Fragrance house

Custo Barcelona

Custo Barcelona was founded in Barcelona in 1980 by brothers Custo Dalmau and David Dalmau. It began as Custo Line after the brothers’ travels, first building its practice around printed T-shirts and expertise in printing, finishes, and graphic design before expanding into broader fashion collections. Color and graphic design are durable elements of the brand’s identity, expressed through vibrant colors, striking prints, and distinctive graphics, while the brothers’ creative direction is described as experimental, emotionally driven, and outside conventional trend-following. Its international breakthrough included an arrival at New York Fashion Week in 1997, followed by appearances of its designs in American film and television during the 2000s. In 2003, the brand received the Kore award. A 2019 licensing agreement with Velmar, part of Aeffe, transferred business management, production, and stores while the Dalmau brothers retained ownership and artistic direction; the agreement ended in 2021, after which the brand has been led by Ángel Custodio and David Dalmau Salmons. For its 45th anniversary in 2025, it presented the Mirage autumn/winter collection, bringing together themes of nature, humanity, and technology. Its first fragrance, Custo Barcelona, launched in autumn 2008, was created by Alberto Morillas and received Glamour’s 2009 award for best women’s fragrance.