From an early age, Paula Viana, a fashion communicator from Spain, has been interested in the world of fashion. What started with reading Vogue magazines, unfolded itself in a seat at the Copenhagen Fashion Show. In her show ‘The Backstage Talks’, she discusses the most trending moments in fashion.
In an exclusive interview with Sneakerjagers, she talks about what fashion means to her, and why it is so important for her and the community to also see content in Spanish.
Get to know Paula
Those interested in fashion might have seen some of her videos. Paula Viana is a well-known content creator from Spain, focusing on the latest news and trends. She refers to herself as ‘the voice of fashion in Spanish’, since there aren’t that many Spanish-speaking creators out there.
“Fashion started as a hobby”, Paula says. “With time, I can say that it is now my current job, talking about some aspects of fashion that go unnoticed by many people or who want to know fully what is happening in the industry”.
With her Instagram and TikTok channels, both named @thebackstagetalks, Paula elaborates on the latest trends and news topics that are relevant in the world of fashion. That being runway shows, reviewing collections, or discussing unique news stories.
“I started ‘The Backstage Talks’, the title of my accounts, five years ago”, she says. “At that time, it was almost impossible to find information regarding fashion on social media. I needed to express my vision on fashion and wanted to connect with people who were interested in the same things as me”.
And that’s just what happened. With over a hundred thousand followers on Instagram and TikTok combined, Paula has made her mark. She tries to give her followers a sneak peek behind the scenes. “My vision has always been focused on some aspects of the show that no one was talking about” - Paula.
Language barrier
Paula’s interest in fashion started from a very young age: “My mother used to dress me when I was little, as most mothers probably do. As I got older, I started to develop my own sense of style and started drawing looks and clothes. At the age of 9 years old, I wanted to be a sneaker designer, without knowing this was even a real job”, she says.
Seeing a VOGUE Magazine for the first time, was when Paula knew fashion was her calling. “I didn't know what I was seeing or reading because I was barely 10 years old, but I know I loved everything”, Paula says while grinning. As she grew older, Paula realized that the magazines that were available in her city were just the tip of the iceberg.
She realized that information regarding anything fashion-related took a lot of work to access in Spain. “I began my search for information on the internet, but at that time, there were not a lot of non-English written articles or news. This motivated me to create ‘The Backstage Talks’, to connect with other Spanish-speaking fashion enthusiasts.”
That is why all of Paula’s content is in Spanish, something that seems to be a niche these days. “I want to make fashion accessible for the younger me, you see?”.
Fashion inspiration
Even though Paula isn’t your average fashion content creator, by posting more informational content instead of her outfits or looks, she for sure has her unique taste “My personal style is influenced by technology, modernity, and aesthetics similar to that of Berlin”, she explains. “I always wear black, as do a lot of well-known fashion designers. I think wearing uniform colors gives your outfit an edge.”
When looking at people who inspire Paula, two names come to her mind: “Brenda Hashtag for sure, her knowledge, and judgment regarding black-and-white archival pieces is my weakness. Alexendra Guerain is without a doubt the person with whom I could exchange my wardrobe and I would like everything. She is 100% a style reference for me.”
As somebody who mostly discusses fashion instead of promoting it in any way, Paula tries to stay objective when looking at current trends, brands, and collections. Though, there are some of the brands that stand out to her. Here, she mentions names such as Acne Studios, Alaia, AVAVAV, and Dilara Findikoglu.
If she had to pick an all-time favorite brand, it would without a doubt be Prada. Except for the knitted sweaters with the elastic bands at the bottom which are a no-go for Paula: “Sorry Miuccia Prada.”
Fashion Week Copenhagen
With her account ‘The Backstage Talks’, Paula granted herself a seat at the Fashion Week in Copenhagen last month. “Being present at the Fashion Week as a Spanish-speaking creator felt like a dream to me”, Paula said. “It allowed me to get first-hand information and quickly communicate everything that is happening to the Spanish-speaking public, further enhancing fashion for those who have limited information.”
What stood out most for her during this week, was the true essence of going all-in with their shows. “I feel that, unlike other Fashion Weeks, the people who attended the shows in Copenhagen care about playing, taking risks, combining and experimenting with fashion”, she says. “This was refreshing. I feel that after a time of recession, of closing cycles with turbulent creative directions and a lot of minimalism, we are finally having fun with fashion again.”
Here, she refers to the use of technology in fashion. “Technology is also becoming more and more important, and this amazes me.” Technology in the designs, technology in the marketing, and even technology in the runways. “It is a tool that has been at our disposal for many years and I feel that it is constantly being wasted, but that we are finally introducing it. We are entering a new cycle that promises a lot”.
Sneakers in high-end fashion
According to Paula, sneakers are also having a big moment in high-end fashion. Recently we saw collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Comme des Garçons, Dior, and Junya Watanabe that each took the sneaker market by storm. But also on the runway, sneakers are having a moment. “I am a girl who grew up in the era of Virgil Abloh, uniting streetwear and high-end fashion”, Paula says. “The catwalk reflects what happens on the streets, and sneakers are a part of this.”
When asking Paula what her favorite sneaker is, she immediately mentions the Martine Rose x Nike Shox MR4 that was released last year. “This sneaker has me completely obsessed.” Another honorable mention is the Comme des Garçons x Nike Premier: “The best of a heel and a sneaker. What more could you want?” - Paula.
In five years
Looking at the current state of fashion, Paula is excited to see what the next years will bring, both on the catwalk and with her platform. With ‘The Backstage Talk’, she wants to bring out more Spanish content regarding fashion. “I would love to continue growing, gaining access to international fashion more internally and exclusively, providing Spanish-speaking countries a clear vision of fashion that’s happening in big cities like Milan, Paris, and Copenhagen.”
Even though Paula has been working on her platform for quite a while, it looks like her hard work only just got rewarded. “This is my first year entering international fashion weeks by invitation. It took me quite a while to get into this position from scratch, you see.” When she gets asked where she sees herself within the next five years, she sounds optimistic.
“In the next 5 years I imagine myself traveling to big fashion cities, making unique content, and establishing TBT internationally”, Paula says. “Fashion is how I understand the world, the news, current events, people, art, and everything that exists. It's my natural language and I want to translate to my community even further.”