Many Hollywood stars, artists, politicians and royals treasured in their closet one of Seseña’s handmade capes. Picasso was portrayed with it by Irving Penn in the sixties and is buried with it. The label was established in 1901 by the current owner's great grandfather, Santos Seseña who wanted to maintain the making of the traditional handcrafted Spanish cape. When Santos died in 1959, Seseña specialised in cape making. Over the last years, the label has added new designs. Hand cutting and sewing are still done at the atelier following the same traditional techniques passed on from generation to generation.
The classical cape is a circular design with an overlay over the shoulders and is drawn with chalk on cloth and then cut with the same ancient big heavy scissors used more than a century ago. Two artisans are in charge, one to cut, one to sew. Every detail remains unchanged: embroidery, soutache – a traditional technique to make cords –, merino wool fabric line the edges with velvet and two silver brooches in the collar.
Atelier Seseña
