The man who makes the capes

Alejandro Herguera, 61, is fascinated by the world of bullfighting. And it's no wonder. Ever since he left the tailor's shop where he made smart suits for men and women 32 years ago, his needle has only pricked the fabric that burns bright at bullrings across the world. Alejandro is proud to hear people refer to him as "the cape tailor."

"One day in 1978 I took the plunge and left the tailor's shop where I was working to begin from scratch at Calle de Esparteros. You couldn't survive making civilian clothing, and bullfighter's uniforms brought in enough profits to make a good living," explains Alejandro at the counter of his own tailor's shop, located on the second floor of a very old building near Puerta del Sol in Madrid.

His talent for creating capes comes from plenty of trial and error

He admits that at first he shed a few tears when he saw what a poor job he was doing with his first outfits, since nobody taught him how to make them - much less how to make the capes that bullfighters use in the ring.

His talent for creating these, as well as muletas - a red cloth held with a stick - comes from plenty of trial and error. "This is a family affair, a work of craftsmanship that does not get seen on the streets," he says.

Behind Alejandro is a display case full of shiny folded capes. "People say that my pieces are cut more beautifully than others," he says, without a hint of self-promotion. His capes are all the same, except for the color of the lining, which is usually yellow but which he also makes in green, blue and purple - "mainly for the French."

At first he was very excited to see his own capes in motion in the ring, but after more than 30 years of sewing, all Alejandro cares about these days is making a quality product and a useful, comfortable instrument that is tailor-made to the needs of the loyal clients he has built up generation after generation.

All the great figures of bullfighting have been to his workshop. The toreros are more than clients to him - they are like family. The younger ones would take Alejandro's daughter in their arms and walk her along Calle de la Victoria when he didn't have the time. There were days when he took her to the park at 10pm.

"This is a very demanding trade - you know when you're coming into work, but you don't know when you're going home," explains Alejandro.

"My wife and I have spent up to 72 hours working without sleep. There's a room over there with beds and a bathroom. There were many nights when we put our daughter to bed and we carried on working."

A cape can weigh up to four kilograms. It is tough yet soft, and made of pink nylon on the outside and a pure cotton lining on the inside. A single cape takes 18 meters of fabric and around three and a half hours of Alejandro's time.

Their prices range from 285 euroto 350 euro. "Some leading figures use up to 60 capes a year, but bullfighters who are just starting out have to make a huge effort to buy their new trappings. I treat everyone the same, regardless of whether the client is here for the first time or has been coming for many years."