Adlib fashion: where to get your Ibiza look

Ibiza’s Adlib fashion style is among the icons of summer and one of the island’s creative references that cross international borders. Whether you land with your Ibiza-style outfit in your suitcase or prefer to look for it while strolling through a market or the narrow streets of the city centre, you will definitely be interested to know how this fashion style was born and where you can buy it.

 

Adlib fashion has become one of the main symbols of Ibiza, to the point that nowadays weddings and parties are held in Ibiza style, that is, with a dress code for guests that requires men and women to wear white. However, this fashion is not only a question of colour, but also of craftsmanship and materials. If you want your photos of the most Instagrammable places in Ibiza  accompanied by an outfit to match the island, read on and take note of the best Adlib fashion shops in Ibiza.

 

 

What is the origin of Adlib fashion?

 

 

 

In 1972, the Yugoslavian princess, Smilja Mihailovitch, a polyglot and journalist by training, promoted the so-called Adlib fashion style. It was a free and casual style inspired by the traditional garments of Ibizan women and the hippy aesthetic. The name she gave to this style comes from the Latin word ad-libitum, which means at will, a concept that is well reflected in the slogan she chose to define Adlib fashion: “Dress as you like, but dress with taste.” Half a century later, this style remains one of the island’s creative references, and is recognised on national and international fashion catwalks.

 

Beyond the aesthetic inspiration of typical Ibizan clothing, Adlib fashion also wanted to highlight the artisan textile work present on the island; rough but with details that fascinated the princess, such as embroidery and lace, and to which she brought lightness to adapt a garment with centuries of invariability to the hippie trends of the moment.

 

 

What is Ibiza’s Adlib fashion like?

 

 

Adlib fashion is fundamentally based on the creation of comfortable and spacious garments made with 100% natural fabrics, preferably linen and cotton, and the inclusion of handmade crochet, ruffles, embroidery or lace. It is a fashion that vindicates Ibizan design and craftsmanship, which is expressed in clothing, footwear and jewellery.

Natural materials present on the island, such as pita, hemp, esparto grass and palm are used by craftspeople to make garments and accessories such as traditional Ibiza espadrilles , called espardenyes , the Ibizan baskets known as senallons, and floc capells, the elegant traditional white hats that are famous for their complex and laborious manufacture process.

 

Pasarela Adlib Ibiza: An appointment with the island

 

And although the defining colour of Adlib Fashion is white, other colours have arrived to complement the collections presented each year during the celebration of the Pasarela Adlib, created by Smilja Mihailovitch to showcase the style that paraded the essence of Ibiza all over the world.

This important event is held in May or June, depending on the year, and each edition attracts numerous celebrities who don’t want to miss this star event of the Ibizan calendar. Paula Echevarría, Sara Carbonero, Heidi Klum, Ariadne Artiles, Tamara Falcó, Ana Obregón, Angela Molina, Michelle Obama and Queen Letizia are some of the celebrities and personalities who have worn Adlib designs, not forgetting the famous Cayetana de Alba, who not only wore them but also lived the free, casual and genuine Ibiza spirit that inspired this creative trend.

 

Designers and Adlib fashion shops: where to buy

 

 

Today, the island has a large number of designers specialising in this type of fashion, whose creations can be bought in boutiques and multi-brand shops on the island. The designs with the Adlib Ibiza quality mark guarantee that you are buying a garment or accessory that fulfils the criteria required by the Eivissa Island Council. This body is the promoter of the craftsmanship label with the Adlib Ibiza designation of origin.

Currently, the brand is home to 14 designers:  Virginia Vald, Ivanna Mestres, K de Kose Kose, Ibiza Stones, Piluca Bayarri, Espardenyes Torres, Monika Maxim Ibiza, S72 Hat, Estrivancus, Dolors Miró Ibiza, Ibimoda, Elisa Pomar Ibiza, vintage Ibiza and Tony Bonet. Their names guarantee that you are buying a 100% Adlib fashion garment from Ibiza, although all over the island you will also find a wide range of shops where you can buy clothes, accessories and footwear inspired by the brand. Not forgetting other designers who have been important ambassadors of the brand and who now continue to design away from this designation of origin, such as the successful designer Charo Ruiz.

 

Adlib fashion designers with their own shop

 

Piluca Bayarri

One of the most established firms of Adlib Moda Ibiza, with sensual designs made of 100% cotton.

