Did you know that the oldest tapestry factory in Spain is located in Madrid? We are talking about the Real Fábrica de Tapices (Royal Tapestry Factory), which was founded in 1720 by King Felipe V to supply these pieces, which were then placed in the different royal rooms.
In 1889 it moved to its current location in the Pacífico neighbourhood and moved to a large building facing the streets of Andrés Torrejón, 7, Fuenterrabía, 2, Julián Gayarre, 4 and 6 and Vandergoten, 1.
In Madrid Capital de Moda we had the opportunity to visit it during one of the shows of the Off calendar of the 69th edition of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, when the Shoop brand presented there its new collection there with a very groundbreaking proposal.
If you want to see the show and discover the Real Fábrica de Tapices, just click on the following button. ⤵️
Today the Royal Tapestry Factory continues to perform the function for which it was created more than three centuries ago, and collaborates with great artists such as Felipao, with whom it has created the ‘Amberes’ collection, in which the Meninas play a special role.
The main piece in the collection is the Amberes rug, in which the artist combines his particular avant-garde style with the handmade production of the Real Fábrica de Tapices (Royal Tapestry Factory). Felipao creates a design inspired by his characteristic polyhedral Meninas in this piece, which is made to order, adapting it to the taste of each client. The Amberes rug, which belongs to the collection of the same name, is made by hand following the traditional Turkish knot technique, typical of the Real Fábrica de Tapices (Royal Tapestry Factory.)
Each square metre of carpet is made up of 18,460 knots and takes a week of work, a painstaking process that makes it a work of art. Along with this product, which is the star piece of the collection, Felipao also makes silk scarves, ceramic cups and umbrellas, each adorned with the polyhedral meninas.
From the Real Fábrica de Tapices, its general director Alejandro Klecker de Elizalde emphasises that it is essential for the updating of the designs of the Real Fábrica de Tapices to have the collaboration of Spanish artists of recognised prestige, such as Manolo Valdés and now, Felipao. Artists who show their permanent connection with contemporary art.
Felipao, the artist who created this collection comments that this collaboration with the RFT is an exciting encounter between tradition and modernity. It is an honour to be part of this partnership that fuses contemporary creativity with the tradition and heritage of the factory and I have had the opportunity to bring my artistic vision to life through a traditional art form that has endured over the centuries.
If you would like to discover this collection, we invite you to visit the Real Fábrica de Tapices or consult all the information on its website.
