It conquered Ibiza in the 70s and is renewed every season
If there is a color that defines Ibiza, then it is white. A brilliant white, washed with lime on the houses and churches of this contrasting island, reflecting the all-pervading light, which has shaped the costumes of its rich folklore many decades ago. And this same white characterizes the freest and most creative fashion of the Mediterranean: the Adlib fashion.
Before tourism came to the islands, the inhabitants of Ibiza lived mostly from agriculture and fishing. It was a hard and decent life and the women were the main actors, because they worked both at home and in the field. Their costumes, simple and comfortable, were designed more for work and to protect themselves from the sun than to show off. The costumes were redesigned and refined models were created for the festivals and the dance, with handsome elements servings as ornaments. So there was costume for every occasion, more or less refined, but all made of white cotton, combined with black tones, and large straw hats and hemp sandals, especially when it came to working in the fields under the sun.
The Adlib fashion takes its name from the Latin expression ad libitum, "with freedom", in honor of the island's philosophy and the character of its inhabitants. These are little lovers of fetters, as one could see in the late 1960s with the hippie movement that hit the island. Princess Smilja Mihailovich was an illustrious visitor. She fell in love with the light and style of Ibiza, and was the ambassador of the adlib fashion at the beginning of the seventies. The princess posed as a model of this tendency in pure white clothes and flowers in her hair, thus becoming an icon of freedom. Young people from all over Europe identified themselves with her attitude to life and her reaction to the prevailing sober styles and rigid uniformity.
Today the Adlib fashion presents fabrics made of gauze, with white color as the most important element, but open to other colors, adorned with laces, embroidery and natural elements, in response to the slogan of Ibiza´s fashion "Dress as you wish, but always stylish ". Ibiza offers every summer the opportunity to participate in the Pasarela de la Moda Adlib runway.
The most important designers of this style present their new models, which, however, retain the freshness and originality and are constantly renewed. In fact, the most important fashion events look at the Adlib fashion and are very often inspired by it. You can find pretty examples of this lighted style all year round in the many boutiques of the large Pitiüsa Island. They are one of the best souvenirs you can take from Ibiza.
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