Pilar Dalbat
From Granada to the world
Pilar Dalbat spent some time far away from Granada, but she always wanted to come home. When she did, she decided to make her city known around the world through fashion and the proof is in the pudding: the launch of ‘Zambra’ at MBFWMadrid. A collection rooted in local folklore that brings together culture, tradition and craftsmanship while reinterpreting the key aspects of flamenco and bringing them closer to the designer’s universe.
“Granada is the perfect dream and fantasy, forever ineffable,” said Federico García Lorca, the most universal figure from Granada, about his hometown. Because the capital of the Nasrid kingdom cannot be explained with words. Perhaps for this reason, Pilar Torrecillas (Granada), at the head of the brand Pilar Dalbat, does so by creating collections which highlight Granada’s heritage. “A city that is unlike any other,” declares this seasoned traveller who has lived abroad for ten years. In fact, Pilar Dalbat was born as a brand at the turn of the century in India after its founder’s long backpacking trip across the Asian continent. But Granada was always there at the back of her mind. Upon her return, Pilar set herself the goal of making her city known around the world through fashion and by golly is she achieving it. In 2024, Forbes magazine placed her among the top 100 most influential women from Andalusia. Closely connected to architecture, this designer has launched her new collection, Zambra, at COAM [Official Association of Architects of Madrid], as part of MBFWMadrid, an event sponsored by Iberia. “We’ve always launched our collections at iconic spaces within the city. It’s a way of bringing them to life and giving them an alternative use. COAM allows us to be true to our story and show our connection to architecture,” Pilar assures us, proud to reinforce Granada’s candidacy as the 2031 European Capital of Culture.
How does a graduate in Economics and Business Sciences end up in the world of fashion? Was that passion always there or did it emerge gradually?
Fashion has always been there. We used to sew a lot at home and I’ve loved it from an early age. After finishing my degree—I studied both in Spain and abroad, in Wales and France—I was lucky to find a purchasing job at an import and export company in Paris. This allowed me to travel around the world. Although my most important trip was after that; I spent a year and a half backpacking across Asia, the typical “year off,” as the English say. In the end, it’s a combination of experiences that get mixed together in a cocktail shaker and make up your profile. Luckily, I landed in the sector I was destined to work in.
Pilar Dalbat wouldn’t make sense today without its connection to Granada, but its seed was planted thousands of miles away and is related to that trip. What mark did it leave on you and the brand?
It has left many marks, one of them is the name of the brand. Originally, it was just Dalbat because Dal Bhat is a traditional Nepalese dish consisting of lentils and rice. In 2000, we restyled it and added Pilar for a more personal touch. The oriental imprint is related to aesthetics, colour, fabrics… But I’d already learnt a lot in Paris because I used to deal with big brands. The Parisian stamp is more about design and quality. Then I returned to Granada because it was the city where I wanted to work.
“As a creator, it is more sincere to talk about what you know. I always resort to Granada because it’s easier to move others if I’m the first who feels moved”
You’ve spent more than two decades creating collections that speak of Granada’s cultural heritage. Are your roots an endless source of inspiration?
Yes. I think, as a creator, it is more sincere to talk about what you know, about your immediate surroundings. I always resort to Granada because it’s easier to move others if I’m the first who feels moved. You can tell when creating a collection. Now we’re going to launch Zambra at MBFWMadrid, a collection that talks about the most ancient flamenco dance—which has its origins in the Nasrid people and is intricately connected to the Romani community—. It also appeals to Zambra at an architectural level, to the caves in the neighbourhood of Sacromonte, which is currently hosting the first Flamenco Biennial. Our proposals are part of the city’s heritage and cultural projects.
The COAM hosted the presentation of 'Zambra', Pilar Dalbat's latest collection, as part of MBFWMadrid. © Courtesy of Pilar Dalbat
Pilar Dalbat reinterpreted one of the oldest and purest flamenco styles in a contemporary fashion. © Courtesy of Pilar Dalbat
The proposal covered the colourful landscapes of Granada: white and ecru from lime, green from Andalusia and gold from the sun. © Courtesy of Pilar Dalbat
One of your goals when returning to Granada was helping to bring back the trades and workshops of Andalusia; do you think you’ve achieved this?
I believe so. We’re a small brand, a designer fashion brand, and for us it’s relatively simple to work with artisans and for it to not simply be a marketing stunt. For other brands, craftsmanship has turned into a marketing tool, just like sustainability. Now we’re finishing a jewellery collection with María Soto, a fourth-generation artisan from Granada, for Zambra. I always say that Andalusia is the last stronghold of first-world craftsmanship and our goal is to help preserve and recover it.
Pilar Dalbat is a brand that suggests a unique symbiosis between architecture and fashion. How does this conversation come about?
Granada is a very culturally rich city. I’ve always been extremely aware of this because my family used to value this a lot. My brother was an architect, so at home we lived surrounded by architecture. As a brand, we’ve developed a method that consists of choosing a theme—like the zambras I’ve just explained—and researching it to build a collection. We start from our roots to tell a story. Granada is a city unlike any other and I should know because I’ve lived abroad for a decade and I’m a seasoned traveller.
Space, including the landscape, is also essential for you. In fact, this year you walked one of the most original catwalks ever held in Sierra Nevada. How did such an ambitious project come about?
I've been wanting to make a collection about Sierra Nevada for a while. It’s the ski resort with the most days of sunshine in Europe and I had to tell that story. I’m an avid skier and people from other countries can’t believe that I get to ski in glorious sunshine. It was the first runway at a ski resort in Spain, and it would have been the first in Europe too, but Moncler got ahead of us a month before in Courchevel. We received the support of many institutions and it had a significant impact in the media.
There’s a word that you use frequently when talking about your creations: timeless. Is making pieces that stand the test of time your way of betting on sustainability?
Of course. Here’s an example. If you buy a fast fashion T-shirt, you’ll wear it a few times and then throw it away because it’s cheap and low-quality. However, if you buy a designer fashion piece, you’ll keep it in your wardrobe because it has a story and hard work behind it, both in terms of production and creativity. It’s what I call refinement. A lot of thought goes into designing for an idea to become a garment. This, together with handmade production, is the way to protect the garment from time passing.
“A lot of thought goes into designing for an idea to become a garment. This, together with handmade production, is the way to protect the garment from time passing”
The current fashion industry stands out for the speed of production and consumption, the fast fashion you mentioned. How do you face this at your brand?
Designer fashion is intrinsically sustainable because of the materials we use, at least from a production standpoint. At my workshop, every pattern is hand-drafted and cut, and there are practically no offcuts because we reuse them. We’re even sustainable in terms of logistics because most of our clients need to try on our garments, so we reduce the waste generated by shipping.
Finally, tell us what talent means to you.
I believe that talent, at least in my sector, is related to the ability to bring your ideas to life in a way that reaches people. For your proposal to have a soul, so that it transcends and, in a way, has an impact on your customer’s happiness. Fashion can be considered an industrial sector, but our niche is closer to art, emotion and feeling. Of course, surviving is also part of talent. You have to be talented to keep afloat in this world. And another must is training. Talent that isn’t connected to an education isn’t talent at all.
