Just Opened: Martin Churba

In deciding where to open his first boutique in the U.S., Argentine designer Martin Churba threw a proverbial blind dart at a map on the map of the entire country. As our luck would have it, the dart stuck right at Little West 12th Street in the Meatpacking District. His line Tramando, which translated from Spanish as plotting, certainly has designs for us. "We want to revolutionize the fashion scene in the United States," says Martin. While it may be true that his countrymen may be known for their brazen ways, Tramando has a legitimate shot at doing just that. Already well established in Japan and Europe, Churba's Fall/Winter 2005 collection is poised to turn heads. His use of innovative textiles, narrow cuts, and textured prints yields a sophisticated, yet progressive look.

Moving from photographer to collage artist to textile designer to fashion designer, Churba knows the value of experimentation and diversification both in his career and the with his label. While the Tramando brand includes a women's and men's line as well as a home collection, the New York shop will debut with a focus on the ladies giving the rest of us some eye candy and a glimpse of what's to come.

Envisioning where the line will be in a year, Churba says, "I'd like to see beautiful women wearing Tramando on the street." Few complaints there, but it's likely that we will be see it more and more into 2006. The Fall/Winter collection should prove to be one of their most daring yet, promising a merging of sport, experimental textiles, and haute couture.

Argentine designer Martin Churba let fate steer the future of his Meatpacking district shop -- and what resulted was far cooler than anything that could have ever been planned.