Portuguese Soul is out. For a better world

We are fast approaching round number 25. But that doesn’t mean that this edition, number 24, is not special, like all our editions where we put the best of ourselves. With the very same soul, the sentence ‘a better world’ served as inspiration for this issue. What kind of world are we leaving behind? How can we create a better world? Sustainability is the hot topic of the moment in many sectors, but the question is: are we doing enough? Are we being truthful? In which areas can we actually act?

The UN set a total of 17 goals for sustainable development focused on different dimensions: socio, economic, environmental, peace, justice, and effective institutions. In the fashion industry, there are many challenges ahead.

Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls is one of the goals set by the UN. And who better to tell us about this mission than Catarina Furtado, the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund? The photo shoot signed by Frederico Martins and Nelly Gonçalves was the motto for a long conversation with the television hostess, whose career has been characterized by her connection with social causes. From the work developed by the association Corações com Coroa, which celebrates 11 years of activity in 2023, to the gender inequalities that have accentuated in the post-COVID-19 period, to our action as a society. A long interview to read and reread.

Happiness is another of the words we want to emphasize in this edition. So, we call your attention to the work of Ana Caracol and Pedro Ferreira, where footwear and goals that at first have absolutely no importance can make a difference.

The connection to the arts and national culture is part of this industry’s journey and, in this edition, it’s even more pronounced. Highlights include Tomás Monteiro’s backstage work in Casa Portuguesa, a work by Pedro Penim, director of the D. Maria II National Theatre, as well as the costumes – clothing and footwear – designed by Joana Duarte, the young woman responsible for the Behèn brand. Time, also, to speak with Pedro Penim not only about the show but about his first months at the head of the theatre.

Still on stage, in this edition, we met the cast of All about my mother, a play directed by Daniel Gorjão. What role is reserved for women in our society? A nod, of course, to the Portuguese shoes which all the characters wear.

The editorials in this issue are even more special. Where to start? Carla Pereira shows that everyone can wear what they want and put on what they want. Because, in a better world, everyone has the freedom to wear and be whoever they want. In a styling exercise by Fernando Bastos Pereira and a photo by Pedro Afonso, the model who has just closed the Dior show at Paris Fashion Week shows us the beauty of men’s leather shoes.

Marcelino Sambé is featured in this edition, where more is unveiled about the new promotional campaign for the Portuguese footwear industry. The ballet dancer is the ‘ambassador’ of Portuguese footwear in this new year and tells us about his career in London, as a dancer of the Royal Ballet House.

In Homeland, by Ricardo Santos and Joel Alves, we return to our origins, more specifically to the production of basketwork, a very noble art in Portugal.

All the way up presents us with the new male faces of Portuguese fashion, and Dorrit is an explosion of colour and magic. Both works are signed by Fernando Bastos Pereira and Pedro Afonso.

With sustainability on the table, Cláudia Barros raises a concern: what bill are we paying? Can we leave a positive invoice to our planet? The clothes, jewellery, and footwear chosen were carefully thought out and all have a sustainability message embedded in them, whether in the materials, the production, or the mission.

Creating a better world is also about granting new opportunities. OBRONI WAWU is the name of the editorial photographed by Luís Gala and Ana Helena Guimarães, the young winners of the contest that Portuguese Soul launched to find new talents. Could excessive consumption lead us to an unannounced early death? How can we escape from our prolonged exposure to a philosophy of excesses?

Speaking of new talents, Hot New Talents showcases the works made by students of the CFPIC; young designers that are promising to be the future of the footwear industry in Portugal.

In addition, as everything we present to you always has the national stamp, the Portugal chapter explores the best of the best of Santa Maria da Feira city, from restaurants to local events.

Essentially, the invitation is the same as ever. Get to know our soul, but this time we want to contribute so that the world can in fact be a better place to live.


Words: Cláudia Pinto


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