When haute couture came to Torremolinos

Malaga city became known for its fashion shows when the Pasarela Larios open air catwalk became an annual event in 2011. However the Costa del Sol was the venue for displays of haute couture as long ago as the 1960s, back then at the iconic Hotel Pez Espada in Torremolinos.

The town at that time was part of the city of Malaga's wider municipality, and was considered the most open and cosmopolitan place in all of Spain. Moreover in the 60s and 70s, Torremolinos, as an oasis of freedom in the midst of Franco's dictatorship, was experiencing its golden years.

In the 1960s Torremolinos attracted numerous celebrities, some of whom now have their own murals in the town. Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren added glamour to the sophisticated image of Torremolinos.

Extravagant outfits were almost a requirement for visiting the Barbarela or Cleopatra nightclubs, the latter surprising foreign visitors with its aesthetics typical of New York and London.

Even the local beach seemed to be a catwalk for fashionable swimwear, striking a chord with the quite conservative local population. The first ‘show’ happened back in the turbulent 1930s, when the Costa del Sol was visited by Salvador Dalí and Gala. In Torremolinos the painter’s muse appeared topless on a beach, which went down in history as the first topless scene in Spanish history.

Then it was the turn of Ava Gardner, whose visit to Torremolinos was remembered for a photo shoot in a swimming costume on Bajondillo beach. In this photo she looked like a model posing for a fashion magazine. Her monokini made of then newly invented materials, latex and nylon, hugged the actress's body tightly.

Another diva, who is not only a brilliant actress but also a model, Sophia Loren, visited Torremolinos to attend a fashion show put on by designer Nina Ricci, a new haute couture tradition of the Costa del Sol that started in the 60s.

On 9 September 1966, SUR announced one of the most prestigious and spectacular events of the year on the Costa del Sol, which was to repeat the success of two years earlier. The newspaper published a short interview with the commercial director of the Parisian House of Nina Ricci, André Favel.

"Nina Ricci presents its models on an exclusive basis in Spain. We chose the Costa del Sol because, in my opinion, it is one of the most interesting regions in Spain. I would also like to add that I happen to be good friends with the Pez Espada hotel director and his wife. Mr Aletti advised me to come with the collection," explained Favel.

André Favel also emphasised that the sponsor of the Nina Ricci show was the Malaga Press Association. "I tell you this because the only purpose we have in coming here is to get propaganda," he added.

Nina Ricci looked at Spain as a source of good clientele. Mr Favel noted that Spanish women of the period knew how to dress tastefully and they were good at it. In addition, he said that this type of clientele suits Nina Ricci's style very well.

The star of the collection in 66 was Tango, a coral silk evening dress with a large rose at the waist. The shoes to go with the dress were made of the same fabric. Moreover, that September show featured beachwear and streetwear.

The article in SUR described the event at the Pez Espada Hotel as a gala with many surprises and gifts, among which were bottles of liqueur and bottles of Nina Ricci perfume, including the recently released Signoricci. It was a reminder that Nina Ricci was also a flagship in the world of perfumes.

In 1946, Robert Ricci (Nina's son, who founded the Nina Ricci fashion house in Paris in 1932 as a gift to his mother) created his first fragrance, Coeur Joie. Two years later, L'Air du Temps was launched which became the trademark of Nina Ricci perfumery and remains the best-selling fragrance today.

The entertainment was prepared by Pez Espada: hotel ballroom bands, acrobatic dancers and a modern dance duo added a party atmosphere to the event.

Four years later, the 1970 Nina Ricci show was remembered for its fur and leather collection with Russian fur hats. The show of 1971 was dominated by knitwear. Accessories were abundant with satin collars with decorated buckles, tulle scarves, velvet berets and more. The collection was somewhat reminiscent of the 1950s and in many ways it was elegant, without bold and extravagant touches.

The guest of honour at that showin 1971 was the aforementioned Sophia Loren, whose stellar career coincidentally had started in the 50s. The Italian actress met Maria ‘Nina’ Ricci on the set of the film Lady L in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferré on the French Riviera in 1965. Sophia Loren was a fan of Nina Ricci, who created feminine clothes, delicate perfumes and oversized sunglasses, especially liked by the Italian actress.

The 1973 show was special. The Nina Ricci collection was brought to the Costa del Sol immediately after the premiere shows in Paris, bypassing Cannes or Biarritz. It was priced at 120 million pesetas and featured the most expensive models. That year the SUR newspaper dedicated an article to the six models who travelled to Torremolinos to present the collection. All of them were taller than 1.73cm and one of them, Eunice, was from the UK. It should be noted that all Nina Ricci events in Torremolinos were attended by French designer Gerard Pipart, since 1964 the creative director of Nina Ricci. Incidentally, it was with his arrival at the Nina Ricci fashion house that haute couture came to the Costa del Sol. As for Maria ‘Nina’ Ricci herself, she died during this period, on 29 November 1970.

Unlike the contemporary Calle Larios shows, which are open to all comers, the Pez Espada shows were accessible only to those who could pay as much for an admission ticket as a labourer received per month on scaffolding. The catwalk was framed not only with chairs but also with tables for meals with exclusive dishes. There was reportedly no shortage of crowds, who were happy to pay for the feeling of being close to the halo of Paris in the heart of the Costa del Sol.