young talent.
“At the minute, it’s just getting my name out there, and figuring out my clientele. I do slow fashion, and I use all organic natural fabrics and materials which are good for the environment and durable.”
Reflecting on the value of longevity in everyday clothing, he points out, “you see some faux fur coats now, you buy them, it’s £300 or £400, and three weeks later it looks like a mop you’ve used to sweep the floor for five years. But then you get your grandma’s – or great grandma’s – fur coat and it looks like you just bought it. With plastic leather and faux fur, they’re non-biodegradable, so it’ll take more than 100 years to just start to decompose. Isn’t it better to wear something that’s amazing, good quality, and it just screams you?”
With his next collection already in the works, drawing inspiration from the delicate intricacies of stick insects, Adolf proves if there’s one thing every wardrobe needs. Clothing that speaks, sings, and screams from the soul.