Argentinean Roots

In the late 1990s, the Argentinean fashion industry anointed Trosman Churba the chosen duo to bring the country fashion notoriety. But despite the label's international success, partners Jessica Trosman and Martin Churba decided to split in 2002. Instead of leaving their country to search for new fashion stars, each struck out with their own labels—Trosman and Tramando—which recently, albeit separately, have created buzz in fashion circles and started flying out of stores.

Jessica Trosman's eponymous womenswear label takes basic elements from the handcrafted aesthetic typical of South American design while paying homage to her inspiration, Rei Kawakubo. For fall, there is a brownish-maroon, knee-length dress equipped with a shawl that's adjustable by a drawstring and a sleeveless top is decorated with only a gathering of fabric, resembling an abstract rendering of a rosette. The label's trademark beadwork—in varying sheens, shapes, and sizes—cluster the bust of a maroon tank top, while random explosions of jet-black beads encrust another. Though jersey pervades the collection, this ubiquitous fabric is strategically embellished and precisely constructed, so that Trosman's loosely silhouetted garments steer clear from frumpiness, and instead adorn the wearer's body with an understated sultriness. Trosman is available at Dernier Cri, Intermix, and Via Bus Stop in New York.

While Trosman is in specialty stores, Tramando is taking a giant leap into the retail scene with the opening of a boutique in the Meatpacking District of New York. At the store's entrance, one is greeted by a large elliptical structure mimicking an egg, which serves as a home for the collection. According to Churba, the structure is a symbol of "new life and new ideas," which extends to the label's trademark experiments with fabrication techniques. For fall, Churba had the orchestra in mind. In a sheer, gauzy, champagne-colored blouse, the array of beads resembles the seating arrangement of the philharmonic while in a scarf, tapioca-like balls cling to each intersection of a cocoon-like scarf. Two-toned pleated skirts and dresses recall the strings of a harpsichord, and the wild surface treatment of the tartan pieces not only dispels typical Scottish connotations but also embody the discordant harmony of instruments.

For spring '06, travel is on the agenda—Tramando showed in Tokyo, and for inspiration, he journeyed through the fertile plains of the Pampas and plundered the rich colors of the Chola Empire. Blouses, sundresses, and tiered skirts—in hues of siennas, indigos, and lush greens—were floridly decorated with flower prints (some prints were stamped on with real objects, leaving a natural trace on the fabric), and geometric shapes of a tribal sensibility added a whiff of bohemia. But what's impressive is the cotton-gauze fabric; developed with Textil Balto, it's so light that it not only adds a certain delicacy to the collection, but an indication of Tramando's superb skill at textile innovation.

Last summer, we introduced you to Magdalena Marcenaro and Denise Razzouk, and along with Cecilia De Bucourt (she created the hand-knit shawl worn by Jessica Simpson which was all the rage last summer), Trosman, and Tramando, these designers are not only forging a distinctively Argentinean aesthetic, they are waging war on Brazil as the main incubator of South American fashion talents. However, both should be wary—Colombia is gaining ground.
-Robert Cordero

Photos:
1-2 Trosman a/w '05-'06
Tramando s/s '06
4-5 Tramando a/w '05-'06