The Cumbiancheta of Sadaels

SADAELS SS22 digital PFW presentation showcases a fashion film directed by Macarena Rubio and produced by Poster. The short film introduces an intimate portrait of a family getting ready for a delusional wedding taking place in a typical urban conventillo tenement home in Buenos Aires. The narrative exists within a kitsch, colourful and eclectic atmosphere that reflects the Argentinean immigrant urban life. The film seeks to cast a light on our strong bloodline rituals like a picturesque and festive B-side that invites us to think about the importance of family ties in our culture: sometimes absurd, sometimes suffocating, undeniably intense.

The collection is called “Cumbiancheta”, which refers to the cumbia of the 1990s. This retro, tropical musical genre of pan-Latin American origins had a trailblazing impact in our popular culture. Neon colours, decadence and opulence represent this golden era, which was layered with the economic fantasy that 1 peso equalled 1 dollar. Altogether, this marked the aesthetics of our society at the time, transforming Gianni Versace’s Miami in the cultural epitome. While consumption was out of control, neoliberalism ruined the country internally. Our factories were emptied, and our artisanal savoir-faire was progressively lost. Crisis was just around the corner. The lower middle classes – oblivious, extremely tanned, blonde and in animal print – now enjoyed eating pizza with Champagne; while our president rode the streets on a red Ferrari and hung out with the Rolling Stones on TV. 

Thus, this collection is inspired by’90s minimalism-turned-kitsch; uber-sexuality in the form of boob implants and the nostalgic period of ’20s, when Parisians referred to Argentinians as “Riche comme des Argentins” – a utopia once achieved that never came back. The use of leather is central to this collection, especially as a counterpoint to latex and vinyl. The leather was worked in unconventional ways: macramé braided into accessories or as found pieces that bridge clothing and leather goods. The accessories called “sadaels” (a play on words between society anonyme Daels and with the concept of saddle) are a nod to female clothing and the absence, from construction, of wearing something without the need for an extra bag or accessory. In addition to leather, novelties are presented in neoprene, cotton poplin and Italian silk. The colour palette spans black and white to red and various neon hues.