Agatha Ruiz de la Prada ?rst stepped into the fashion world in 1981 with her ?rst women's collection, which was presented in Madrid. The collection proved to be such a success that she soon opened her ?rst studio-shop in the Spanish capital and started to participate in fashion shows in Madrid and Barcelona. During the 1980s Spain was immersed in a cultural and artistic revolution, which found its main exponent in the city of Madrid. The movement came to be known as the “movida madrileña” and was the true breeding pot of many relevant Spanish artists and personalities. Although Agatha gained a certain level of recognition early on in her career, her true fashion breakthrough came when she allied forces with one of Spain's most important department stores, El Corte Inglés. Thanks to this partnership, the designer's collections were soon distributed throughout the entire national territory. Having conquered Spain, Agatha little by little started to cross borders and gain international recognition by means of her fashion shows and exhibitions. As of today her collections are recurrent in catwalks in Spain, France, Italy, Colombia, Poland, Greece, Santo Domingo, The United States, Mexico, among others. Agatha Ruiz de la Prada ?rst started licensing her brand in 1991 and has since then expanded her family of products to include men's, women's and children's fashion, ceramics, furniture, play pens, toys, stationary products, shoes, pet accessories, linens and towels, jewellery, pyjamas, make-up, cutlery, dish sets and glasses, perfumes, paddle sets, bags, purses, suitcases, bed mattresses, paints, tiles, bridal gowns, cell phones, mp4's, bathroom products and items, digital frames, lamps and cell phone's accessories. Last year 2011, which marked the 30 the anniversary of her ?rst fashion show, Agatha has inaugurated the Agatha Ruiz de la Prada Foundation and she has been awarded with the maximum recognition, the “Lorenzo il Magni?co” award for her career at this year's edition of Florence Biennale for the Arts and Design in Italy.
