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The fashion house is embarking on a new cycle led by designer Jorge Vázquez, who shares with Pertegaz a taste for bourgeoise fashion and an almost obsessive attention to detail. These are the guidelines of the new Pertegaz, which made its debut at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid.
Pertegaz’s sleek woman defined female elegance for more than seventy years. He dressed celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn and Ava Gardner, as well as Queen Letizia. Along with Balenciaga, Manuel Pertegaz was one of the most important Spanish couturiers of his time. Besides writing the codes of high-society’s serene sophistication, his needle revolutionized cabin crew dress codes. In 1968, he created a series of custom uniforms for Iberia’s staff with patterns inspired by swinging London and the style of Jackie Kennedy, whom he also dressed. Today the house’s greatest hits are reinterpreted by Jorge Vázquez, the new creative director. We chatted with him about how to rekindle the legacy of a legend.
The relaunch of the fashion house started a few months before you took the position. What have you found there?
When I first started, part of the job had already been done. The firm has two new collections in the market, directed by Puri Alonso, the company’s CEO, which are sold in high-end boutiques next to Valentino, Saint Laurent or Prada.
How are you facing this new challenge?
My aim is to imprint my style while at the same time relying a lot on the house’s DNA. Pertegaz enjoyed a very long golden age, but for my first collection I want to focus on his years in the United States, in the 1950s and 1970s. Back then, his designs grazed the covers of powerful magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue USA, and his clothes were displayed on the shop windows of Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman. American women really loved his style.
“What really saddens me about this project is not having had the chance to spend at least one day with Pertegaz. It would have been a unique way to savour his legacy.”
Why have you focused on that period?
Achieving that is very difficult, and the fact that he did it is very commendable. This is my personal tribute to the maestro and to that period marked by Pertegaz’s style. We are using some designs that are still fashionable today.
Was that the time when he conquered Hollywood and his designs were worn at the White House?
Yes, quite amazing, isn’t? He dressed Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy and many other iconic women. They have always inspired me for my collections, that’s why this is a wonderful opportunity for me.
It’s inevitable to draw a comparison with the transformation of another internationally renowned Spanish fashion house — Delpozo. Thanks to the work of Josep Font, it became a favourite among celebrities and was seen on many a red carpet. Is this also Pertegaz’s objective?
The company is working on expanding, but the truth is that Pertegaz has always been an international house. In this new phase we want to be present in the United States, Paris, Dubai, Qatar and Japan. I’d love it if Pertegaz became a benchmark of Spanish fashion.
However, Madrid has been chosen for the launch of Pertegaz.
Yes, it will be on January 30th at Madrid City Hall, within the MBFWM framework, although outside the fairgrounds. I want this first show to be a surprise, for the audience to feel magic. More than a commercial offering, I’m aiming for something closer to couture, similar to what he created in his studio, with fantastical women, headdresses, voluminous silhouettes, incredible fabrics…
Could you give us some clues to help us understand what your first collection for the brand will be like?
It will have vibrant colors. There’s white, red, and black, the three shades that appeared in all of the master’s collections. But there will also be touches of pink and green. We’ve also brought back some of his voluminous taffeta pieces; they’re going to be spectacular. It’s a very appealing collection with reissued prints, though interpreted with a more youthful, updated palette. We want the brand to resonate with new generations as well.
We’ve talked about the great icons Manuel dressed, but have you thought about drawing inspiration from some current ones?
The brand needs to be nurtured with new faces, but more than searching for them, they should appear. It should be women who identify with the image and the new Pertegaz aesthetic. I wouldn’t want to force any particular profile or for anyone to feel left out.
You have experience leading several companies simultaneously. How can you manage multiple brands without experiencing burnout?
Teamwork is essential. When I was creative director at El Corte Inglés, I managed twelve brands simultaneously, and those teams were what helped me differentiate them. Right now, I have two giant corkboards in my workshop displaying both collections. I’m constantly checking to make sure there are no repetitions of colors or other elements. Each brand must have its own identity, style, and target audience, although some elements will be shared.
When does Jorge Vázquez find inspiration?
I consider myself a very hard worker. Sometimes, I get obsessive. The muse comes to me while I’m working, watching a film, looking at fabrics—that’s where the inspiration comes from. Then there’s the work of making notes, drawings, selecting fabrics, linings, buttons… And that’s only possible by dedicating time to it; otherwise, it’s impossible.
Did you have the opportunity to meet Manuel Pertegaz?
What I regret most about this project is not having had the opportunity to spend at least one day with him. It would have been a unique way to savor his legacy. Although there are people in the Barcelona studio who worked with him for 40 or 50 years and have shared their experience with me, there are certain codes that can only be transmitted through a look or an attitude, and only he could have taught me that.
After investigating the firm’s archives, what surprised you the most?
The patterns. There are volumes that make you think, “How did they come up with that?” They’re seamless, achieved by rolling and shaping the fabric. I also loved the hand-embroidered pieces and prints, because forty years have passed and they still look so modern. The prints are perfect; they haven’t faded at all. I found the quality in the archive to be fantastic.
“What scares me most about this stage is not living up to expectations. I want all my clients to be able to say that my designs are an evolved Pertegaz.”
The 1960s, like the 1980s, were times of disruption and creativity. How can we be surprised today?
Fashion has to move us. I see things from the ’80s that fascinate me, but also from the ’60s and ’70s. We’re working with several decades at once, and they’re all relevant. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. It’s a phenomenon also seen in international brands. Many creative directors of major fashion houses draw on their archives because there’s an incredible body of work from the great masters. We have to draw inspiration from that.
What challenges does it face?
What scares me most is not living up to expectations. I want to create a collection with respect, one that Manuel Pertegaz would be proud of, and that all those clients who remember him can say is an evolved Pertegaz. My daily exercise is to think: What would Manuel do if he were alive? How would he dress women today if he were my age? What colors would he choose, what prints? My intention is to bring his spirit into 2026.
Source: Iberia