Photos: Tomás Monteiro
In arithmetic, two negatives make a positive. Food for thought; it seems difficult to understand in the light of present circumstances, but given the unique times in which we are living, there is no better motto than this to celebrate national fashion at an edition of ModaLisboa Mais.
Looking at the spaces with new eyes, thinking of fashion differently, approximating the physical and the digital, were just some of the premises for this edition. With the slogan Make Distance an Abstract Concept, people at home got the chance to watch all the shows live.
“The negative factors of the past months have aggravated a fashion cycle that needed to be reviewed, rethought, shattered. The industry came together with the digital universe and, with a table so big it could fit everything, we began subtracting. Fewer collections, fewer shows, fewer looks, less waste, fewer pre-seasons, fewer classic formats, fewer clothes. We needed to be more,” claimed the organisers.
For five days all attention was on the Carlos Lopes pavilion in Parque Eduardo VII and its surroundings. From the Linha de Água gardens to the Estufa Fria, all backdrops celebrated the best of what Portugal produces.
More than two dozen Portuguese creatives presented their collections for the next winter season. But that’s not all. This edition also included video presentations, fast talks and the Resort space: special areas for presentations and thought combined with the future of national fashion just when everything was having to be rethought.
The first day began with the Lab space. Buzina set the tone and was followed by João Magalhães. Next up was Nuno Baltazar who returned to ModaLisboa and literally invaded the Linha de Água gardens with a show in which the surroundings were the main backdrop. “Ensaio” was literally an exhibition in which the designer created a space for open experimentation, of trial and error, repetition and exploration. The first day ended with a privileged view of the city in the presentations by Valentim Quaresma and Ricardo Preto. Valentim presented Dark Spring, a collection inspired by the spring evening landscapes, using glass and textiles. Ricardo Preto, in turn, presented Untold, with a collection that plunged “into the nostalgia of love”.
The second day began with Awaytomars. This was followed by Joana Duarte on the Lab platform, with Béhen, with the collection “Perhaps I’ll write you”. A return to childhood in a project inspired by the past and in the materials we might find in old chests. Duarte then took us on a journey through volcanic landscapes and heavenly beaches with her Maui collection.
Luís Carvalho ended the second day with a flourish, following Constança Entrudo’s presentation of Bright, in which intense colours, new shapes and fabrics stood out.
Kolovrat opened the third day, and was followed by Saskia Lenaerts, Ricardo Andrez and Opiar.
Nuno Gama took to the highest stage in Parque Eduardo VII, where the dancer Bruno Pardo, in a dance choreographed by Olga Roriz, presented thoughts on the times through which we are living in the medium of dance. A unique coat presented in a true love letter to Portugal.
After Filipe Augusto, the day ended with the customary Sangue Novo (New Blood) competition for young talent. Andreia Reimão, Ari Paiva, Arndes, Fora de Jogo and Rafael Ferreira were named the winners from the ten proposals presented on video.
The Parque Eduardo VII and Carlos Lopes Pavilion finale began with Carolina Machado on the Lab platform. She was followed by António Castro, on Workstation, and Gonçalo Peixoto with CIRCA 2000, a return to the positive energies of the beginning of the millennium. The evening ended with Hibu followed by Olga Noronha with In The Gentle Hour. But only those who saw it understood the imaginary journey on which the designer took us, with the magic of the birds she freed from her creations.
After Archie Dickens, it was left to Carlos Gil to end the days dedicated to national fashion in fine style with a real love letter to Portugal.
Focus on footwear
And once more, footwear featured strongly at ModaLisboa. All the staff were wearing iconic Sanjo footwear as part of their renewed partnership with ModaLisboa.
An on the catwalk, the usual partnerships between creators and companies made the difference. Duarte teamed up once more with Exceed Shoe Thinkers.
The Portuguese Shoes trolley in the Resort space, brought visitors a small treat for the stomach in the shape of a biscuit with a message for the future. Because buying Portuguese footwear is always the best option.
