The artist who brings the paintings to the jackets: "In Spain it is very difficult to start a small brand"
As a child, Arena Martínez (Madrid, 1993) did not play with dolls, but with brushes. Her park was not on the street, but in the studio of her father, the painter Papartus, Paco Celorrio's firm since she was a child. And she, instead of going down slides, used to slide between lines and pots of paint, soaking herself in art and color with each step she took.
That is why he always knew that his life, personal and professional, could never be in a world other than that, although it was necessary to specify how. "At the age of 18, I wasn't very sure what to study: Fine Arts, Fashion... So I decided to do International Business and then specialize in whatever I wanted," she recalls. A career that at first seemed far from his interests, but which he confesses was decisive, "because no matter how creative you are, if you don't control the business part you are planning to fail, it is unfeasible."
From there, and from combining her studies with work in auction houses and galleries that brought her even closer to contemporary art, she completed a master's degree in fashion design at Central Saint Martins. Because although she was not very clear at first that she wanted to have a brand, she did know what her goal was: to unite her two passions: art and fashion.
And it all started, how could it be otherwise, in his father's studio. "I spent 12 years studying abroad and during that time he stopped exhibiting, but never painting. When I returned to Spain and entered his studio I always asked him: 'Why don't you want people to see your paintings?' His I thought the job was wonderful, and since he didn't give in, I began to think about what I could do to make his work be seen. That was the initial idea, to get the art out on the street, the first click that gave rise to this whole story. I wanted to download pictures on the walls and take them out on the street to give visibility to the artists", he says.
Later, she knew the way to achieve it: wearing them to fashion, her other great passion. Her first collection was done in collaboration with her father, "just to test the market, see if my idea was liked and how it worked," she explains. It was a line of kimonos, a garment that now identifies her. "When I started I was the girl with the kimonos," she recalls. "It is my iconic garment, something that I will always continue to do because it was the beginning of everything. Many people ask me why the kimono and what is my relationship with Japan. None. My kimono does not come from Japan, but from the abaya that women wear women in Arab countries. I needed a garment that would allow me to capture art and the abaya was perfect. I just cut it out and called it a kimono." At the time, I was living in Dubai, working for the Art Fair, "and I never would have imagined all this." Her studio and showroom is a beautiful apartment on Calle Libertad where her dog Toba moves among pieces of art and exclusive garments.
The improbable is possible
His brand started at the end of 2017 and shortly after, when internationalization was to begin, the pandemic swept away all his plans. "It wasn't the time to go out, and it hasn't been since then," he admits, "people are still afraid and multi-brands have suffered a lot. Mine is a different, exclusive product, and it's complicated for all brands youths".
Then art jumped from clothing to ceramics, becoming a series of unique pieces that have also been unique because they broke the idea that defines their brand: this time art did not go out, but came into the house to stay: " In the middle of the pandemic it was something that could be consumed and we all wanted to have beautiful houses," he explains.
Clothes, ceramics, earrings, fans and even a car... the universe of Arena Martínez brings art to everything that surrounds her and this is always her source of inspiration. "First there are the paintings, then everything else comes. In the garments for me the most important thing is the print. I make 20 of each work and I discard all of them until the final one remains. Then I work on the shape and patterns so that it can be seen Each pattern has its garment," says Arena. She defines the process as "a crush. I see an artist, his work, and I immediately know if it fits my clothes, it's an intuition."
And do you have a favorite artist?, we asked. "I have so many... I couldn't choose just one. Ten suddenly come to my mind...", she says, although she mentions Gunther Forg, Peter Halley, Adriana Varejao... and, of course, her father. of the. "He has influenced me a lot. His studio is a place where I feel very inspired. We have a very close relationship and he gives me a lot of advice." For example? "He has always told me that the improbable is possible, that you don't already have it. He has taught me to see things big, to have a 'go for all' mentality and not to be afraid of anything."
Talking about designers is easier for him. Among his references, Alexander MacQueen - "I have always loved it," he says - and Jacquemus, "because of his way of working and differentiating himself". Arena's is a fashion that he defines as slow, expensive and sustainable; making one of his garments requires six months. It is an artisan, local work. "I have always done everything very closely, my clothes are not made in Spain, they are made in Madrid," he jokes. "They are unique pieces and I have to keep everything under control. For me, being in Valencia, for example, would already be a mess."
'Figital' art
And among his new projects, one more step to enter the world of art: Arena Martínez Projects. "It is an art gallery that I call 'figital'. It only has physical space at art fairs, during the rest of the year it is online. It all started because many clients asked me if the painting of the garment could be bought. And how I have a relationship with many artists, I began to sell art. It was a project that arose a bit nomadic, it simply held fairs, but now it is something much more solid". Apart from giving visibility to the artists, it also does the commercial part of selling their work, although they are not always the same ones that are stamped on their garments. "At Project I have a line of artists that I want their careers to grow with me, some I love to represent and support, but they don't fit in a garment."
- Have you ever considered painting your own paintings?
- I've been painting all my life, since I was little, with my father. It's something I've always been pretty good at.
- And expose them?
- Exposing no, it would be getting into a field that is not mine. The artist is my father and I am going to expose him. Many times we paint together, but he always signs it, even though he says it was done with Arena.
- Some say that Instagram already offers a better showcase than an art gallery, which allows you to reach more potential customers...
- There are different ways to sell, but the race of an artist is not just selling, there are many more things. An artist is not interested in having many followers on Instagram and selling a lot. Yes, it gives you money in the short term, but in the long term what you need is to be at art fairs, in public institutions..., and without galleries it is not possible. And that is what generates a resume for an artist and what makes them able to reach supported prices.
- How would you define your garments?
- As collector's items. They are works of art to wear that you will have forever in your life and in your closet.
- And the style of your brand?
- As daring and, without a doubt, different. My clothes are for a super-confident person, who likes culture and standing out for what they wear. Who knows that what he wears has a story behind it and who likes to invest both in culture and sustainability and in things well done in Spain.
- Is it also your own style? What's in your closet?
- Mine is very different. Many times I have seen things from the brand, but not always. I really like black, always. My closet has a lot of black things, although you can also find all the colors in the world.
- A priori, it doesn't seem easy to introduce a work of art into a day-to-day look. What are the style tips to combine your pieces well?
- Although they seem like clothes that you are not going to wear much and are not very versatile, in reality they are and you can wear them on any occasion. They work very well both with sneakers and with a heel. You can wear a jacket with a jean and sneakers and it gives you a very sophisticated casual look. But you can also take it to an event: with a black dress, heel and belt it has a lot of vibes. As a rule, anything patterned works great with plain.
- Who would you like to wear them? Anyone famous?
- I'm not very famous, I've never been interested in that subject. I would love someone like Emma Watson, she would delight me, because I grew up very involved in the world of Harry Potter since I was little. And above all because I really like how he has developed his career. I think she is a very strong woman, very independent and with values that I greatly admire.
- And your plans for the future? How do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
- Carrying the two projects in a more distanced way. I see myself as an art gallery owner, immersed in the world of art and taking my brand in a much more international way. And being the benchmark firm in mixing art and fashion.
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