Teresa Helbig

On the 7^th of March, Teresa Helbig’s fashion landed in Paris for the first time. And it did so alongside Iberia, a company with whom she shares a strong bond for many years. In fact, Teresa Helbig (Barcelona, 1963) is the designer of the company’s current work uniforms for both flight attendants and airport staff. The fashionable Parisian district of Le Marais, specifically Galerie Joseph —previously the Pierre Cardin Museum—, hosted the presentation of her new collection, 1832 Sur Mer (24/25 Autumn-Winter), inspired by Victor Hugo’s work: Les Misérables. A homage to the fight that, spurred on by a people’s desire for freedom and search for justice, drove the insurrection in June of 1832 in Paris. Framed within the Talento a Bordo project, which aims to support Spanish talent and make it transcend borders thanks to Iberia’s presence in 48 countries, this action aligns with the airline’s purpose: to generate prosperity by connecting people and cultures.

Teresa Helbig gave up taking part in the latest edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid to focus on her show in Paris, the capital of fashion. A milestone in this designer’s career, who has turned talent, built on hard work, passion, creativity, and a lot of rock & roll, into her hallmark. “In the end, hard work, the day-to-day work at the atelier, nourishes talent. There’s no shortcut,” she confessed in a talk with Talento a bordo. Step by step, this daughter of a sewist who grew up surrounded by fabric and who took off in the world of fashion thanks to a feather dress has forged a strong career that is currently, by landing in Paris onboard a plane with her name on it —Iberia’s A350 Next—, reaching its peak. “Paris always highlights the value of art, culture, and fashion. It’s a dream to be here, it has always been part of my imagination,” Helbig admitted moments before walking the runway. A dream come true for a creator who, despite always keeping her feet firmly on the ground, is reaching new heights: she has dressed big Hollywood stars and in 2023 received the National Fashion Design Award.

“Paris always highlights the value of art, culture, and fashion. It’s a dream to be here, it has always been part of my imagination” — Teresa Helbig

Whites, blues and reds, the colours of the French flag, alongside such an iconically French fabric as grosgrain, were the stars of a fashion show which lasted 30 minutes —twice as long as usual— and received the applause of a committed audience. Attendees included figures like actress Macarena Gómez, singer Luz Casal, actor Gorka Otxoa, writer Elvira Lindo, artist Pedro Paricio, taekwondo athlete Adriana Cerezo or film director Clara Roquet, among others. Helbig decided to share the standing ovation with her mother, Teresa Blasco. Before the show, the close to 240 attendees —which also included journalists and influencers from the fashion world— received a copy of Les Misérables alongside a bookmark that gave them access to a dossier about the collection and, after the show, they enjoyed a lively cocktail.

Teresa Helbig appreciates applauses at the closing of '1832 Sur Mer' fashion show in the French capital. © Gaspar Ruiz Lindberg

A large French flag crowning a white barricade presided over the presentation of the ‘1832 Sur Mer’ collection. © Gaspar Ruiz Lindberg

Numerous well-known faces such as the actress Macarena Gómez, the singer Luz Casal and the writer Elvira Lindo wanted to support Teresa Helbig. © Gaspar Ruiz Lindberg

The entrance to the parade was presided over by a model of Iberia's 'A350 Next Teresa Helbig' aircraft. © Gaspar Ruiz Lindberg

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Returning to the show, Helbig took utmost care of every single detail of the staging. In the centre of the room there was a barricade built with white elements —chairs, carriage wheels, barrels, boxes, sacks, etc.— which referred to 1832 and, hanging from the ceiling, a French flag spanning several metres. The models started walking around it, showing a collection that combined tradition and modernity, which displayed charming romanticism and sensibility. With historicist roots and an element of intensity and freshness, the runway filled with miniskirts combined with tailored coats, padded micro-dresses, or embroidered knitted jackets with piqué knickerbockers. New proof of the exquisite taste for technique and the respect for craftsmanship that Helbig’s collections are known for. They say that a Helbig lady never goes unnoticed, which was proven again in Paris.

The Iberia and Teresa Helbig alliance
As we were saying at the start, this Catalan designer is the creator of the uniforms that 6,500 Iberia employees currently wear. Previous designers include Pedro Rodríguez, Pertegaz, Elio Berhanyer, Alfredo Caral, and Adolfo Domínguez, which makes Helbig the first woman. In total, 56 outfits for men and women alongside around twenty garments and accessories including dresses (also maternity), skirts, trousers, blouses, shirts, coats, handbags, gloves, cardigans, blazers, vests, scarves, sweaters, polos, or ties. The predominant colours featured are blue, red, yellow, and off-white tones. Also, from this summer, Business class and Premium Tourist customers on long-haul flights will enjoy new toiletry bags created by Helbig and inspired by the uniforms, which include vegan and natural cosmetic products made in Spain with the surplus from collecting leftover wine aboard. A toiletry bag that the guests at the Teresa Helbig fashion show received during the flight that took them to the French capital. What a great souvenir!