British artist Raye wears Spanish fashion by JC Pajares at New York's Rockefeller Center

Madrid – Marking a significant milestone in the 10th-anniversary celebrations of the Spanish house, designs by JC Pajares took centre stage during a live performance by Raye in New York late last week. The British artist chose to wear a custom-made design by the Spanish designer for the occasion.

This marks the first time the British artist has chosen to wear and support a Spanish designer for one of her live performances. According to the Spanish brand, the collaboration with Raye comes at a particularly crucial moment. The brand continues to strengthen its international presence as it approaches the end of its 10th anniversary year. They emphatically note this as a new milestone in their history, contributing to the promotion of Spanish designer fashion. This showcases their craftsmanship in New York, one of the most influential environments in the industry, alongside an artist like Raye. The Spanish brand describes the British singer and songwriter as one of the most prominent voices in R&B and “one of the most influential artists of her generation”. Her profile is currently gaining significant traction with her tour in the US. On Thursday, August 20, Raye performed at the Rockefeller Center's public plaza in New York as part of the 2026 “Citi Concert Series”. This performance precedes a series of shows she will undertake throughout August, September and October across the country as a guest artist on “The Romantic Tour”, Bruno Mars' fifth world tour.

“The collaboration comes at a key moment in the British artist's career,” stated the Spanish fashion brand. After making “history by becoming the most awarded artist in a single edition” at the 2024 Brit Awards, “she has established herself as one of the most relevant voices in music today.” The label emphasised that, with Raye, it “continues to strengthen its international projection,” adding as “a new milestone to its trajectory” having taken “Spanish design to one of the most iconic stages in New York” alongside “one of the most influential artists of her generation”.

A bespoke design from JC Pajares' 10th anniversary collection

Juan Carlos Pajares graduated with honours from the Escuela Superior de Diseño de Madrid. He completed his academic studies with a one-year course in the UK at the renowned Central Saint Martins in London. To cap off this chapter, Pajares was selected with his first collection for the prestigious LVMH Prize for young fashion designers in the recent graduates category. While he did not win, this recognition led to his debut during Madrid Fashion Week. The Spanish designer made his personal debut at the September edition of the Ego circuit at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid (MBFW Madrid).

Following these early and promising beginnings in fashion, the designer from Castilla-La Mancha finally decided to found his eponymous fashion brand in 2016. With JC Pajares, he soon began to win his first awards, eventually winning the now-defunct Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talent award at the Ego circuit of MBFW Madrid in February 2017. This distinction was awarded over the years to designers and creatives such as Dominnico; Pepa Salazar; Outsiders Division; and Ernesto Naranjo, until it was decided to discontinue the award from the March 2026 edition. For JC Pajares, it helped the brand and designer lay the foundations for this creative designer fashion house project. The brand has already found a place in the wardrobes of figures like Rosalía; Georgina Rodríguez; Tini; Nathy Peluso; Belinda; Aitana; Blanca Suárez; and now, Raye, after the British singer chose the brand for her performance in New York.

For this free, open-air concert, the singer commissioned a bespoke model from the Spanish brand. It was a cocktail dress design made of vinyl and latex from the Annual 2026 collection, presented by JC Pajares during the last edition of the MBFW Madrid catwalk in March 2026. The brand presented this annual collection at the Palacio de Fernán Nuñez in Madrid. With it, the designer kicked off the 10th anniversary of his fashion house's foundation. The collection featured striking creations like this captivating, sparkling 1950s-style dress with a strapless sweetheart neckline. The brand also reinterpreted the model to dress the choir of singers who accompanied Raye on stage during her performance at the Rockefeller Center last Thursday, August 20.

“The piece belongs to ‘Annual 26’, the collection commemorating the 10th anniversary of JC Pajares, and it represents the contemporary, artisanal and experimental vision that defines the brand's creative universe,” the fashion brand highlighted. From this collection, the British singer commissioned the Spanish house to create “a bespoke cocktail dress made of vinyl-latex, created especially for the artist and reinterpreted for her vocalists.” With this choice, Raye “has trusted a Spanish brand for the first time for one of her most important live performances of the year.”