Our Espolines

In order to obtain the most prized craftsmanship quality, respect the tradition and honour the faithful representation of what Valencian traditional clothing symbolizes, in Vives and Mari the weaving of traditional “Espolines” takes place on ancient wooden looms from the mid-19th century.

The fabric is named after the loom shuttle with which they are weaved, with hundreds of hours of patient work resulting in complex designs and floral motifs with a distinct hand-made effect. The end result is an exclusive unique fabric, an unrepeatable work of art with a high market value. A whole work day must be invested to produce 10 to 12 centimeters of fabric.

Each client has his or her own taste and requirements when it comes to choose an attire, especially when such a high investment. With an espolín, every detail can be customized. The colour of each flower and detail, the background colour, the metals that are to be weaved into the fabric. The resulting effect is often amazing, with unparalleled colours and embossments. It’s customization at its highest.

Year after year, Falleras Mayores of Valencia, Belleas del Foc of Alicante and other high representatives of traditional celebrations have the honour to order and to wear the most prestigious fabric that is produced in the whole of Spain.

Thanks to our espolín named “Alicante”, Vives y Marí was awarded the 2010 Craftsmanship Award of the Chamber of Commerce of Valencia. The design, very representative of the typical Valencian drafts of the 18th Century, is a symmetrical floral pattern obtained with 44 colors with the flowers only, three shades of green, gold and silver. Producing this work of art required over 800 hours of non-stop weaving divided in three work shifts.

Vives y Marí is the only company certifying the authenticity of its espolines through AITEX, the National Textile Technology Institute. By examining the technical characteristics of each fabric, the Institute certifies its origin, quality and value, and attributes it a unique registry number.