Paula Canovas del Vas

Bizarre but Beautiful

If you are someone who tries to avoid dressing predictably, do we have a brand for you. Designer Paula Canovas del Vas runs her label with bold shapes and strong color. The style leans avant-garde and feels fearless.

 

©@paulacanovasdelvas

 

Her brand identity sits in one word: Diablo, Spanish for devil. With roots in Spain, the palette goes bright, the forms go surreal, and the mood stays playful in that devilish way that makes you grin.

 

Diablo Shoes ©@paulacanovasdelvas

 

A clear example is the Diablo Shoes. The toes curve inward instead of forming a sharp point. You have not seen this shape before. It is a special project she developed with her mother.

 

During her master’s at Central Saint Martins, she could not find a shoe that fit her project, so she made one. That process led to a new silhouette. The shape hints at an animal’s hoof. It also started with a comment from friends who said, “When you wear high heels, your legs look so thin that you are like Bambi.” She imagined shoes that Bambi might wear. She built that idea with 3D design and ended up with a look that feels odd and very appealing.

 

I Don't Do What Everyone Else Is Doing

Paula Canovas del Vas grew up in southern Spain, where her mother ran a small wedding dress shop. She spent much of her childhood in the atelier, and fashion became familiar early on. She earned her BA and MA at Central Saint Martins, then worked at Maison Margiela under John Galliano and at Gucci. Later, Ye noticed her work during his Kanye West era and brought her on as a creative advisor.

The start was simple, Ye saw photos of her collection and said, “Let’s work together.” Paula recalls her time working there as a crucial step in being able to successfully launch her own brand.

©@paulacanovasdelvas

 

She launched her own label in 2018. Uniformity bores her, so she challenges not just how clothes look but how they’re shown. She is stepping away from the standard runway format and building something that feels more alive.

“In that, we do not do catwalks, for example. We spend a lot of time reading, watching movies, doing research in general. We do not want to “throw away” all that work, which can take us six months or more, with a five-minute catwalk. It is absurd. That is why we like to create experiences that have a more personal touch and a post-exhibition life.”

 

Paula Canovas del Vas's VR installation, “See, Saw, Seen,” borrowed from director Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film, Rear Window. ©amazon.com

 

Ever since fashion shows became a thing in the 1950s, the dynamic has stayed the same. The audience watches passively, and the models are simply objects. Paula has always questioned this, arguing that the way we consume fashion needs a total overhaul. She’s now using her own brand to experiment with that idea.

 

PAULA CANOVAS DEL VAS SS25 FW24 FW25 ©paulacanovasdelvas.com

 

It All Comes Down to Connection

Her clothes feel refined and hand-touched, and that craft logic extends into everything she makes. Bags, dinnerware, blankets, all with the same DNA. She studies how garments interact with the body and the space around it, then designs objects that keep that conversation going.

 

©@paulacanovasdelvas

 

Japanese ideas show up in her work. She has dinnerware that channels Wabi-Sabi, finding beauty in imperfection. She also explores Ma, the space between things, the quiet air that sits between body and cloth. To her, clothes are more than a look. They are a living medium that connects you to the world around you through movement, context, and energy.

 

©@paulacanovasdelvas

 

I’ve always thought of clothing as the art form closest to our bodies.

Step into Paula Canovas del Vas’s beautiful and bizarre universe, even for a minute, and everyday life gets a little sharper, a little stranger, and a lot more interesting.