The Spanish fashion history is full of surprising facts, captivating styles, originality and tradition, owing to exciting creations of many world-famous fashion houses and designer, some of whose fame for creativity and splendor dates back to more than a century now. The country’s capital, Madrid, is a global fashion hub, a home of world-renowned designers such as Loewe, Balenciaga and La Movida Madrilena, as well as a number of rising stars. Let’s learn something about Madrid’s claim to fame in the context of fashion.
Balenciaga, Elegance Itself
“The king of fashion” and “The only real couturier” are just some of the names great Cristobal Balenciaga was named by some of the biggest characters in the fashion industry. His fashion was all about framing women’s figure, rather than restraining it, he made fashion that shook up the perception of femininity. Balenciaga opened his first couture shop in 1917 in the place where he was born, and two years later he broadened his departments to Madrid and Barcelona, where his designs were worn by the Spanish royal family and aristocracy.
Some years later, he moved to Paris, where he opened his couture house, and shortly became widely recognized and famous. But not until the post-war period, that he became ingenious and creative- he completely changed the couture, getting read of the waist and widening the shoulders. With his inventiveness and structural designs, he inspired many of today’s famous designers.
La Movida Madrileña
Some consider it to be an epic part of Madrid’s history, but this artistic movement certainly was if not epic, then a great and important part of this towns’ history. The Movida Madrilena took place in Madrid, just after the dictatorship in Spain has ended, and during the Spanish transition. It was an impulsive phenomenon, which aroused independence and artistry, influencing art, film, music and fashion.
Manuel Pina was one of the designers inspired by Movida Madrilena, and he has established Spanish ready-to-wear fashion, after Balenciaga’s haute couture. His epical collections have influenced decisions of many of the worlds’ renowned fashion firms, such as Sybilla, Jesus Del Pozo, and Antonio Miro, to find their way to Madrid and this way help the city become an important part of the global fashion world.
The Fashion is Here to Stay
The Cibeles Show was established in 1985 in Madrid when several daring Spanish designers decided to introduce their collections in the first Madrid Fashion Week show. Only a few years later, during the ‘90s, luxury fashion sectors discovered Madrid’s fashion potential and many extravagant brands such as Dior and Jimmy Choo, joined the city’s fashion scene and opened their luxury stores in the streets of Madrid.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Madrid has become a superior exhibit of Spanish fashion attracting the greatest names in the global fashion business to participate in this exclusive show. Also, the city has the honor to host abundant events, fairs, like Samsung EGO which helps Madrid to strengthen the affiliation with fashion.
IED Madrid’s new master program in fashion futures is another fine example of the city’s determination to stay at the top of the global fashion game in years to come. Enrollees of this program are thought to apply digital fabrication techniques to their designs and to integrate soft electronics into textiles, simply said- they will be able to make smart wearables that are certainly the future of fashion. This will help Madrid to stay on the global fashion map as one of the most inventive cities in this field.
As you can see, Madrid is definitely among the biggest fashion capitals in the world, along with London, Milan, New York, Paris and Tokyo. Today, the Spanish capital is home to a splendid array of fashion companies and it’s doing everything to keep its place in the international fashion realm.
