Madonna calls on Zaragoza tailor to make bullfighting suits for new tour

The bullfighter suits that Madonna will wear on her upcoming Rebel Heart Tour were made by a tailor's in Utebo (Zaragoza), it has emerged.

The US performer asked Daniel Roqueta Tailors to make her two “authentic” and “complete” outfits to wear on her next world tour, which includes a concert in Barcelona on November 24.

Madonna also placed an order for a torero’s cape and various items for her team of dancers.

Madonna originally wanted them to be ready in time for the Academy Awards ceremony

Alfredo Roqueta told the EFE news agency that they managed to produce the entire wardrobe in just 12 days. A staff member said this was made possible by “working on weekends and putting in extra hours.”

At first, the tailors did not know who had placed the order. Madonna’s team contacted them through the website Toroshopping.com, and initially asked for a second-hand bullfighter suit. Ultimately, however, the artist decided to have one tailor-made for her. After several weeks of negotiations, two full outfits were ordered.

One suit is black with red needlework, and the other is white with black embroidery. Each one includes pants, a vest and a short jacket.

Roqueta said Madonna originally wanted them to be ready in time for the Academy Awards ceremony on February 22. But this deadline could not be met because “this is craftsmanship, and making them takes time.”

Once the project had been defined and confirmed, the tailors were provided with details about their client and asked to sign a confidentiality contract. Neither Madonna nor her dancers went to Zaragoza to try on their outfits; instead, measurements were provided via email.

One of the artist’s requests was for the suits to be “well reinforced in order to withstand the dancing, and also as light and comfortable as possible.”

The cape was made from black cloth with red and black flowers and an “M” in the spot that is usually reserved for religious imagery.

Due to time constraints, some of the labor-intensive work – such as the sequins that are usually sewn by hand – was replaced with robot-made embroidery, said Roqueta. This “made them lighter and more comfortable.”

Still, the suits are quite similar to the ones made for real bullfighters. Ever since she released her latest album, Rebel Heart, last month, the Queen of Pop has been showing off bullfighting-inspired outfits – one of which was made by Armani.

Pedro Gracia, director general of the website Toroshopping, said that dealing with this project was “very complex and intense work” but that “it was worth it because of the great support it represents for bullfighting-inspired fashion in general and the artisan tradition of bullfighter tailoring in particular.”

Daniel Roqueta Tailors has made suits for real toreros such as El Juli, and done work for Moschino. Alfredo Roqueta also recalls once making a short bullfighter jacket for the actress Sarah Jessica Parker.