Modernism, Architecture, and Barcelona: A Debut Interview with Ugo Boulard
By Ellen Larson
Recorded at 080 Barcelona Fashion Week - April 2026
Getting Acquainted with Barcelona Fashion Week
Barcelona started as a city that made some of the best fabrics in the world (since the mid-1800s), moved into making fancy dresses for high society, and has now become a playground for young designers who love to break the rules. This year, the energy at 080 Barcelona Fashion Week felt particularly exciting during the debut of Ugo Boulard.
Chatting with Ugo, it became clear that he isn’t simply designing clothes, he’s building a narrative. He speaks about his work with the precision of an architect and the heart of a romantic.
The collection, With Kind Regards, was right up my alley - think streetwear meets expert tailoring. His garments are built with sharp lines, intentional shapes, and high-quality construction. He takes the precision of an architect and applies it to clothes that feel real, romantic, and deeply connected to the spirit of Barcelona.
Chapter I: The World of Ugo Boulard
Ugo’s debut is more than just a collection, it’s his "presentation letter" to the world. When asked to describe “The World of Ugo Boulard”, he simply defines it as “modernism”.
The Darling Devotion Journal: “How would you describe the world of Ugo Boulard in three words?”
Ugo Boulard: “I can describe it in one word: modernism. And architecture. And I will give you a third one: Barcelona. I wanted to create a presentation letter. Because it's my debut and it's my first fashion show, I wanted to literally present myself to the people coming.
The first inspiration was: How do I see a presentation letter? In my head, it was three chapters. 1: Who I am and where do I come from? 2: what do I like and what are my actual values? And the third is: what is my future projection? Those are the three steps that make you travel in my world.”
Chapter II: A Love Letter to the Fashion Industry
In an industry often criticized for being fast-paced and transactional, Ugo intentionally slows down to focus on the romance and details of designing his pieces.
DDJ: “What is the message that you want to give to the audience?”
Boulard: “I think the first message is attention to detail. Be romantic with what you do. Be passionate about what you do. I really love my team. I really love fashion. And I would say the third one and the most important one is, that's my name and this is my city. That's what I'm presenting to the world. Because I need to bring Barcelona to other people’s eyes.”
DDJ: “What do you feel you are bringing to the fashion industry?”
Boulard: “I think it's very huge to say that I'm bringing something to the industry. With all the respect that I have for the fashion industry, I wouldn't be able to say that I'm bringing this and I'm creating this or that. I'm still young. I still have a lot of things to improve and to discover. But I would say that I'm bringing my Barcelona essence. I'm bringing my history and I'm bringing my romanticism.”
I found his statement here very humble and I was honestly a bit surprised that he felt it was too early to say what he is bringing to the fashion industry. I am excited to see him continue on his path whilst bringing his perspective, attention to detail, and romanticism to the fashion industry.
Chapter III: Architecture and Easter Eggs
One of the most intriguing parts of Ugo’s philosophy is the idea that his garments are a portal into a deeper world and a deeper meaning, if you so desire.
DDJ: “What is missing in fashion and what is your unique point of view?”
Boulard: “I'm nobody to say that something is missing. But I would say that what I really like is bringing real stories. I try to create real stories and improve in bringing storytelling into fashion. I always have this vision of this bizarre dance between hedonism and aesthetics. In the vision of fashion, this is pure aesthetic. And on the other side, the storytelling. This is the kind of thing I want to improve.”
DDJ: “What feeling do you want to evoke when someone wears your pieces for the first time?”
Boulard: “I want them to feel that they need to know more. That's why I use a lot of Easter eggs and a lot of secret things - things that are hidden into garments. It makes you able to open a secret door if you want. My basic rule is to make the garment perfectly, aesthetically good, but if you need to know more, you have a secret door to open.”
Watch the full conversation with Ugo Boulard
Diving into the Deep End: Opening the Door
As I saw Ugo’s debut collection hit the runway, his words about "secret doors" stayed with me. I particularly loved look 11, look 13, look 25, and look 30.
Breaking down each look - in look 11, your eye is immediately drawn to the center with the beautiful tailoring of the flower on the shirt. In addition to that, Ugo used real flowers as accessories in the collection which I think was a beautiful sense of fragility and realism contrasting against the streetwear-esque vibes of his designs. Then your eye is drawn up to the beautiful collar that is reminiscent of the flowers the model holds in their hand. The combination of the burgundy shirt with the beige pants is a beautiful homage to the typical Autumn/Winter color palette.
I am drawn to look 13 because of the stunning, pale, almost Easter-egg-blue of the top. The floral theme continues with seemingly a painted floral print of white flowers with accents of pale yellow. The same floral-esque collar is present and as your eyes travel down the look, you’ll find subtle, yet impeccable seams at the bottom of the denim pants.
Similar to the reason I love look 13, I am also in love with look 25. But instead, it’s a skirt with the same pale blue and white floral print made into almost a mixture of a pencil skirt and the shirt from look 13. The top of the 2-piece dress ensemble is a luxurious pearl-colored boat neck top. I would 100% add this to my wardrobe.
Lastly, I’d like to break down look 30. A monochrome light grey suit. White lace details on the cuffs of the jacket and pants. The top is slightly asymmetrical, with the high collar that we’ve just started seeing at the end of this past winter - and very likely to continue as a top trend for AW 26/27. The light grey is almost clinical, yet the lace makes it feel dainty and complex. Top it off with the spectacles sitting on the model’s nose, this is a story that I definitely want to read.
Overall, I was so pleasantly surprised with Ugo’s collection and I am so excited to see what he designs next.
Make sure to follow Ugo Boulard on Instagram to keep up with his evolving story.
Did you enjoy this look behind the scenes of Barcelona Fashion Week? Subscribe to The Darling Devotion Journal and follow us on Instagram for more intimate interviews and style stories.