Sex sells but so does nostalgia, and Spanish designer Abraham Ortuño Perez’s brand Abra is delivering on both. With a focus on playfulness characterising his collections, seen this season in the viral leather shopper bags that doubled as shoes, Abra’s known for designing looks that appear as though they should be worn by dolls. From the balloon-heeled shoes he created for Loewe to the double-stacked kitten heels he designed for Jacquemus, Abraham Ortūno Perez had developed a reputation for injecting fun into fashion even before founding his own brand in 2020.
Taking the kitsch doll-dresses he used to design sitting at his grandma’s kitchen table and making them real, Abra looks to his childhood for inspiration almost every season, often reviving the aesthetics of the nostalgic TV shows he used to love. Hannah Montana and H2o: Just Add Water were both huge influences on his SS25 collection, seen in the beachy vibes, aqua-meets-hot pink palette, and hyper-feminine silhouettes.
It might come as a surprise that Abra only showed as part of the official Paris Fashion Week Schedule for the first time this season. For a small brand, capturing the attention of the global fashion world amidst a crowded fashion week where you’re going back-to-back with centuries-old houses is a challenge, but Abra achieved it. We caught up with Abraham Ortuño just after his SS25 show to find out about the women behind Abra (Nikki from H2o, Britney Spears, and his sister), what the biggest issue with the fashion industry is today, and where he sees Abra in the future.
Can you describe the person you see in Abra SS25?
I think for sure it's a person who lives next to the sea. [The collection as a whole is] kind of inspired by my sister and my girlfriends - and me, you know - because we [all grew up] next to the sea, living this like “summer life” because even in winter it was very sunny. The last few months I’ve been watching a lot of old TV shows from Disney Channel, you know, like Hannah Montana and all of those, and [they’re always set in] like a beach club. So [when I think of the person I see wearing this collection] I always imagine someone who has memories from these days too, probably from my generation: let’s say late ‘90s/early 2000s.
Normally when I work [on Abra’s Winter collections], I design the collection thinking of my life in Paris and what you [get up to] in Paris, you know, like you go to work, get dinner, meet your friends, events, whatever. But when I work [on the Summer collections], I imagine being with my family and going on summer holidays, so the clothes change a lot. [In the summer where I grew up, as soon as] you wake up, you go to the strip, so these are the kind of clothes I’m imagining: more clothes to dress up in, or to wear to dinner. That’s the logic behind the collection.
Hannah Montana and H2o: Just Add Water were both inspirations for your SS25 collection. What were your relationships to the shows growing up?
Imagine living in the countryside next to the beach with nothing much to do! Yeah, we spent many hours watching TV, going to the mall, and you know, [living] the “summer life.” In my village I was the only person who was born in 1997 so we were best friends with the TV.
Which of the H20 girls - Nikki, Emma, and Cleo - is the most “Abra”?
I think for sure it's Nikki! Probably because she reminds me the most of my sister.
If you had to pick another nostalgic show from your childhood to base your next collection around, what would it be?
I used to love this show called “Sweet Valley High”. It was probably mine and my sister’s favourite show, because we were a bit older than the Disney Channel TV shows, so this was pre all those shows. I actually think “Sweet Valley High” was inspiration for all the next ones.
What’s your favourite piece from your SS25 collection?
Probably the shopping bag shoes, and the poster top and skirt. I think they were the most “Abra” pieces, in a way, because - I don’t know if you felt it in the previous collections, but - everything is kind of doll-like. It's inspired by how I would design [clothes] as a kid, because my grandma was a seamstress so I would always make dresses for my dolls using paper or balloons or whatever. So [these pieces] were a way to make that real, like [real life] dressing dolls with pieces of paper.
Your designs have been spotted on the likes of Charli xcx and Rosalia: who would you love to see wear this collection?
Oh my God, always and forever Britney Spears! My forever idol. I think many people in my generation have been [so obsessed with her] for many many years. You go back to see her old videos, like “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”, and it's like “wow!” She’s the original Abra girl.
What’s something you think the fashion industry is lacking?
I think what it’s lacking is individuality. I see so many great designers doing their thing and I really admire them - like many of my friends are designers and I really like what they do - but what you also see that’s more common in the market is brands that are [all] so similar. You see collections and you’re confused like “who is this look?” I know everyone is obsessed with trying to sell, but I feel like what we’re missing is risk and individuality. Sell your dream, and believe people will love it and will buy it! I don’t think we should be so stressed about selling, because we will sell at some point: it will come and we’ll have all different clients. This pressure of “sell, sell, sell” - it's not healthy for creativity.
We know you’re set on keeping Abra’s price range accessible, with nothing passing €1,000. Whilst the rest of the luxury world is upping its prices, why is it you’re set on Abra remaining accessible?
I’m doing it for people like me and my friends, because we were always like ‘fashion fans’ and lovers but it was always kind of hard, it was like a dream to buy the last Nicolas Ghesquiere t-shirt or whatever. I remember being very young and [wanting to buy] Prada, but I would have to wait like two or three seasons to afford it. So for me it was really important to make the people [my designs] talk to happy.
What is the biggest challenge you’re facing as a designer right now?
The biggest challenge has been to start from zero without any kind of advice. Our brand is mainly making collections and then selling them to stores, but there isn't a real strategy behind it, you know? We’re just doing it for love. It might sound a bit egocentric but I really do it for my own pleasure, because it really makes me happy. But there is not a business strategy where it's like “this is how we’re going to grow, blah blah blah”. So the challenge is to be alone and not having someone that is focused [solely] on the business. You know every year there are so many brands coming out, and I recently discovered that they are licensed by massive showrooms, from investors, from other countries, whatever: for Abra, that is not the case. And we compete with them! So with our amount of money and budget, we’re exposed to the same situations as people who have investments of thousands of euros… so it's a challenge!
What’s the number one piece of advice you’d give to other designers who are just starting out?
The best advice I’ve ever received, and I will always say to people, is to be true to yourself. Don’t try to do what you like; do what you are. Don’t try to be like the brands you love because it doesn’t work. It can work in the short term, but in the long term it's just going to feel fake, because at the end of the day, what makes us great designers is our individuality. We all have different lives, different experiences, we come from different backgrounds, so just do your thing and believe in it.
What does the future of Abra look like to you?
My dream is to have a store in Paris with [its own] coffee shop, because I want to build a community who want to be involved in the “Abra world”. And to build a bigger team: we’re just six people so the future for me is to grow but to always stay like a family business, you know what I mean? I think it's super important for us to keep it very unique and very special.
Featured image via Abra©
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