Today at hit-in.tv, we have the pleasure of speaking with Elisa Valgañón, Sales and Product Development Manager at Mantas Ezcaray. Based in the picturesque Rioja town of Ezcaray, the brand was founded by Cecilio Valgañón and has become synonymous with high-quality textile craftsmanship over the years. We trace the origins and impressive history of this family, now in its third generation producing the finest mohair and cashmere pieces—also appreciated by major fashion houses such as Loewe and Armani. Elisa Valgañón also shares a glimpse of future innovations and developments that will inspire our readers.
From your beginnings in 1930 to today, Mantas Ezcaray has evolved from a small family business into an internationally recognised brand. How has the company developed across generations while maintaining its commitment to tradition?
Cecilio Valgañón, my grandfather and founder of Mantas Ezcaray, worked in the region’s textile workshops from childhood. Ezcaray was a very important textile centre, where fabrics were mainly produced for kings and clergy. Later, Spanish knotted carpets began to be made. Cecilio Valgañón focused on manufacturing worsted scarves for women. Later, blankets were added… and on a trip to a trade fair he discovered mohair, a fibre completely unknown to him until then. That marked the great transformation in our company—the specialisation in this unique fibre.
Our life philosophy has always been to grow step by step, while being aware that craftsmanship and manual work are an essential part of our process. We continue to combine craft, quality and design, generation after generation, and it seems this formula is understood in many international markets.
How have you managed to preserve the artisan tradition while also integrating modern elements in design and production?
We produce luxury goods and define ourselves as artisans of the 21st century. We remain faithful to our original production method, but we mechanise what is necessary to achieve the production times and quality standards demanded by the market. We still dye in pressureless dyeing vats, weave on 19th-century looms, card with natural teasels, etc… and that is reflected in the design and final quality of our products.
We’d love to learn more about the craft process behind your products. Could you briefly describe how blankets and scarves are made at Mantas Ezcaray?
We buy the raw material from the place in the world that guarantees us a fibre quality that meets our customers’ requirements.
From there, there are 3 production blocks:
Dyeing: We degrease and dye in hanks; manual degreasing and dyeing in pressureless vats. We let the material rest long enough before moving on to the next step.
Weaving: We prepare the yarn so it can be woven on our looms—both the warp on a table warping machine and the weft, for which we have to make bobbins for the shuttles of our looms.
And finishing: We carry out quality controls, card with natural teasels and brush each and every one of our products by hand.
We see that your products are often inspired by nature. How do you choose colours and designs to reflect natural beauty in your creations?
My grandfather, Cecilio Valgañón, was a very creative man ahead of his time, with a special sensitivity for textures and colours. After the Spanish Civil War, when grey tones dominated, he already dared to mix reds with blue and violet tones—something completely unusual at the time. And ever since, in the second and third generations, design and colour for our blankets and scarves has always been something made by the family itself. We love being inspired by nature, by our village Ezcaray with its beautiful mountain landscape and the magnificent colours of the seasons. But there are also other sources of inspiration, such as painting or any other art from which we can draw ideas. We are lovers of COLOUR.
Mohair is a special material. What are the characteristics that make it so special?
Mohair comes from the Angora goat, originally from Turkey, but today mainly found in South Africa. It’s a very sensitive animal that needs very specific conditions to live and to get the best from its coat. Mohair is a luxurious natural fibre that provides warmth and a feeling of wellbeing that can’t be compared to other materials. It’s also known for its light weight and silky softness, and it has an incomparable sheen that makes colours a true feast for the eyes.
Each blanket and scarf has its own name and its own story. Could you share an interesting anecdote connected to the creation of one of your products?
Indeed, the creation of each collection is inspired by different anecdotes. The most recent collection, “Views”, for example, was created based on the view our grandfather had from his office in our factory. It’s a small tribute to what his eyes saw every morning—eyes that were so unique and full of sensitivity.
We know Mantas Ezcaray is a company deeply rooted in La Rioja. What impact do you hope to have on the local community and on preserving artisan techniques?
For us, it’s important to grow together with our people in a time when rural depopulation in Spain is a reality. Cecilio Valgañón experienced this in his time, after the war; everyone fled to the cities in search of better wages, and that’s why Cecilio Valgañón fought to teach women the craft so families in our village could continue living there.
Today we are still fighting to keep craftsmanship alive for new generations. We are experiencing a generational change not only in our family, but also throughout the entire team, so there is real change in every part of the process and in our company. We believe in Ezcaray and feel committed to our origins.
We’ve seen you collaborate with other designers. How do these creative collaborations come about, and what do they bring to your creations?
We’re always proud that major luxury brands remember us and collaborate with us. It makes us very happy when pieces made in our small workshop appear in the most luxurious fashion campaigns. Collaborations always help us move forward and develop and implement new ideas that sometimes push us out of our comfort zone. The quality of our items is the best guarantee for any company or designer, and that’s something very gratifying.
Do you have any new projects on the horizon or something new you can share with us?
We’re constantly working on new projects, even if, due to our small size, we need more time than we’d like. We will launch a new brand for the accessories collection, as this is a segment that is becoming increasingly important in our markets. We’ve decided to invest in this direction very soon.
For those who want to buy a blanket, scarf or another Mantas Ezcaray product, do you have any recommendations or advice on how to choose the perfect item for their needs and taste?
Mohair conveys an incomparable feeling of wellbeing. When you cover yourself with one of our blankets… many customers tell us they don’t want to put it down. If you love your home, I’d definitely recommend a blanket for your nap—watching a film on a rainy day or reading a book; that moment is priceless! If you live a more social life, you can try one of our scarves. And the larger the scarf, the more you will feel the benefits of mohair.
What message would you like to share with your customers and followers who have supported Mantas Ezcaray over the years?
Thank you, thank you and thank you for believing in Mantas Ezcaray, for being part of this family dream, and for continuing to offer our products for many years so that there can be a small piece of Ezcaray in every corner of the world.
