Antonio Pernas

Antonio Pernas was born in A Coruna in 1944. On leaving university, where he studied engineering, he started working full time in the textile and fashion industry.

Together with his wife, María Freire, he created his first collection and within a few years had become a regular presence at some of the leading fashion shows of the day including Milanovendemoda, London Pret, Igedo Düsseldorf or Paris Pret-a-Porter.

Antonio Pernas was a regular presence at the Cibeles fashion show from 1991 until 1999, when he opted to present his collections independently, in conjunction with the members of the Asociación de Creadores de Moda de Espana (Association of Spanish Fashion Creators), of which he is a founder and whose members include J. Del Pozo, Angel Schlesser, Roberto Verino and Modesto Lomba. In 2002 he once again returned to Cibeles.

He opened his first store in A Coruna in 1992. Since then he has opened a further twenty-one stores all over Spain. Designed by the architect Lago Seara, these stores have received numerous architecture and design awards, including that of Madrid City Council. A further six openings are scheduled for 2003, making a total of 28 stores, and he also launched his first collection of sunglasses and frames.

In May 2005, the Antonio Pernas brand was bought by the Caramelo Group.

This designer, a member of Greenpeace and Amnesty International, is also a member of the Council for Galician Culture and the Galician Modern Art Museum.