Considered to be one of the classics of Spanish fashion design, Manuel Pertegaz was born in 1917 in Olba (Teruel), although just a few years after his birth his family moved to Barcelona. It was there that he had his first job in a shop in Carmen Street. A short time later he joined the Angulo team of tailors, and it was there, following the opening of a small womenswear section, that he discovered that his true vocation lay in the world of women's fashions. It would not be long before he turned his hand to women's fashion design, trying out his creations on female friends and members of his family.
He opened his first couture house in Barcelona 1942 under the name Pertegaz. Situated on a mezzanine on the famous Diagonal Avenue, it was here that he presented his first haute couture collection. Six years later he opened the first Pertegaz boutique in Madrid, situated on the corner of Hermosilla and Velázquez. The immediate success he enjoyed throughout Spain encouraged the designer to present his collections abroad, in Paris. The rapturous reception he received convinced Pertegaz that the time had come to expand into the North American market. In 1954 he made his first trip to the United States, where he presented his collections in New York, Boston, Atlanta and Philadelphia. The University of Harvard awarded him their Fashion Oscar, and his outfits began to be sold in America's finest stores. In 1958 he received the Cairo Gold Medal. In 1966 he was awarded another gold medal by Mexico City and in 1968 the Gold Medal of New Orleans. He also went on to receive gold medals from Boston and Berlin, as well as numerous awards and tributes from his home province and region.
In 1957 Manuel Pertegaz decided to move his Madrid showroom to the Paseo de la Castellana, an event which coincided with the death of Christian Dior. The name of Manuel Pertegaz was put forward as his possible successor, yet despite his tremendous international success, the Spanish designer turned down the offer. By now his creations were being exported to England, Switzerland and Canada, and his collections presented in Cairo, Venice, London, Santiago de Chile and Copenhagen. His venture into the fragrance sector came in 1965 when he launched his perfume Diagonal, the first perfume to be created by a Spanish designer and sold all over the world. It was followed by Muy Pertegaz in 1975 and Sport, in 1982.
By 1969, his Madrid showroom had once again become too small, and he decided to move to a small mansion in el Viso. At this time a total of 700 people were working in his Madrid and Barcelona workshops, although he would later move all his production units to Barcelona. During this period he also received numerous tributes and awards, coinciding with the presentations of his collections in New York. Named Commander of the Royal Order of Isabel la Católica, the shower of awards began to appear never-ending. In 1993 he received the Gold Medal of Madrid's Complutense University. The following year, the Gold Medal for the Promotion of Decorative Arts. In 1998 he received the Gold Medal for Artistic Merit from Barcelona City Council. The following year he was awarded the Antonio Gaudí Gold Medal and the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts. His home town of Olba also paid him a warm tribute awarding him the Hijo Predilecto Title.
In 1997 Pertegaz presented his first menswear collection, which has concentrated a major part of his recent work. Today he continues to design for his clients both in Spain and abroad and oversees the creation of all the product lines that are sold under his name.
