We present two trades, two workshops around a hundred years old, dedicated to flamenco craftsmanship, which have survived the crisis: craftsmanship of excellence in shawls and fans, important flamenco accessories.
Flamenco craftsmanship is an art on which the business of families revolves, who watch over quality and tradition from generation to generation.
Manila shawls of yesteryear that are on-trend today
Ángeles Espinar has a small workshop of exquisite hand-embroidered shawls in Villamanrique de la Condesa, a village in Seville with a long tradition of embroidery, “but white embroidery, the kind that was done for chasubles, church cloths, the underwear of the señoritos…”.
The embroidery of the shawl was brought to this municipality by the wife of a lieutenant stationed there in 1925. “This lady was from Seville. The art took root because most of the women in the village were already embroidering in white, in recto, which is a much more difficult technique”.
Mantones Ángeles Espinar
The tradition of Ángeles’ workshop dates back to the 1930s, when her mother, who was an embroidery teacher, opened her first shawl embroidery workshop.s. “And many women from the village set up their workshops, and it spread to the surrounding villages, to Pilas and others”.
Recognition for his work came as a result of his 1979 exhibition at “Exporte” in Seville. “Embroidery was being lost because nobody did it at home, it was paid very little, and women began to dedicate themselves to other tasks, where they were paid more. I brought to this exhibition nine shawls of natural silk from Italy, embroidered with patterns and colours created by me, who dye the silk at home and give it my own tones”.
These nine shawls were very popular and the workshop began to develop. “In 1980, people were looking for me, and soon I couldn’t get enough, people came from all over Spain,” but also from Mexico and other parts of America. “A shawl of mine is distinguished by the quality of the silk, the original colours, the patterns and embroidery, the good fringing… For my patterns I look at the flowers that I plant, the pansies, roses, tulips. That’s where I take the picture and put it on board. I use the best dyes, the best silks, which are sent to me from Naples”.
These nine shawls were very popular and the workshop began to develop. “In 1980, people were looking for me, and soon I couldn’t get enough, people came from all over Spain,” but also from Mexico and other parts of America. “A shawl of mine is distinguished by the quality of the silk, the original colours, the patterns and embroidery, the good fringing… For my patterns I look at the flowers that I plant, the pansies, roses, tulips. That’s where I take the picture and put it on board. I use the best dyes, the best silks, which are sent to me from Naples”.
Flamenco handicraft dedicated to the fan
Andrés Pascual’s fan workshop is now in its fourth generation. My great-grandparents started”, says Macarena Andrés, “in 1880. My great-grandmother, Carmen Blasco, was a weaver and this trade led them to open the first workshop”.
Abanico flamenco
In a fan, several specialists work, but weavers and weavers are the basic ones. An art where the “man-woman” zip work takes place. The men work more on the rod: the “varillajero”, the “calador”, the “adornador”, who makes the bas-relief, the “decorador”, with paints, and a “maqueador”, who gives colour to the “bajorriele”. The women work more on “the country”, which is the fabric, lace, leather… They are the weavers, who can be lace makers (if it is lace), bobbin weavers (bobbin lace), painters, fondistas…
The shawl is no longer grandmother’s
Altermanila is a brand that uses the Manila shawl as a modern and very fashionable accessory. With its silk shawls, the Spanish brand is a hit with guests, bridesmaids and even as a casual accessory; and it’s making waves among influencers.
The company sells online through its own website, but as a special brand, it only sells at specific times of the year: its VIP sales. It is very easy to sign up for them through the website (altermanila.com) to find out when the season opens.
Mantón Manila