Catalonia mourns death of one of its greatest fashion designers: Sita Murt

Barcelona (ACN).- Sita Murt, the Catalan designer and entrepreneur, passed away on Monday morning following a long battle with cancer. One of the leading names in Catalan fashion with a large following at an international level, she was born in 1946 in Igualada, the capital of Anoia County in central Catalonia. Born in a town renowned for its leather, Murt herself was from a family in the world of leather and knitwear; her father owned a tannery in the town and she was the third generation of a textile industry dynasty in Igualada. Later she married the owner of a company called Esteve Aguilera, which specialised in knitwear for women. Following the untimely death of her husband in 1984, Murt took over the family business and began selling her own designs. She became famous at both a Catalan and international level, and her death will be mourned by many in the fashion industry and beyond. Official statements expressing condolences have been released by representatives at both a Catalan and Spanish level.

One of the greatest exponents of fashion in Catalonia

The death of Sita Murt, who was recognised as one of the greatest exponents of fashion in Catalonia, has come as a blow to the industry. For over three decades, the designer and businesswomen promoted her company and positioned herself as one of the leaders of the textile industry both nationally and globally.

She has participated at fashion shows throughout Catalonia and Spain, including 080 Barcelona Fashion Week, Cibeles, or The Brandery. She also received awards such as the Premi al Mèrit Exportador (Prize for Quality Exporting) in 2002 and the Prize 'Barcelona és Moda' (Barcelona is Fashion) in 2008. She herself was strongly involved in Igualada’s life and with her firm participated in local events within the town such as the Festival Zoom or REC.0 Experimental Stores.

After studying at the Sarrià School of Textile Design in Barcelona, Murt married Toni Esteve Enrich, the manager of family company Esteve Aguilera. It was only after her children were grown up that she returned to designing and began involving herself in the work of the company. Founded in 1924, the company specialised in ladies’ fashion, especially knitwear. After the death of her husband in 1984, she took the reins of the company and combined her skills as a designer and businesswoman to export the Catalan brand across 2,000 stores in Europe.

Not unaffected by the difficult economic environment of the last few years however, in 2013 the company filed a voluntary creditors agreement due to the crisis affecting international and domestic consumption, as a feasibility plan. In early November this year, the Catalan firm announced it had successfully solved the bankruptcy process with the 80% approval by its creditors. They reported that Murt had worked very hard in the reorganisation of the sales network, relying on exports and reviving sales channels, and developing its digital platform.

"A void difficult to fill"..."feisty, creative and tenacious"

The company expressed its condolences on her death in a statement which said that Murt "died today with serenity and courage, which she has always had". According to them, "Sita leaves a void difficult to fill; her energy, sympathy, attitude to life which was to live every moment-good or bad-with intensity, will remain with us forever." They defined her as a "feisty, creative and tenacious woman" who "taught us to work with passion."

Catalan and Spanish authorities lament the designer’s death

Xavier Trias, the Mayor of Barcelona; the Catalan Minster of Culture, Ferran Mascarell; and, the Spanish Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, José Ignacio Wert, have also issued statements regretting the death of the designer. This was in recognition of her lifelong commitment to fashion, business and her work for the disabled community.

According to Trias, Murt was considered a "character reference" for Catalan fashion, and he stressed the "creativity, tenacity and courage" with which she raised her brand to an international level and conquered markets around the world. Mascarell praised her "tenacity and lifelong commitment to put technology at the service of imagination ". The Catalan Minister highlighted the vision and the ability of the designer "to construct a benchmark for Catalan creation and fashion design, despite the challenges posed by being a young and single woman when she took over her husband’s company." He also recalled her contribution to the disabled community through her work with the Àuria Foundation, which helped incapacitated persons gain access to equal opportunities and a decent life.

Finally, the Spanish Minister José Ignacio Wert, emphasized that through her "professionalism, enthusiasm and tenacity" Murt has made her fashion brand an "authentic reference of the Spanish textile industry and, more specifically, that of Catalonia."