Calle Regina is hot right now. Next month it features in Easyjet magazine (written by my good self) and has taken over from the much lauded ´Soho Benita´ as the place to hang out with the cool kids. It all coincides pretty much with the injection of capital into the area in the form of the Metropol Parasol or as its affectionately known ´The Setas´. Go there and it´s easy to get swept along by the hipster vibe and forget that Regina did exist before the magazines started writing about it, even if it did look somewhat different to it does today.
One of the original inhabitants on the street (forgetting about the old woman selling snails and what not) is Abelardo Ruiz. If the Duquesa de Alba held the record for the most hereditary titles, then Abelardo must be up there for uber-desirable working incarnations: Interior decorator, Personal shopper (but only for the New York Elite), Restaurateur, Fashion buyer, TV Star, I’m sure the list goes on and must include other fantasy jobs such as international playboy and catwalk model.
But Abelardo as well as having a name that roles off the tongue like a knight of the realm, is the real deal. Right now, while still maintaining his two bars next door, his passion is ‘Intrusa’. Housed within what was ‘Las Reinas’ Abaceria, Intrusa doesn’t fit into any category I’m familiar with. It continues to be a bar, selling wines with kitsch labels, and beer is on offer if you want it. But its main focus is vintage clothing and random nick nacks collected by Abelardo on his travels around the world, which he wants to share with the us, the public at large. Most of the items are one-off dresses used on the cat walk or in fashion show rooms, so don’t expect to find anything above a size 10. But what you will find there are exquisite, whimsical pieces with more than a hint of Audrey Hepburn about them and perfect for a spring Seville outing.
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| Photo courtesy of Pepe Ortega |
There are also some real wild cards on the racks. I love the customised T-shirt dresses, super tight vintage t-shirts, that have been flamancoed up with outlandish long, frilled skirts. And if you want to be really daring Abelardo has within his possession an 1960’s floaty nighty originally warn on honeymoon by a saucy Sevillana Señora. Buy it if you dare!
But most of all, go to Intrusa for Abelardo. He has the heart of a giant (by that I mean big) and the most infectious laugh you´ll ever encounter. Abelardo I salute you!
Intrusa, Calle Regina 9, La Intrusa Facebook Page
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