Runway
Celebrate 10 years of Malne La Maison with a dive into their latest runway collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid. Founded by Paloma Alvarez and Juanjo Mánez, explore how this pioneering "Slow Fashion" house transforms classic silhouettes through masterful fabric interventions, distressing, and structural crystal embroidery to create an ethical, breathtaking wardrobe.
Updated 12:20 pm EDT, March 26, 2026
Published 12:19 pm EDT, March 26, 2026
Photo Courtesy: © IFEMA MADRID
Celebrate 10 years of Malne La Maison with a dive into their latest runway collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid. Founded by Paloma Alvarez and Juanjo Mánez, explore how this pioneering "Slow Fashion" house transforms classic silhouettes through masterful fabric interventions, distressing, and structural crystal embroidery to create an ethical, breathtaking wardrobe.
Updated 12:20 pm EDT, March 26, 2026
Published 12:19 pm EDT, March 26, 2026
Photo Courtesy: © IFEMA MADRID
The Malne La Maison brand has, for the last 10 years, consistently created impeccable collections handcrafted in its atelier in Madrid, using haute couture techniques and materials. What is more intriguing and frankly impressive is that Malne is a pioneer in “Slow Fashion”. “Slow fashion”, as a reminder, is a movement and mindset that advocates a sustainable, ethical, and mindful approach to clothing. It is the direct opposite of “fast fashion,” which relies on rapid production cycles, low-quality materials, and fleeting trends.
Kudos to Malne’s two founders, Paloma Alvarez and Juanjo Mánez. They are an incredibly important part of the fashion industry in Spain with extensive experience as stylists and creatives for large companies and specialized editorial titles, such as Vogue and Elle.
Since 2016, Malne La Maison has been defined by its feminine silhouettes, full of personality and strength. Malne is widely recognized for specific design elements, including Pagoda shoulder pads that stylize the neck and back, bias-cut sleeves, and palazzo pants. And of course, we cannot forget their adherence to sustainability. The brand focuses on limited series and unique pieces to avoid industrial surpluses and promote responsible consumption.
What is comforting and distinctive about Malne is that they study their clients based on their personality and needs. The brand wants to know what is essential for these clients to make each purchase a unique experience and to create a quality wardrobe that lasts over time. Supporting this view is their statement: “Our mission is to create the world in which we want to live, and it is a world in which clothing does not cost a high price for the planet.”
The new collection for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid is a declaration of love for fashion. The looks in this collection were a tribute to the classic Malne silhouette with updated variations throughout its 10 years of existence. The brand used luxurious fabrics such as Mikado silk (which is stiffer than traditional silk), cashmere wool, and velvet. The color palette was primarily noir black, gold, tangerine orange, vibrant green, and a mauve purple.
But what truly caught the eye and wonder was its “distressed” and “intervened” fabric, which refers to a high-quality base fabric that has been physically altered before final construction. The distressed fabrics in this collection were intentionally frayed, slashed, or layered to achieve that look. What goggled our eyes even further was the surface modification made to other fabrics that elevated classic plaids and animal patterns into something breathtaking. The brand intentionally hand-painted, heat-treated, or structurally manipulated the fabric to alter the textile’s original texture. The house also used crystal embroidery not just for decoration, but as a structural bridge to highlight these interventions.
One specific outfit that absolutely popped out from the other beautiful outfits was a golden diaphanous jacket, metallic bronze turtle-neck blouse, and plaid palazzo trousers. The jacket was a glorious transparent gold that shimmered and seemed to glow. It was transcending. The fabric was modified to be stiffer while still draping in a flowing style. The plaid palazzo pants were wide and were also modified to shimmer. Altogether, the outfit did what fashion is meant to do. They present traditional styles with a new, unique eye.
Another ensemble, which was again transformed by the material, was an elegant blouse and a high-waisted skirt. There was a delicately crafted leopard blouse in a shimmering, more structured fabric that still gave a soft, flowing vibe. The high-waisted plaid skirt was fitted and, again, modified to shimmer and sparkle in the light. Like mythical alchemists, Malne has transmuted a classic style into pieces that can make you gasp. I wanted to highlight this specific outfit because it perfectly demonstrates this collection’s unique aesthetic.
In the midst of the runway, Malne showed an outfit that demonstrated yet another strength, which is an avant-garde style. It was an asymmetrical open plaid jacket in black, with a sheer turtle-neck blouse and yummy, rich black leather pants. The jacket had a daring cutout in the back, and from the front sat on the model in a fascinating way. It was alluring and absolutely unique. The jacket this time shimmered with crystal black-and-white flowers appliqued on the bottom in a very insouciant manner. The leather pants were beautifully made and looked lush and comfortable.
The future for Malne will include moving beyond garments. The brand launched its first accessories collection, including party bags and jewelry. Also, like many fashion houses post-COVID, Malne is carefully investing in a digital flagship experience that emphasizes “Slow Fashion” and allows clients to commission custom, on-demand designs directly from the Madrid atelier.
We should also expect continued experimentation with modified fabrics. Paloma Álvarez and Juanjo Mánez need to be lauded not only for doubling down on fashion that does not destroy our world, but also for creating clothes that draw on the past but are transformed through innovation into fashion-forward pieces that fashionistas will adore.
Recovering from an obsession with Italian-designed menswear, Alfonso decided to take a deeper look into women’s fashion to see how our relationship among clothing, society, and business has changed. Educated as an economist with an MBA, he travels between Chicago, Miami, and Mexico on a search to see what happens next to fashion.
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