Spanish fashion in the time of Velázquez. A tailor at the court of Philip IV

La moda española en la época de Velázquez. Un sastre en la corte de Felipe IV reconstructs the life and work of Mateo Aguado, the previously unknown tailor who designed the striking dresses that gave the Spanish court its distinctive look during the reign of Philip IV. As tailor to the queens of Spain from 1630 to 1672, Aguado designed the iconic dresses that were immortalized in Diego Velázquez’s portraits of Isabel of Bourbon and Mariana of Austria, and the Infantas María Teresa and Margarita. Aguado and his fellow court artisans occupied a unique position in Madrid society, crossing between the restrictive, ceremonial sphere of the court and the bustling, commercial, fashion-conscious streets of the town beyond the palace walls. Based on meticulous research in the Royal Palace Archive in Madrid, this richly illustrated book brings the world of the court artisans to life and details for the first time the garments and accessories that they made for their royal employers. Aguado’s creations played a crucial role in the major political events of Philip IV’s reign in war and in peace, in international diplomacy, in royal marriages, births, and deaths. The dresses that Mateo Aguado designed for his royal subjects shaped a new vision of Spanish style—and Spanishness—that remains instantly recognizable and continues to inspire fashion designers and artists today.