Hi Albert and Sebastián :) Thank you very much for agreeing to this interview.
First things first: how are you? But for real.
Hahahaha fine, although we are really tired and you catch us right now with a great desire to go eat some noodles:)
How did you meet and how was OnrushW23FH born?
We met at the University, we went to the same class and in the end, not being many in there, you end up getting along a little with everyone. @onrushw23fh as we know it now arose in 2020, when we came back to Barcelona after having lived in London for a while, and we were asked to be part of the 080 Barcelona Fashion Week. At that time we had been away for almost a year and we wanted to make a collection for fun, as we also missed the creative process.
How is the process of creating a brand? What was for you the most exciting / fun part, and what was the most tedious part?
From our point of view, creating a brand is quite a complicated process, especially because of the way the fashion industry works. From what we have been doing, which would be two years, we know that there is still a long way to do, but we believe that the most fun part was undoubtedly making the first collection. As we said before, the project started out of pure fun, so it was two months in which the only purpose was to have fun, to do what we really liked and what we have studied for. Plus we had the help of some friends, which made it even funnier. Also one of the coolest things has been to meet people who in the end have been indispensable in our day to day and share with them the moments when we have to work until late and we get silly. That is priceless, really.
On the other hand, the most tedious or complicated part, we believe it is when it comes the time to make the brand stand on its own. In the end, although it is a creative project and as we have referred to several times, fun, it is still a business in which the business environment plays a very important role, if not paramount.
Where does the name OnrushW23FH come from?
Well, on the one hand, Onrush comes from the fact that it is a bit of a reflection of how we worked at the University and also how we have conceived the world of fashion from the beginning, in a hurried way and with the feeling of being constantly late.
And on the other hand, W23FH is the reference of a flight we missed from Brussels to go to Spain. We had to make a very very long trip because there were no planes.
Could you tell us what is like a day in the studio and which tasks do you each perform?
Each day is quite different and depends a lot on the work or projects we have. We usually start the day at 10 a.m. and from there we start working. Currently, we have a part focused on the production and commercialization of the pieces that we have just presented and another part focused on the projects that come up. In this way, we try to cover as many things as possible: on the one hand everything that is computer as PR or pull outs for artists or magazines, and on the other hand all the subject of study, either production or development of a project.
Can you tell us a little bit about the idea behind each of the 3 collections?
Yes, of course. On the one hand, the first collection we did ("Almost There"), was based on the idea of being late, but focused mainly on a feeling that at that time we both shared, which is this pressure within the professional world to be constantly evolving and moving towards what we call "success" and the anguish that this produces when you feel that you are late to that goal. In this case, we relate and support it with the theory of the liquid society proposed by the philosopher Zygmunt Baumann, who spoke precisely about the speed under which our society lives and how ephemeral things are.
On the other hand, the second collection ("Liminal"), was based on a Greek artist, Takis, and his work around magnets and electromagnetism. This led us to talk about human relationships and analyze the world we live in and the way we interact with each other.
Finally, our most recent collection, which has no name, talks about chaos, especially the chaos or personal discomfort that a person (in this case, us) can go through. For this collection, two edges were super important: on the one hand Louise Bourgeois and her work "Spirals", as it speaks precisely of this sense of chaos, "living representation of the control of chaos and freedom". This interpretation of the figure of the "Spiral" is the main starting point of SS23. And on the other hand, another central axis of inspiration for Spring Summer 2023, is the work and specifically the project "Primal Matters" by the choreographer and performer Dimitris Papaioannou. This piece is a dialogue that deconstructs the human body of two male figures, merging both individuals into a single figure through a sophisticated and minimalist choreography that expresses an adventure of body and soul.
The elephant in the room. How did it come about to work with Rosalía for the costumes of Chicken Teriyaki? What was the creative process like? Do you think it was a before and after in terms of recognition?
In the beginning we were proposed to do the wardrobe for a project she had without knowing much about it. Once we said we would love to be part of it, they shared with us the ideas they had for the wardrobe, as well as the colors. They gave us a couple of hints about the theme and what they had in mind, and from there we started sketching until we got to the final result, which is what you saw in the video clip. The truth is that at the time we didn't think about the repercussion it was going to have, but more about how much we liked her and how we have had her as a reference on many occasions (not at a musical level, but as a creative), since we believe that she sells her imagery in an incredible way. But it is true that, seen with perspective, right now we do believe that it was a before and after in terms of recognition.
Other amazing artists and celebrities have worn your designs. Julia Fox, Rina Sawayana, Olivia Rodrigo, Emma Chamberlain... How does the contact between them and the brand usually come about? Does it still excite you every time it happens, or have you gotten used to it?
Normally the contact with these people and the brand is because their stylists get in touch with us, either because they are interested in someone specific to wear ONRUSHW23FH, or because they have a specific project for which they want to count on the brand. In relation to the question of whether we are still excited every time it happens or if we are used to it, the truth is that obviously we are always excited when someone we follow or admire wears ONRUSHW23FH. Even so, it is true that we have learned not to get excited until we see it, since it is still a styling job in which maybe our clothes are not always used, and for that reason there have been many projects for which we have been asked for pieces but in the end have not been a reality. For that reason, it is better to treat it as a work and one more project until we finally see it published.
What challenges or objectives do you have for the year 2023?
To continue growing as a brand, to be able to position our pieces in international wholesale stores and to launch a new collection for September.
Spanish brand that inspires you? Brand (from wherever) that you would like to collaborate with?
A Spanish brand that inspires us would be Paula Cánovas del Vas. And the brand we would like to collaborate with (we think it is much more realistic to answer, for example, a shoe or accessory brand), would be Crocs. But if we refer to a clothing brand, we would love to do something with Maison Margiela or Balenciaga.
Quick questions to get to know you a little better:
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Albert: Torrijas, I'm dying.
Sebas: My grandmother's milanesas. I could say a million things but this is the first thing that came to my mind.
The drink that makes you happiest:
Albert: White wine
Sebas: MMM I was going to say the wine but the truth is that it's a rum cola, because that's what I drink with my grandmother.
The first thing you do when you get up in the morning:
Albert: Turn off the alarm and look at your cell phone.
Sebas: Look at my cell phone, first Instagram and then email
Celebrity crush
Albert: Robert Pattinson
Sebas: If I could both, but one or the other would also work for me, Xavier Dollan or Omar Apollo
City or countryside?
Albert: City
Sebas: City
Sweet or salty?
Albert: Salty
Sebas: Salty
Coffee or tea?
Albert: Coffee
Sebas: Coffee
Winter or summer?
Albert: Summer
Sebas: Winter
Favorite IG account:
Albert: @Ideservecouture
Sebas: mmm that’s a secret i’ll never tell hahaha
F*ck, marry, kill: Bad Gyal, Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa
Albert: Fuck Dua Lipa, Marry Kim without doubts and kill Bad Gyal.
Sebas: Fuck Dua Lipa, Marry Kim (obviously) and sorry for this, kill Bad Gyal
Thank you Albert & Sebas <3