Jesus Del Pozo was a Spanish fashion designer born in Madrid in 1946. Opening his first boutique in 1974, Del Pozo was embarking on his career at the same time as Spain was beginning to transition from the dictatorship of Franco to democracy. The change in politics coincided with a change in social values now described as La Movida. Del Pozo, as an artist and designer, played an important part in this "Movement" and was regarded as a key influence in the modernization of Spanish style.
From his boutique on Almirante Street—a hub of the cultural vanguard in Madrid—Del Pozo took inspiration from the past and married it with his own unique personal vision to move fashion forward in Spain. While not forgetting the lessons of past Spanish masters of couture, such as Cristobal Balenciaga, Del Pozo sought the individual beauty of a possible creation and how to present it without gimmicks or unnecessary embellishments. A 2010 quote sums up his philosophy: "I love women and I love promoting the positive. I do not want uniformity. It is important that each person brings something of his personality, so I try to do flexible and adaptive fashion." An "intellectual" designer whose thoughtful approach included research and discussion, many have likened his designs to art, in particular sculpture, moreso than fashion.
Originally desiging for men, his women's designs would ultimately prove more successful. His first collection was shown in 1976. Del Pozo would go on to receive the Golden Needle award in 1981, National Award Cristobal Balenciaga in 1989, and he was the first fashion designer to receive the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in 1998.
In the 1990s, Del Pozo made several lucrative moves that brought greater success to the house. He began desinging ready-to-wear and bridal wear, and in 1992, introduced his first perfume, Duende for women. Perfumes became an important piece of the Del Pozo brand's offering, with Halloween (1997) becoming an international best-seller and spinning off a series of limited editions and flankers in future years.
Del Pozo passed away in August 2011, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful fashions for an important time in Spain's history, as well as a legacy of education and professionalism in the fashion industry.
