Asunción Bastida

DHub presents an exhibition dedicated to Asunción Bastida Pibernat (Barcelona, 1902 – L'Espluga de Francolí, 1995), a key figure in 20th-century fashion and the only woman to form part of the most prominent circle of Spanish haute couture. The exhibition revisits her career and reclaims her place in the history of design and fashion.

With great determination and a clear business vision, Bastida began her career in Barcelona in 1925. In the 1930s, she established her couture house and, after the Civil War, resumed her work and turned her label into a benchmark of haute couture, with a presence in cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. She presented collections internationally in Brussels, Venice, Cairo and New York. Her international prestige was further reinforced when Christian Dior authorized her to reproduce and sign some of his designs.

Also a pioneer in the transformation of the sector, she launched boutique lines and prêt-à-porter collections. Her work stands out for the elegance of its lines, the innovative use of materials such as cotton and linen, embroidery inspired by Catalan modernism, and references to traditional dress.

The exhibition brings together textile pieces, period photographs, original drawings and fashion sketches, documentary material, magazines, advertising and audiovisual archives to rediscover an essential creator and revisit the narratives of fashion history.

Exhibition produced by Disseny Hub Barcelona and La Fábrica.