Spanish fashion designer Antonio Miró was a fashion legend who broke international barriers in the 1990s by bringing his brand of clothes to some of the biggest catwalk events in Paris, New York, and Tokyo. We’re going to take a look at some of the key moments from his career.

A Man Who Knew What He Wanted

Throughout his entire career, Miró marched to the beat of his own drum. He opened his first store at 20-years-old in the 1960s and is best remembered for using people from outside of the traditional fashion world in his shows. For instance, former player and now Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola walked in one of Miró’s shows in the 1990s. Guardiola, born in central Catalonia and whose current team has football betting odds of -1000 to win the Premier League this year, allegedly asked Miró if he could model for him. At the time, Guardiola played for FC Barcelona, who have dropped in form in recent years. Regardless, Miró was a vocal supporter of Barcelona in the 90s, so the fashion designer agreed to let Guardiola walk despite later criticisms from Guardiola’s manager at the time, Johan Cruyff, who called it unprofessional. 

Yet, that was Miró. He did what he wanted. In many ways, too, Miró started the trend that we often see in fashion today, which blends the line between athletes and models and sports and fashion. Today, elements of luxury fashion are an integral part of the sports world, with athletes like Danny Amendola signing with Ford Models, Neymar Jr. attending countless fashion shows in Paris, and football clubs like Tottenham Hotspur entering into partnerships with Hugo Boss. Interestingly, Hugo Boss recently decided to divide the company into two brands.

Miró is also remembered for using immigrants in his catwalk shows rather than traditional models. Even though this caused controversy, it is a true testament to the late fashion designer’s heart and goodwill, as Miró told local media outlets at the time that this was his way of helping them. We’re often told that fashion is for everyone, that everyone is beautiful, but due to high industry standards, this does not always resonate. However, Miró is one example of a designer that dedicated his life’s work to trying to show the world that this is, in fact, true.

Memorable Career Moments

Of course, Miró’s career was not limited to just catwalk fashion. He was also responsible for creating the costumes for several films and television shows, including the 1979 Spanish drama Caniche. Miró also designed the costumes for the opening ceremonies at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Antonio Miró’s vision and unique original designs allowed him to gain an international audience at a young age while he was still in the early years of his career. Yet, it was his resiliency, flexibility, and good heart that allowed him to adapt to different niches in the fashion world. These qualities also allowed Miró to show the public that fashion isn’t solely for the wealthy or traditional-looking models. Anyone can do it, and everyone deserves a chance — even if it’s their second.