Sartorial action hero

FRESH from the resounding success of his charity gala dinner, which took place on August 6, and currently free of all things Shrek and SpongeBob, Malaga-born Hollywood heavyweight and sad-eyed machismo merchant Antonio Banderas is continuing his quest to become the next Manolo Blahnik with the launch of his first collection as a fashion designer.

The classy clobber was unveiled at a press conference in Marbella, and is included within the larger collection of signature menswear brand ‘Selected,’ fulfilling a long-held dream for the ageing Spanish hunk after he completed a course at Central Saint Martins fashion school in London, which counts Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen among previous students.

“The Mediterranean is key in each of the garments; you can see its various shades of blue in the jacket linings, for example. This has been one of the ways that I wanted to represent who I am, where I come from and how I see fashion. This is my particular way of seeing the world,” said Banderas, before adding that he didn’t really design the togs, but rather “participated in the process.”

The collection is available in El Corte Ingles and selected’s own boutiques from August 9.