Glossary

Antonio Del Castillo (1908-1984) refers to a Hispanic fashion designer who was born in Madrid to Spanish upper-class parents. Antonio Del Castillo studied architecture at the Universi ty of Madrid. In 1936, at the onset of the Spanish Civil War, he left for Paris to embark on a diplomatic career. Instead, he began designing dresses, hats, and jewelry for the fashion houses of Paquin, Piquet, and Chanel. Castillo, together with Balmain, Balenciaga, and Dior, was considered one of the most promising of the new generation of Paris designers to emerge after World War II.

From 1964 to 1969, Castillo headed his own couture house in Paris. In 1971, Antonio Castillo won the Academy Award in costume design for the film Nicholas and Alexandra. Elizabeth Arden, wanting to be the first to bring Paris fashion to New York, persuaded Castillo to work in the haute couture department of her New York salon in 1945. His first collections won rave reviews. Castillo remained with Elizabeth Arden until 1950. He also designed costumes for the Metropolitan Opera and Broadway shows.