The DHub presents an exhibition that vindicates the figure of Asunción Bastida Pibernat** (Barcelona, 1902—1995), a key creator of 20th century fashion and the only woman who was part of the most prominent nucleus of Spanish Haute Couture. Despite the recognition achieved in his time, his name was progressively overshadowed by male figures such as Cristóbal Balenciaga or Pedro Rodríguez. The exhibition recovers its trajectory and places it in its rightful place in the history of design and fashion.

Bastida's career was marked by personal and professional obstacles. His father forbade him to dedicate himself to sewing, and it was not until his marriage to Marcelino Mases that he was able to start his creative path. In 1926 he opened a knitwear business in Carrer Girona in Barcelona and, a few years later, participated in the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition, where he contributed to giving visibility to fashion made in Catalonia.

During the 1930s he consolidated his haute couture house, first in Barcelona's Gran Via and later with a branch in Madrid. She participated with great success in the Exposición del Arte del Vestir of 1935 and became one of the most recognized couturiers of the moment. The Civil War interrupted this stage, but in 1939, after a trip to Italy and contact with the great fashion houses of Milan and Rome, he reopened his establishment in Barcelona and resumed the regular presentation of collections.

Installed in Passeig de Gràcia 96, in the former home of the painter Ramon Casas, theCasa Bastida became a benchmark of Haute Couture. He was part of the Cooperativa d'Alta Costura and the group of the Cinco Grandes, (with Manuel Pertegaz, Pedro Rodríguez, Santa Eulalia and El Dique Flotante) with parades in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. At a key moment in his career, he obtained the authorization of Christian Dior to reproduce and sign some of his models, a fact that testifies to his international prestige.

Also a pioneer in the diversification of the sector, Bastida promoted boutique and ready-to-wear lines such as Asunción Bastida Sport and Jeunes Filles. His work is characterized by the innovative use of materials such as cotton and linen in evening dresses, by fanciful embroidery and by references to regional clothing and Catalan modernism. Between 1952 and 1968 he directed the magazine El Boletín de la Moda, reinforcing his role as an influential voice in the sector.

The exhibition brings together textile pieces, period photographs, original drawings and figurines, documentary material, magazines, advertising and audiovisual archives. A choral story that recovers a pioneering figure and invites us to rethink the canonical stories of the history of fashion.

Exhibition produced by Disseny Hub Barcelona and La Fábrica.

**Curator: ** Laura Ballarín