Text: Cláudia Pinto
Photos: Tomás Monteiro
“COLLECTIVE is the belief in union. It is plurality in a single word. It is the desire to never stop innovating and growing.” For four days across five locations, national Fashion took over Lisbon. From 10-13 October, the Antigas Oficinas Gerais de Fardamento e Equipamento do Exército played host to ModaLisboa. A space that was opened to the city for the first time, where Portuguese creators put their designs for summer 2020 on the catwalk. There were a total of 22 shows with 37 collections presented to a domestic and international audience of 25,000 visitors. And, once more, footwear featured strongly at ModaLisboa.
After the fashion happenings from the young designers of Workstation at Palácio Sinel de Cordes and the Fast Talks at Mercado de Santa Clara, during the second day, the young designers from Sangue Novo showed the future of the Portuguese fashion on the catwalk.
Also, on the second day, Pátio das Laranjeiras was filled with music and dance for the APICCAPS Happening. Dozens of dancers, accompanied by the music of DJ Fred, presented the best of Portuguese footwear.
The day ended with an asymmetries’ game from Valentim Quaresma collection, called Manifesto, and the proposals of Awaytomars — which prompted the question: is there life in Mars?
Nuno Gama opened the third day with a journey around the world of Saint-Exupéry, with a collection inspired by The Little Prince. João Magalhães shows his proposals afterwards.
Patrick de Pádua presented, with the Ambitious footwear brand, the “Call Me” collection. Inspired by the Club Kids, the designer “explored the fun side of the season, with prints, patches and patterns in a total look.
The day continued with the presentations of Ricardo Preto, Decenio by Alexandra Moura and Aleksandar Protic.
On the third day, Luís Onofre, through his partnership with Portugal Fashion, presented Eivissa, a collection “with the aura of light of a summer between Ibiza and Mykonos, which marks the creator’s return to unexpected combinations of colours and materials, and, at the same time, the reinvention of the brand in a new sustainable paradigm. The animal skins have been replaced with fabrics while wood and cork have given shape to the heels.” The day ended with the presentation of Ricardo Andrez and Dino Alves.
Olga Noronha’s presentation opened the last day of ModaLisboa, followed by Carolina Machad, who chose Panteão Nacional as the background for the presentation of her collection. The day continued with proposals from Constança Entrudo, Duarte, Gonçalo Peixoto and Kolovrat. The fashion show of Carlos Gil (powered by Portugal Fashion), with the collection Ideal Nature, presented a symbology that defines femininity through elements from Nature. Luís Carvalho ended the day on a high note with the presentation of a collection inspired by Art Déco and the silhouette from the 1920’s.
Highlighting Portuguese footwear
Off the catwalk, Portuguese footwear was in the spotlight at the exhibition “The skin we wear”. For three days, visitors could see the best in the production of leather shoes. “An industry like the footwear industry is full of traditions, but on its shoulders it also bears the burden of being pioneering, innovative, improving. This responsibility shares a home with influence, the two walking directly hand-in-hand. This has to be the only philosophy of those who create and make on a planet that increasingly requires our respect.”
ModaLisboa and APICCAPS have presented an exhibition that wants to think about how leather, which is traditionally worked in Portugal, is now walking the path of sustainability. When treated well, leather shoes will last a lifetime — just like the planet we inhabit. The technology has advanced so much that working the leather is now less environmentally polluting than the alternatives, and the Portuguese brands represented at the exhibition are making efforts every day to discover new treatments, without chemicals or toxins, to protect the product, thereby protecting the world.