Spanish fashion ranges from refined couture to some of the world’s best-known high-street names.
Couture and craft
Barcelona had a strong textile industry in the early twentieth century, and Cristóbal Balenciaga first gained recognition at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Balenciaga’s second Spanish couture house, EISA, operated in Madrid from 1933 to 1968. Meanwhile Loewe, founded in 1846, launched its Amazona handbag in 1975, which became one of the most copied bags in the world.
Brands that went global
Zara opened in La Coruña in 1975 under the name Zorba and expanded internationally in 1988, while Mango opened its first shop on Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia in 1984.
Madrid on the catwalk
Pasarela Cibeles began in 1985 with a show under a circus tent in Plaza de Colón, featuring six designers. It was later renamed, and today Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid is organised by the trade fair IFEMA. Fashion lovers can also visit the Museo del Traje, opened in 2004 as Spain’s first national museum devoted to fashion and costume.
Sources: Wikipedia: Fashion in Barcelona, Wikipedia: Madrid Fashion Week, Turismo Madrid: fashion map.
For more style ideas, browse the shop.