The young designer Juan Varela presents with his team the fashion photography project 'Varela', an editorial that claims the visibility of the queer community

Recién graduado en diseño de moda por la ESD en Madrid, Juan Varela es un joven creativo capaz de mezclar el activismo con su trabajo. Con la intención de lanzar un mensaje sobre el desprestigio de la comunidad queer racializada en la sociedad de nuestros días, este diseñador presenta el editorial de moda ‘Varela‘, una serie de instantáneas que aúnan el talento y esfuerzo de cada uno de los componentes de este equipo de artistas.

La intención fue la de crear una ‘protesta’ que reflejara la estética y gustos del diseñador y mostrara la cara B de la moda desde una perspectiva que elevara la reivindicación y esencia clásica de la industria. Así, este proyecto ha personificado el mensaje por el que las nuevas generaciones queremos luchar: una sociedad equitativa en la que los derechos humanos y las oportunidades sean iguales para todxs.

Varela x Juan Varela

Dirección creativa: Juan Varela (@juanvareladuarte)Fotografía: Carlota Olmo (@carlota.olmo)Asistente: Laura Doublez (@lauradoublez)MUA: Amy Lezaun (@amy.lezaun)Prints: Eguen Yeregüi(@evioletti)Diseño de moda: Juan VarelaModelos: Megane Mercury (@meganemercury),Jennifer Acst (@jenniferacst), (@tadinosaurio),(@p0lemik), Juan VarelaEntrevista: Antonio Alfaro (@antoni0alfaro)(@varela______________)

Cuéntanos un poco de ti. ¿Quién es Juan Varela?Difícil pregunta. Soy diseñador, vestuarista, estilista y modelo argentino, criado en Pamplona que se lanza a todas las oportunidades que se le presentan.

What did you want to convey with this project?... What is the message you want to convey to the world? I want to show a different face from the world of fashion, slower and vindictive. I feel that the panorama that we live in Spain, especially queer people, migrants or racicalizadxes inspires an answer in the form of rebellion. And this at a certain age presents itself as a duty rather than a right, this is what I wanted to translate and I will continue to represent with the mark.

How did the initiative to create this project come about? creating images is something that has always interested me, and to launch this new project, launching my brand was very important communication, as everything is digital in 2021. I think a powerful campaign is important to put any artistic project at the forefront.

¿Qué representan los modelos en este editorial?… ¿Y los objetos que llevan en sus manos?En esta editorial quería simular una protesta, y los objetos sirven de apoyo para esta historia; creé con Laura Doublez el arte de la sesión y queríamos representar de forma fantástica, exagerada y estética una procesión, en un lenguaje de poses duras y esculturales que creo que caracterizan mi estética.

¿Has tenido alguna inspiración a la hora de diseñar Varela?La inspiración que toma este punto de partida para la marca, este primer lanzamiento es la estética de artistas en los años 70, Prince, Cher, Michael, ya que encuentro una similitud entre lo que representó el movimiento disco en esta época y la situación que vivimos actualmente. Era a su vez una protesta y una válvula de escape para la asfixia que sentían ante la represión.

How do you imagine ten years from now?... I'D like to keep exploring things, I'm a very restless person and I always try to have any kind of open project, whether it's making clothes, dressing someone, a video clip, a shoot, some photos... I like to try everything. So I wouldn't know how I imagine myself ten years from now, but I hope to be happy and grateful for what I have and where I am.

What relationship do you have with creative leadership? I feel there is a great deal of ambiguity lately with this word. I am interested in creative direction and being at the forefront of things, as I have been in this case, but I am exploring different ways of working, and for example right now I love working as a team and how a collaborative work is developed, like moving gears.

¿Cuál es la parte que más disfrutaste creando este editorial?Definitivamente trabajar en un buen ambiente, con amigos, y los que no son amigos que se conviertan en amigos. Estoy muy agradecido de poder contar con Amy Lezaun, maquilladora con un talento increíble que elevó la editorial a otro nivel con su técnica y uso del color. Con Megane Mercury, amigue que también esta dispuesto a todo, y todos los demás que participaron. Sea cual sea el resultado, de esta forma todo sienta mejor, con un sentido de comunidad.

"I want to show a different face from the world of fashion, slower and vindictive. I feel that the panorama we live in Spain, especially queer people, migrants or racicalizadxes, inspires a response in the form of rebellion. "

The garments that appear in Varela you have designed yourself. Does that print have any specific meaning or is it simply aesthetic? I created this first collection of swimsuits with prints from Eguen Yeregüi 's hand. I wanted something that included the stars, and he created this beautiful pattern, we were looking for an aesthetic in this case. The illustration of the long swimsuit is a work of art totally, and tells the myth of Artemis, who to escape Orion's attempted rape asks for help from the scorpion, an element that we found super interesting for the collection. Clothes like the shirt and the peto I create to give more context to the universe of the brand.

What do you think of the fashion market in our country? Do you think young designers have more opportunities than ever? I think that young designers are being given the opportunity to have exposure, visibility, and that seems to be what we want in the digital age. We want to be able to live from what we do, and live with dignity. There are a lot of people right now taking advantage of young people's work, I see it firsthand every day. Visibility is a double-edged sword because it is necessary to be successful but working to be seen requires a lot of work and time, many emerging brands now have a single person working day and night behind to pull it all out, and having to work on something secondary to be able to live because their project is not profitable yet. Makeup makers and stylists working for free or investing their own money in it... It is the sad reality of young artists in Spain. That is why I am proud to have been able to invest in my project and have paid everyone who has been involved in one way or another, out of respect for work.

"I am proud to have been able to invest in my project and have paid everyone who has been involved in one way or another, out of respect for work."

Finally Juan, we have talked about what Varela represents and the message he wants to convey, but what is the meaning of this project for you? to me it is a super personal expression of myself. I'm both the producer and the product. By doing things from this point of view I cannot fail, because even if I failed, I would have done it my way and I will have taken the lead. I keep feeling the thousand ways I have to pull this off, and I know that my perseverance and honesty will bring me to fruition. I am happy about how everything has been given, the support I have received and what I am getting to represent, and I look forward to throwing more things.