In 1880, Manuel Mendoza took a chance on a business model that was virtually unknown in Spain at the time: the import of high-quality fabrics. He opened a small shop in the Seven Streets of Bilbao, where the finest textiles from Ireland, Switzerland, and England began to arrive. Over time, the shop grew into the city’s most renowned fabric house. And that’s how Los Encajeros was born — a century-old brand now specializing in haute couture pieces for the home.
“At first, the store operated simply as a warehouse supplying convents and private homes with fabrics for making their own table linens, trousseaux, and children’s garments,” explain the brand’s current representatives. However, by 1950, a shortage of professional seamstresses led José Manuel Mendoza, the founder’s grandson, to convert the business from a retail-only store into a full tailoring workshop. This shift marked the beginning of Los Encajeros’ own designs in home linens and fine lingerie.
In the 1980s, the company expanded across the Iberian Peninsula. And by the late 1990s, María and Mónica — daughters of José Manuel — took the reins of the business with a clear goal: to bring Los Encajeros to the world.
Their core values — to create high-quality products, using the finest materials, crafted with a fully artisanal process — have remained unchanged for nearly 140 years.
Just like on the finest fashion runways, their process begins with material selection. The Mendoza sisters travel straight to the source to find exquisite Belgian and Irish linens, top-grade organdies and piqués, and the finest Egyptian cottons, among other exceptional fabrics that form the foundation of their collections.
Then, with meticulous care, the skilled hands of expert seamstresses shape each piece entirely by hand.
