A dress can go viral even before reaching stores. Social media has revolutionized the way we discover and consume fashion, and has allowed many emerging brands to become known without the need for a physical store. But there are still aspects of the shopping experience that no screen can replace: touching a fabric, seeing how it fits and moves, or trying it on in front of the mirror. Because fashion largely remains a physical experience. And this explains why, despite social media or online stores, creators continue to seek spaces to showcase their collections, explain their projects, and connect with the public face-to-face.
Precisely the need to find physical spaces to showcase themselves and connect is what has led the Barcelona community Moøde to inaugurate The Fashion Hub, a new space at number 11 at Comerç Street, in the heart of El Born, which combines a showroom, coworking space, and creative workshop. Driven by entrepreneurs Lisa Ivarsson and Svetlana Ko, based in Barcelona, the platform thus makes the leap to its first permanent physical space after more than five years organizing ephemeral markets, fashion shows, and other events dedicated to independent brands. Since the official inauguration of the space last Thursday, this new hub hosts up to twenty emerging brands that can exhibit and sell pieces from their collection, but also work and share a roof with other professionals in the sector.
The Fashion Hub also emerges as a response to the creative energy experienced by the fashion sector in the city. Barcelona, consolidated as one of the reference cities in design and fashion, combines the legacy of great historical firms such as Mango or Desigual, and the impact of events such as the 080 Barcelona Fashion, with a new generation of creators who find the ideal environment to build their own brands. In fact, more and more Catalan designers are starting their journey here and international talents are choosing the city to continue their professional career.
Besides a creative ecosystem, these professionals also need spaces to showcase, explain, and grow their proposals. Currently, many of these designers stock their collections in multi-brand stores—which can hardly dedicate the necessary space and attention to highlight each proposal they exhibit—or in itinerant markets like Palo Alto. Despite the existence of public initiatives like Barcelona Fashion Forward, which supports emerging talent with training, mentoring, and a final exhibition of selected projects, the city still needs more spaces for these independent brands to grow and consolidate, beyond sharing them on social media or through online stores.
More than a retail space
But The Fashion Hub is born with the desire to go beyond the traditional concept of a showcase and become a space that not only serves to exhibit and sell, but also to work, network, and build community. A meeting point where fashion professionals can connect with each other and, at the same time, bring their proposals closer to buyers, who will have the opportunity to discover and evaluate the pieces in person. Located in the heart of El Born, one of the neighborhoods with the most artisan tradition in the city and surrounded by contemporary art galleries and creative workshops, The Fashion Hub invites from the street to immerse oneself in fashion through a large window that hints at the variety of objects displayed in the store.
Just past the door, an open-plan space of 200 square meters and five meters high appears, where imposing golden columns structure the space and naturally delimit the different corners. Across the space, clothing pieces of all colors and styles stand out with jewelry, bags, and accessories. Walking through it is also a way to discover a whole new generation of independent fashion creators, as the resident brands that coexist in the space reflect different approaches to fashion.
Among the first resident brands are the artisanal corsets of Lola Mamita, the jewelry inspired by the sea and the Mediterranean by A’Mmare, the leather accessories by Mr. Martin, the kimonos by Murci, the colorful prints by Lisa Ivarsson —one of the founders of the space— and the textures by Anakon, created by Svetlana Ko, the other co-founder of the platform and the space. Very different proposals, but united by the same philosophy: small-scale productions, a commitment to craftsmanship, carefully selected materials, and a desire to create pieces with their own identity, beyond the latest trends.
In addition to the showroom —open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 12 to 20 h—, the premises include a coworking space and a workshop area so that brands can prepare new collections, meet with clients, organize photo shoots, or create content. In parallel, photographers, stylists, make-up artists, models, and other industry professionals can also use the facilities. Thus, the space offers different membership options, with fees ranging from 80 euros per month for creative professionals who use the workshop and coworking, to 250 or 350 euros for brands that want a presence in the showroom, depending on the level of exposure and use of the space each firm needs.
Beyond functioning as a sales and work space, The Fashion Hub also aims to be a meeting point for fashion culture, with a program of events and exhibitions that give visibility to new talents and creative projects. The first exhibition in the space, linked to the Swedish language school Internationella Skolorna in Barcelona, brings together fashion photography created by students under the direction of stylists and photographers from the city and with the participation of more than ten local and international brands.
From ephemeral events to a fixed address
Before settling into this new fixed address in Born, the Moøde platform was born as an itinerant and cross-disciplinary platform. The community emerged in 2020, in the midst of lockdown, when two entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds but established in Barcelona —the Russian designer Lisa Ivarsson and the Swedish Svetlana Ko—, linked to the world of fashion, detected a shared need among many independent creators: beyond designing a good collection, spaces were needed to showcase their collections.
The first step was the pop-ups. During these five years, Moøde has organized dozens of ephemeral markets that brought together emerging brands in different parts of Barcelona. Over time, those gatherings expanded with fashion shows, presentations, and events. The Fashion Hub now represents a new step in this trajectory. Without abandoning temporary events, the platform is promoting a permanent space for the first time. A place where brands can work throughout the year, receive clients, share knowledge and resources, and establish relationships with other professionals in the sector.
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