REFLECTIONS ON BARCELONA

Words by Juliet Souter

Late last year, Marle Founder and Creative Director Juliet was in Paris, presenting our upcoming collection to wholesale partners. With our Resort ’25 shoot scheduled in Spain the following week, the timing aligned for her to travel on from Paris and be present on location. This journal captures what stayed with her from time spent in Barcelona.

Last year, I travelled first to Paris for sales, and then on to Barcelona to shoot our Resort ’25 campaign in L’Escala. We confirmed our photographer, Arale Reartes, in the weeks before I arrived in Paris, and knowing she was based in Spain made Barcelona an easy decision.
I hadn’t been before, but it felt like the right place to spend time around the shoot. L’Escala, a small coastal town on the Costa Brava, was further out and a bit of a drive, so travelling in and out from the city made sense on the day.

Many of the places I visited were the obvious ones. But in that obviousness, there’s a truth, and a reason they are so frequently returned to. With each sight and landmark, I tried to experience things with intention. This meant putting my phone and camera away, something I don’t always manage to do, and really sitting and watching each space. Being present to the work around me, noticing textures, materials, and details, like the motifs repeated in the paving from street to street.

Last year, I travelled first to Paris for sales, and then on to Barcelona to shoot our Resort ’25 campaign in L’Escala. We confirmed our photographer, Arale Reartes, in the weeks before I arrived in Paris, and knowing she was based in Spain made Barcelona an easy decision.
I hadn’t been before, but it felt like the right place to spend time around the shoot. L’Escala, a small coastal town on the Costa Brava, was further out and a bit of a drive, so travelling in and out from the city made sense on the day.

Many of the places I visited were the obvious ones. But in that obviousness, there’s a truth, and a reason they are so frequently returned to. With each sight and landmark, I tried to experience things with intention. This meant putting my phone and camera away, something I don’t always manage to do, and really sitting and watching each space. Being present to the work around me, noticing textures, materials, and details, like the motifs repeated in the paving from street to street.

One day was spent moving through Montjuïc, a broad hill in Barcelona with a deep sense of history. I visited the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion first, originally built as Germany’s temporary structure for the 1929 International Exposition. Although it was dismantled shortly after, it was reconstructed several decades later. The interplay of glass, travertine, and water felt beautiful and precise, enhanced by water lilies sitting quietly at the edge of the pool. I stayed for a long time, watching how people experienced the space, with some passing straight through, and others pausing just briefly.

Nearby, I visited the Fundació Joan Miró, designed by Josep Lluís Sert in close collaboration with Miró. I enjoyed speaking with the deeply knowledgeable staff there, who were curious to learn more about New Zealand. Those moments of connection, made possible simply by slowing down rather than rushing, became as meaningful as the space itself.

Walking down from Miró, I passed the Piscines Municipals de Montjuïc, built for the 1992 Olympic Games. From its edge, the view opens wide: the Mediterranean to the right, the Sagrada Família rising through the centre, and rolling hills stretching to the left. I paused at the café there before continuing on foot, descending through the gardens toward the water.

One of the things that surprised me most was how much I loved the Sagrada Família. Arriving early, before the crowds (something I’d strongly recommend) made all the difference. The level of detail is immense, and only really reveals itself when there’s space to notice it. Going up to the top was extraordinary. The winding staircase down is not for the faint-hearted, being narrow and claustrophobic, but ultimately worth it. Seeing the spires up close, with craftspeople still working on site, felt surreal. Realising the structure is alive, still nearing completion after more than 140 years.

Nearby, I visited the Fundació Joan Miró, designed by Josep Lluís Sert in close collaboration with Miró. I enjoyed speaking with the deeply knowledgeable staff there, who were curious to learn more about New Zealand. Those moments of connection, made possible simply by slowing down rather than rushing, became as meaningful as the space itself.

Walking down from Miró, I passed the Piscines Municipals de Montjuïc, built for the 1992 Olympic Games. From its edge, the view opens wide: the Mediterranean to the right, the Sagrada Família rising through the centre, and rolling hills stretching to the left. I paused at the café there before continuing on foot, descending through the gardens toward the water.

One of the things that surprised me most was how much I loved the Sagrada Família. Arriving early, before the crowds (something I’d strongly recommend) made all the difference. The level of detail is immense, and only really reveals itself when there’s space to notice it. Going up to the top was extraordinary. The winding staircase down is not for the faint-hearted, being narrow and claustrophobic, but ultimately worth it. Seeing the spires up close, with craftspeople still working on site, felt surreal. Realising the structure is alive, still nearing completion after more than 140 years.

Travelling alone, I stayed in the heart of the city at Hotel Regina. I made it a point to walk constantly, following my appetite rather than set plans. My time was marked by meals, enjoying beautiful dishes at Clara, Lluritu, Casa Inés, and Bodega La Palma, to name a few. Each night ended at Xurreria Trébol, a beloved churro shop, open late and charmingly unchanged since opening in 1950. A small ritual I didn’t question.

Exploring the city by walking and biking allowed each area to register as part of a continuous whole, like Gaudí’s mosaic work coming together piece by piece. Barcelona felt most alive just before the afternoon siesta, when the pace softens and people sit in bodegas, catching up with loved ones and letting the day stretch.

By night, the city shifts, becoming louder, faster, more charged. I kept mostly to restaurants on this visit, but already know I want to return for that side of the city.

Note: The bronze doors of the Nativity façade are cast with Mediterranean flora — leaves, flowers, insects — continuing Antoni Gaudí’s belief that architecture should grow from nature rather than decorate it. They were created decades after his death by the sculptor Etsuro Sotoo, who has spent much of his life devoted to understanding and continuing Gaudí’s work.

Barcelona’s character feels inseparable from its Catalan identity, being independent in spirit and proud of its craft. With Gaudí’s work threaded throughout, the city is unmistakably ornate, even in its most functional spaces. Nature, faith, and invention coexist freely, with form and function intertwined.

Although it’s a familiar idea, the trip brought it back into focus: if you don’t slow down, you miss what’s right in front of you. Most things reveal themselves quietly.

Barcelona’s character feels inseparable from its Catalan identity, being independent in spirit and proud of its craft. With Gaudí’s work threaded throughout, the city is unmistakably ornate, even in its most functional spaces. Nature, faith, and invention coexist freely, with form and function intertwined.

Although it’s a familiar idea, the trip brought it back into focus: if you don’t slow down, you miss what’s right in front of you. Most things reveal themselves quietly.

STAY

Hotel Regina

EAT

Bar Canyi

Clara

Jaç

Mesa Lobo

Lluritu

Vereda

Casa Ines

Bodega La Palma

Xurreria Trebol

VISIT

Fundació Joan Miró

Mies van der Rohe Pavilion

Casa Battló and all Gaudi houses including Casa Vicens

Sagrada Família

Barri Gòtic

Park Güell

Piscines Municipals de Montjuïc

Museu Picasso

Jardins de Laribal

Gràcia

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

Parc del Laberint d'Horta