Colombian Designer Raúl Peñaranda Launches Youthful and Elegant ‘Raul’ Line in New York

The Colombian designer Raúl Peñaranda launched his new line “Raul” this Saturday in New York, with a proposal of youthful and elegant pieces of pants, skirts and short dresses and bustiers, and highlighted a floral print inspired by his country.

The fresh and elegant pieces feature asymmetrical, draped cuts, gatherings on the side of dresses to make the female figure more stylized, as well as 80’s sleeves, fuller at the top due to the shoulder pads.

Also because of the “cut-outs” (cut made to the piece to reveal the skin) at the waist of dresses.

This collection is divided into two parts: one of elegant short cocktail-style dresses made in black or blue with sequins, inspired by the glamor of what was the New York club Studio 54, on 54th Street in the west of the city, where the famous, “and where fashion was the main protagonist.”

For other pieces, including short skirts with draping at the front or a dress with a slanted collar that reveals one shoulder, she opted for aqua green or sea green, lavender and pink.

The second part, which he called “overdose garden”, also consists of dresses, skirts with draping on the front and short or palazzo-type pants accompanied by bustiers and short bra-type blouses.

Some of the pieces are made of cotton with a print of pink, yellow flowers and leaves that was designed by the couturier inspired by the flowers of his country.

This proposal from their “Raúl” line of “ready to wear” is for young women who like to be comfortable, but look sensual and elegant.

“The second ‘Raúl’ line is younger, accessible and for a larger audience” since it will be available in department stores and, according to the designer, less expensive than his “Raúl Peñaranda” haute couture line.

Peñaranda has paid tribute to her country on other catwalks, such as in 2019 when she brought the iconic palanqueras, a symbol of working women from the city of Cartagena de Indias, to Fashion Week.

The Colombian, 52 years old, son of a seamstress, arrived in New York in 2000, after living for a time in Miami, where he settled with his family after leaving Venezuela where he lived part of his life.

In New York he worked as a hotel bellboy before starting out in the fashion industry and in 2010 he launched his company.