Custo Barcelona

By BARBARA BRADLEY

Let others feel hip in their capri pants and butterfly hair clips. The really cool people are wearing Custo Barcelona shirts.

Never heard of 'em? You'll know them when you see them. They look like an explosion in a scrap fabric warehouse. The cotton knit tops are a collage of fanciful patterns and prints drawing on everything from Eastern religions to Beach Blanket Bingo.

I first noticed them in Oxford, Miss., a few weeks ago on the town square. Three young women, in shops and on the street, wore the crazy tops from Custo Barcelona, a Spanish maker. One shirt had fish on the front and a bandanna print on the bottom. Another was psychedelic. The funniest had paisley on the front, a folkloric print on the sleeves and, on the back, a four-armed goddess with a Barbie doll-like head clutching lipstick, purse and compact.

"They're hot in Oxford," said Beth Blaha, manager of Classy Creations, a boutique on the square. "We weren't sure they would be because it's such a different look, and Oxford can be so traditional. But it's been wonderful. We can't keep styles in, and it's not easy to reorder." Blaha said an order of 48 shirts arrived two weeks ago and half were sold in a week.

Indigo, a cutting-edge shop in Memphis, gives a similar report. Indigo began to sell the knit shirts last year, and they "hit with a bang," said saleswoman Debby Thompson. "It's fancy fun. You have to have an attitude to wear it."

Custo Barcelona was started in the early '80s by two Spanish brothers, Custo and David Dalmau. Custo had been training as an architect, and David had just finished university studies when the two took a motorbike trip around the world. They returned to Spain dazzled by the cultures of the Orient, Africa, Indonesia, Mexico and the South Pacific.

They were especially influenced by California, with its surfer culture, psychedelic looks and screen-printed T-shirts.

The brothers learned everything about screen printing, then they set up shop. They designed patterned and figured prints they put together to create long- and short-sleeved knit shirts. The shirts spread across Europe and took off in this country when they hit the West Coast about 18 months ago, said Zoe Campbell, a spokesman for the company.

TV stars, including Jenna Elfman of "Dharma & Greg," Lisa Kudrow of "Friends" and Kathy Griffin of "Suddenly Susan," have been frequently spotted in Custo creations. Drew Barrymore flashed one in the film "Never Been Kissed," and Bridget Fonda did the same in "Jackie Brown." Stores that carry Custo Barcelona include Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel and Nordstrom.

The prints, which employ many colors and are intricately drawn, move easily from a New York theme to a Chinese dragon winding all over a top. Part of the shirts' appeal is their multicultural enthusiasm.

New versions for fall will mix fabrics as well as patterns, including mohair sleeves on a cotton body or embroidered sleeves with a sheer overlay covering a print, Campbell said.

Women wear the cotton shirts with jeans and shorts or neutral-colored pants. Sandals and beads are good accessories. The company produces a variety of shirt styles, including halters, hooded tops and tunics, and it also offers pants and dresses. Campbell said the shirts get a lot of attention in New York "where nobody wears patterns or color and everybody dresses like everybody else." The shirts give them something to talk about.