Shop: c/ sa Creu, 30 (Ibiza)

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Elisa Pomar

Elisa Pomar’s gold and silver work is inspired by the emblematic piece of traditional Ibizan jewellery: the emprendada.

Shop: Paseo de Vara de Rey, 5 y Castelar, 1 (Ibiza)

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Vintage Ibiza

Alberto Serra Ramírez and José Antonio Marí Schroder are the creators of this brand that maintains the essence of the Adlib creations of the 70s and 80s.

Shops: c/ San Jaime, 73 – Santa Eulària, and Plaza de l’Esglèsia, s/n – Sant Carles

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Pepa Bonett

This designer maintains one of the fundamental principles of Adlib fashion in her collections: naturalness. Her garments are made in her workshop in Ibiza with 100% natural fabrics.

Shop: c/ de Balears, 6 (Ibiza).

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Monika Maxim

With more than 20 years’ experience in Ibiza fashion, Monika Maxim is unique because of her use of cotonet, a top-quality cotton that is decorated with lace, tatting and crochet.

Tienda: C/ Pere Francès, 38 (Ibiza)

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Other Ibizan fashion designers you will like

 

Charo Ruiz

One of the most veteran and representative designers of Ibizan fashion.

Shops: Av. Bartomeu Ramon I Tur nº 3 – Ibiza; and c/Salvador Camacho s/n – Santa Eulària.

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Beatrice San Francisco

The designs of this brand were born in Ibiza and produced in Spain, following the criteria of slow fashion and local trade.  The main material in her collection is recycled cotton.

Shops: Paseo Vara de Rey, 7 – Ibiza, and Carrer de Vénda de Parada, 8B – Santa Gertrudis.

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Multi-brand shops where you can buy Adlib fashion

 

 

In the following shops, you can find the creations of brands and designers that do not have a boutique open to the public, such as Tony Bonet, Luisa Tur Adlib, Dolors Miró Senallons, Espardenyes Torres, Estrivancus, Ibimoda, K de Kose Kose and Virginia Vald.

 

Ad Libitum

C/ Bisbe Cardona, 10 (Ibiza).

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Bamba Ibiza

Antoni Palau, 5 (Ibiza).

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Pony

C/ de Sa Creu, 1 (Ibiza)

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Ibiza Das

c/ Manuel Sorá, 10 (Ibiza)

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Origens Pomar

Carrer de sa Xeringa, 2 (Ibiza)

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Tips for creating an Ibizan style with  personality

 

 

During your holidays in Ibiza, you’re sure to find casual and imaginative clothes that will boost your free spirit, but perhaps a traditional little voice will pipe up that says “I love it, but this is only for Ibiza”. If so, you only have one option: don’t listen to it! Get in touch with the creativity of the island and create your own outfit to show off wherever it is summer.

• If you’re looking for a garment with the Adlib Ibiza stamp, make sure that it bears the logo: an A finished on the top with a circle and a horizontal line (reminiscent of a woman with a wide skirt) accompanied by the name Adlib Ibiza.
• Blend Adlib inspired garments with your usual style to avoid feeling that you won’t be able to wear them once off the island. That blouse and skirt are still just as beautiful and fresh anywhere in the world! This advice is also applicable to other types of imaginative and special clothing and accessories that you’ll see in the markets and shops of Ibiza.
• If you’re looking to buy a special piece that lasts a lifetime, visit Elisa Pomar’s jewellery shop and choose one of her precious pieces inspired by traditional Ibizan precious metal craftsmanship.
• Need a special accessory?: open espardenyes are traditional Ibizan espadrilles, made with natural pita fibre. You’ll notice that they bring a unique touch to a summer design!
• In the markets of Ibiza you’ll find a wide range of Ibiza style blouses, dresses and skirts with which to create a look according to your style and budget, as well as many fashion shops on the island that have a selection of these types of garments.

 

 

 

Show off your Ibizan look at Amàre Beach Hotel Ibiza

 

 

Shopping in Ibiza can be both exhilarating and exhausting. So when you get home from finding your new favourite summer outfit, you can wear it right away without having to leave the hotel! Just head upstairs to our Bèlvue Rooftop Bar, where you can enjoy a fabulous sunset and DJ session then dine at Hayaca restaurant, whose creative menu inspired by Latin American cuisine will put a delicious finishing touch to your shopping experience. #whatafeeling