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“You wear a cape to make a statement,” says Marcos Seseña, the director of Capas Seseña and the fourth generation of his family to run the boutique and atelier in Madrid. Founded in 1901 by his great-grandfather, Santos Seseña, the company is generally considered to be the world’s most famous producer of what Seseña describes as “the most wonderfully dramatic of all garments”.
The draw of drama likely explains Seseña’s list of customers. Pablo Picasso was buried in his cape, Federico Fellini bought four, the Russian actor Yul Brynner owned six, while Ernest Hemingway and film stars Ava Gardner and Gary Cooper were also fans. More recent customers include Jeremy Irons, Jeff Bezos, Nicolas Cage and Hillary Clinton. Seseña recalls that to accommodate the former First Lady’s busy schedule, a selection of capes was sent over to her at the American embassy in Madrid; after selecting one, she wore it as she boarded Air Force One.
The majority of customers buy the capes for their practicality and comfort. “A cape can become a blanket or a shawl,” notes Seseña. “They can also be casual or formal, bohemian or traditional depending on what else you’re wearing, but the silhouette and the way they fall is always so elegant.” The styles remain very popular with the Spanish aristocracy, he notes.
Behind the deep-red façade of the shop an air of belle-époque gentility reigns; black-and-white photographs of Seseña’s ancestors hang on the walls, and mahogany framed mirrors await the next fitting. The bestselling cape is the classic capa española, or 1901 Cloak, which is comprised of two layers: a 5m circle lined with wine-red velvet, and another one that drapes about the shoulders. Like all Seseña capes (which are priced from £255 to £1,347), this one is hand-cut and sewn from a special merino wool produced in Béjar, a town near Salamanca, west of Madrid, known for its expertise in cape wool. “A cape that isn’t made from this fabric is not a good cape,” Seseña says firmly. But they are open to innovation, too. More recent designs include capes in waterproof oiled cotton and versions in lighter fabrics such as linen, which can be worn in warmer months.
Many customers who grew up with a parent or grandparent who wore a Seseña cape come in to buy their own style, “once they’re well established in life”, says Seseña, who studied business administration and screenwriting before taking over the business. “Our capes become heirlooms, because they basically last forever.” If a repair is needed, Seseña pieces can be brought into the shop, where the in-house team of seamstresses will mend them.
Of course, beyond Seseña, capes hold a significant place in Spanish culture. They are thought to have become associated with bull-fighting during “knightly” jousting festivals common in the Middle Ages, when noblemen’s capes were used to duck the charge of the bull. By the 17th and 18th centuries, they were one of the most commonly worn outerwear garments in Spain, mostly by men. Indeed, “originally, we only made capes for men,” says Seseña. In 1978, his great-grandmother suggested they introduce a line of capes for women, and today the business is split evenly.
Though the cape is no longer widely worn, Seseña has no doubt they will survive. “Capes have a place in the DNA of every child’s imagination. Children tie towels around their necks to become superheroes because they understand the power of a cape. So when an adult tries on a cape, these happy, long-lost memories often come back,” says Seseña. They are special pieces of clothing, he believes. “They make people feel confident.”
Capas Seseña, Calle de la Cruz, Madrid; sesena.com
