By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Custo Barcelona store director with Mario Nanguse, both in Custo.

Custo Barcelona celebrated its opening at Ala Moana Center with a shopping event last night. I guess this was really good news for guys because when I stopped by, there was a whole bunch of them, one of the few times the men outnumber the women, but that reflects Custo’s casual-chic appeal. The clothes are comfy and casual, but the mix of fabric, texture and color make them look like you took time to dress.

At least three of the shoppers said the same thing to me, that they like the clothes because you can just throw them on and go just about anywhere, except, maybe a funeral.

Darieus Legg, right, and Damien Boone, who wears one of Custo Barcelona’s men’s shirts.

Freida Hulse shows a Custo Barcelona long-sleeve hoodie.

I’ve been shopping Custo ever since I met designer Custo Dalmau eight years ago, but you know how over time you build up immunity to that which you see all the time? I haven’t purchased a Custo piece in a long time.

But walking into the store is like falling in love all over again because other retailers have been holding out on us. Most boutiques only offered the long-sleeve T-shirts and tanks, but the new boutique features a wide range of men’s and women’s wear, including skirts, dresses, jackets and trench coats. There were so many adorable pieces but when the store started filling with women I just had to leave and commit to coming back later rather than wait in line to try anything on.

Pretty dresses, all in a row.

Shoppers browse tables and racks for Custo Barcelona’s signature bold print designs.

Sale prices are currently at $35 and $45 on selected tops, and even at regular prices, dresses range from about $100 to $200, which I think is great for quality, statement pieces that few others will have.

There were several girls with armloads of clothes, and people kept saying how you had to try pieces on because they look much better on the body than on the rack. I guess some people have bad imaginations because for the first time, I heard many squeals of delight coming out of the dressing rooms when women saw how good they looked in the designs, as if it were a surprise!

This entry was posted on Friday, December 5th, 2008 at 6:15 pm and is filed under Men's, International fashion, Shop, Shopping events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.