Moncaya, a Spanish singer-songwriter based in Mexico, opened Sandra Weil’s latest show with a performance that raised two questions that took the audience by surprise: What is it to be human? Where is our humanity?
The collection, called Lo-Tek, “which refers to the technology of nature,” seeks to answer the above questions from a contemporary perspective, with technology and artificial intelligence as new players in our daily lives. “This collection is an exercise, a question, an invitation to reflect on what makes us human and how we differ from this intelligence: What is truly ours? What is really our humanity? What is our own human, spiritual technology?,” Weil explained backstage. “It’s an invitation, rather than to fear these new technologies or intelligences, to explore ourselves, to not be afraid.”
Weil approached this metaphorically, dividing the collection into blocks. The first featured white garments reminiscent of astronauts, introducing the theme of technology and its advances as a common thread—or concern—with unexpected accessories like cables, symbolizing connectivity, another recurring theme in the collection. This was followed by a more earthly block, with nature-inspired colors, prints, and motifs that resembled veins—or perhaps roots? Then came the psychedelic block, with brighter colors but still combining the leitmotif of technology and nature. The final block presented party dresses in darker tones with shiny details, which the designer defined as a “more cosmic” segment.
Weil also embraced a literal interpretation of the themes that moved her this season, using prints that resembled the connection lines seen inside a memory card. These adorned key pieces from her brand’s catalog, including her popular bustier and pleated baggy pants, as well as new additions like minidresses, shorts, and vests.
For a collection that started with profound, difficult-to-answer questions, Weil managed to offer a fresh and optimistic proposal with a younger and more playful profile. Maybe that is what distinguishes humans from machines—the ability to find optimism, even in a piece of clothing.
