He is the new darling of Spanish fashion. But Nicolás Montenegro is by no means spoiled. With a shy look and a wide smile, at the time of this interview the 34-year-old designer from Seville was finalizing the details of his fourth show backstage. With him he celebrated in Seville, the land that saw him grow, the second anniversary of his eponymous firm and thus thanked those who had made possible his consolidation in the industry. “You have to defend Spanish fashion, believe in talent and value the crafts of our country,” he declared shortly before receiving the guests, all of whom were family members and friends of the brand.
Close, a lover of folklore but also of chic fashion that is cooking on international stages, Montenegro has captivated personalities such as Rossy de Pama, Minerva Portiño, Nieves Álvarez and even Bad Gyal thanks to its gala dresses with Italian airs and New York touches. That international point was harvested when he worked for Dolce
After Milan came Paris, where he worked for large French firms and ended up landing in New York. A promising future shone before him alongside the most important designers in the world and yet life, or more specifically a promise, brought him home to try to build his own name in fashion.
“My father has always been a reference for me. He was a born fighter, he started selling coal on the street, and he left me a wonderful education. He knew that my dream was to start a business and when he was in the ICU, already very sick, he told me: ‘If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for me,’ ”he recalls emotionally. That dream is today, two years later, a reality. “I went from having it all, working with Beyoncé or Kim Kardashian, to putting together something myself and going back to my roots,” he says.
And the truth is that nothing has gone wrong. The dressmaker has managed to create a very clear identity in the local and international industry through tapestries, the contrast between black and white and halter necks. “For me it is very important to have my own character in fashion,” he acknowledges, and also that local crafts and production – he produces and makes everything in artisan workshops near Seville – are part of his essence.
Living in the frenzy of big cities has led Montenegro to appreciate calm and silence. “I love being in Seville and especially going to my town. You live better there because you don’t need as much to live”, she admits, adding that for him the key to success is to grow gradually: “I don’t climb a step if I don’t have the one I’m going to leave well built”.
The name Nicolás Montenegro is already present in New York, Panama, Italy and Ireland and plans to continue expanding in the coming years. His designs are designed for today’s all-rounder woman, the one who needs an elegant dress that can both go to a cocktail party or a more formal event, the one who seeks versatility and comfort without giving up being sophisticated. In this sense, the designer defends the need to broaden the concept of luxury fashion in Spain and understand that the client no longer has just one profile. “In Spain you have to love each other more and understand that, as they do abroad, we can also make 360-degree luxury collections,” he says.
