Felipe Varela Felipe Varela Felipe Varela is a Spanish fashion designer. Felipe Varela studied design and pattern design at Esmod College in Paris. He went on to stud yHaute Couture and Textiles at the I.F.M., where he was awarded with the Oscar for Young Designer. As a student in Paris, Varela worked for international fashion houses such as Kenzo, Dior, Thierry Mugler, Lanvin, Angelo Tarlazzi and Torrente. In January 1994 he arrived in Madrid, where he set up his eponymous brand Felipe Varela brand. In 1996, he started showing his creations at the Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week. In 1998 he opened his
Paris Fashion Week of Paris using both Caucasian and African-American models. The American designers’ use of diversity in models marked the event as the first time African-American models had walked a French runway. The event gained much publicity because of the designers involved and is given the nickname "The Battle of Versailles" because of its location and the tension between the American and Parisian designers during the run of the show. Paris Fashion Week Paris Fashion Week () is a series of designer presentations held semiannually in Paris, France with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the French