From Bilbao to Madrid — and from there… to the sky.
Los Encajeros, the Bilbao-based atelier dedicated to crafting home linens since 1880, has now landed in Madrid’s Barrio de Salamanca, right at the heart of its most natural clientele. Today, the firm is led by two representatives of the fourth generation of the Mendoza family: Mónica and María Mendoza, great-granddaughters of the founder, who share responsibilities, duties, and travel schedules, under the watchful guidance of their father, José Manuel Mendoza.
José Manuel attributes the success of Los Encajeros to the refined taste that has always characterized the families of Bilbao. “We sell to some of the most important people in Spain, and it’s truly a privilege — they also give us great ideas. When we started, there were homes in Las Arenas (Bilbao) where not a single wrinkle was allowed on a tablecloth, and the bedspreads were changed when the doctor came to visit. Sometimes, we even had to teach how to properly make a bed. Now, we’re reaching places like Palm Beach and Qatar, where our traditions are being adopted. And honestly, we’re proud — these are artisanal, Spanish customs.”
The family also keeps a vast and secret archive filled with antique patterns, sketches, and embroidery samples. José Manuel recalls his father — a man of refined taste — who would travel to Belgium to source the finest linens, or to Switzerland for the best organdy, then bring it all back to Bilbao for sale. “Back then, fabric was sold by the meter because every household had its own seamstresses,” Mendoza remembers. “We also worked with convents, where bridal trousseaux were sewn. By the way, Don Leandro de Borbón (then known as Ruiz) was our sales representative in those convents.”
The company’s golden era came in the 1960s, when they opened their own in-house workshop. Today, Los Encajeros employs 40 seamstresses. “It’s important to remember,” explains José Manuel, “that in those days people spent their summers in the north — full three-month holidays. Important families would come to Las Arenas and Neguri, and debutante balls were hosted in private homes. That doesn’t happen as much anymore, but the taste has remained. That’s how our name began to spread across Spain. We had amazing clients nationwide, starting with the Royal Family itself.”
