A Fashionable Bouquet: Daniel Del Valle Garden of Garments

Daniel del Valle has created a world that bridges art and fashion. Through his label Thevxlley (pronounced the valley), the young Spanish designer creates detailed, wearable sculptural pieces in his London home-studio. The valley is a symbol for his atelier - a space where his wearable art forms grow out of objects that mean the most to him. From china ceramics to glass to flowers to bread, every material he connects with blooms into something larger - wearable pieces. Furthermore, a valley’s functional strength and fertile growth very much represents del Valle’s career so far. He may be a finalist for an LVMH prize, but the budding designer very much represents his roots.

Raised by a baker father, del Valle grew up in an Andalusian town called Pilas. When he behaved badly, he worked night shifts at the bakery. It was there he developed an appreciation for having a strong work ethic. Tasks meant to steer him away from tomfoolery were instrumental to del Valle’s path to designing. In his childhood, his grandmother taught him embroidery to keep him occupied and out of trouble. She would teach him how to take care of plants - with a delicate and patient touch.

Del Valle carried these valuable traits and lessons from his upbringing to London, where he moved at 19. What followed subsequently were various restaurant jobs in the fast-paced, expensive city. Until one day - he picked up a job in flowers. Though taken to pay his rent, del Valle’s day job put him in daily contact with craftsmanship. His role was to transfigure fresh blooms into showstopping luxury installations for Paul Thomas Flowers. PTF is a leading London florist, whose bouquets have dressed royal weddings.

As a creative outside of work, Del Valle collaborated with artists such as experimental designer Michaela Stark. Stark’s sensual-grotesque lingerie pieces are known for being crafted with a sculptural approach and no doubt had an influence on the green del Valle. But despite having worked with others creatively in London, del Valley wanted to build a body of work that represented his own Spanish lineage, family, and obsessive craftsmanship. So with thevxlley’s debut presentation The Narcissist, del Valle created something of his own.

The project is the most personal del Valle has ever gotten with his creativity and his craft. Having studied art in Seville, del Valle was no stranger to understanding composition and materials. But since there were limited options for studying fashion, as a designer, he is self-taught. Perhaps it was the late nights working tirelessly in the bakery or the intricate details of flower arrangements that taught him that by working hard and being curious - any speciality can be learned.

The Narcissist is an amalgamation of everything that has shaped del Valle. Combining sculpture, fashion, and vessels, the project is an ever-evolving looking glass into the designer’s interests, heritage, and favorite materials. Meticulously and painstakingly crafted over three years, every piece in The Narcissist stands as a work of art. Modeled on torsos like breastplates, some are heavier than bricks. From a sustainability standpoint, many of the materials are upcycled. The collection contains all the motifs that have been speckled throughout del Valle’s story so far. Bread, flowers, and embroidery. His grandmother’s love of plants. But the work showcases more than just these physical objects.

It also has an invisible imprint manifested through the involvement of friends and family from both Spain and London. Although the collection’s title denotes a person who is absorbed with the self, the wearable art does not only represent del Valle. His close friend Kito Muñoz photographs his work. The two have known each other since del Valle was sixteen. His partner Alex has been an instrumental influence on it. Even his baker father, a traditional sort of man, has lent a hand with crafting the artistic, sculptural pieces. Thexvalley is a friends and family affair.

And it just keeps growing. Now having been recognized as a contender for one of the fashion industry’s most prestigious awards, del Valle is growing into its own. But the designer decided to invest in his own talent long before the formal acknowledgement. The new talent isn’t interested in building thevxlley into a label - but a personal garden. Whether audiences see his work as clothing or art, the multidisciplinarian refuses to be placed in a box. The result of this free-spirited and authentic attitude are magnificent, museum-worthy creations that represent him entirely. Like the designer’s craft, del Valle’s The Narcisscist is an individual kind of beauty. Beauty hard-earned. Beauty crafted with thought. Beauty designed to grow.