Late designer’s family stops bridal house executives from attending funeral

The family of fashion designer Manuel Mota, who was found dead locked in a bathroom earlier this week, prohibited anyone from Pronovias – the firm he worked for the past 23 years – from attending his funeral in Tarragona on Friday.

During the funeral services in Reus, a family friend explained to gatherers that the 46-year-old bridal fashion designer had been “pressured” by his bosses to produce more lines of wedding gowns and other dresses.

“They harassed him; they wanted more and more and made his life impossible,” said the friend.

Pronovias’ representatives have denied the accusations.

Police found Mota’s body in the bathroom of a clinic close to his home in Sitges in the province of Barcelona on Tuesday. Letters were found in his backpack addressed to his family and his boyfriend in what was an apparent suicide.

The case was initially thought to be a homicide because of various stab wounds but has since ruled out murder.

“They kept on demanding more designs, more collection, better creativity, and, finally, he just couldn’t take it anymore,” said Montse, another family friend.

Another mourner, Mari Luz, said that Mota wasn’t depressed but just under a lot of pressure.

Hours before the services, Pronovias issued a statement lamenting Mota’s death denying any “work-related problems with Manuel.”

“Relations between Manuel and the company officials, including those close to him, have been extraordinary, attested by his long career at the company,” the statement said.