1ST DAY OF THE 35TH PORTUGAL FASHION WITH YOUNG CREATORS, THE RENOWNED STORYTAILORS AND ALVES/GONÇALVES

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "1ST DAY OF THE 35TH PORTUGAL FASHION WITH YOUNG CREATORS, THE RENOWNED STORYTAILORS AND ALVES/GONÇALVES"

Kerry McKenzie
6 years ago
Views:

1 At the Thalia Theatre and the National Museum of Natural History and Science 1ST DAY OF THE 35TH PORTUGAL FASHION WITH YOUNG CREATORS, THE RENOWNED STORYTAILORS AND ALVES/GONÇALVES Fashion shows of Hibu and João Melo Costa included in the Bloom project Romantic spirit of Storytailors invades catwalk TM Collection proposes natural and fresh fabrics, in a collection of fluid pieces Sensuality and sophistication with the Manéis SPRINKLE is the theme of this edition Event continues in Porto with fashion shows of Anabela Baldaque, Dielmar, Estelita Mendonça, Fátima Lopes, Fly London, Luís Buchinho, Luís Onofre, Miguel Vieira, Nuno Baltazar, Katty Xiomara and Susana Bettencourt, among other creators and brands The collections that anticipate spring/summer of 2015 begin their unveiling today, 22nd October, at the 35th Portugal Fashion. The event begins in Lisbon, with four fashion shows, but continues over the next three days in Porto, between the 23rd and 25th October. In total, 33 fashion shows (individual and collective) are planned, 12 on the catwalk dedicated to young designers and fashion schools: the Bloom. All in all, the 35th Portugal Fashion brings together 27 (young and renowned) creators, 11 clothes brands, six footwear brands and four fashion schools. The catwalk of the 35th Portugal Fashion will be inaugurated at the Thalia Theatre, at 19:00, with a double fashion show which is part of the Bloom project. Hibu brand of the young creators Marta Gonçalves, Gonçalo Páscoa and Nuno Sousa presents the Cru collection, which is characterised, according to its designers, by a strong mixture of silhouettes and an even richer and stronger colour palette, reflecting earth and

2 printing tones. The result is a consistent visual impact that forms a unique aesthetic". The creators preferred bordeau, purple, mint, beige, brow pink, silver and white colours, whilst in terms of materials the options involved linen, jersey, muslin and serge. These proposals fall under the "effortless style with an artistic, minimalist and deconstructive touch" that this streetwear brand claims for itself. In the same fashion show, João Melo Costa will reveal his We have plans collection. This creator made his debut in the Bloom project of the 30th edition of Portugal Fashion, in March 2012, having also been included in the group of young designers who, in the same year, showcased their creations at the Matadero Contemporary Art Centre in Madrid. With the support of Portugal Fashion, João Melo Costa also held a fashion show at the Portuguese Embassy in London, in September 2013, as part of the complementary programme of London Fashion Week. This year, he has returned to the British capital twice to showcase his proposals at Fashion Scout at London Fashion Week. Located at the Laranjeiras Palace, the recently recovered Thalia theatre, whose origins date back to the 18th century (1820), will also host the fashion show of the Storytailors, at 20h00. João Branco and Luís Sanchez will be revealing their Voyage Voyage collection, in which, according to them, the silhouettes represent the euphoria of being able to intervene and choose, of being able to wear clothes like a painter uses a paintbrush, or a poet uses words. Delicate transparencies overlap each other in layers of an antagonically simple and optional complexity. Pleated and sublimated muslin with images that break down into organic and manipulable forms. Point d'esprit tulle; leather in modular pieces and new fabrics, such as double organza heat sealed with tulle. The colours reach us taken from a spring dawn or from a summer sunset. It is thus a collection that reaffirms the aesthetic language of the duo created in 2001, after they both concluded their degree in Fashion Design at FAUTL. From that moment on, the Storytailors began to develop collections inspired in the traditional fairy tales and haute couture of the 50's. With the support of Portugal Fashion, the duo have participated five times in the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week. The Storytailors are

3 also known for the costumes they design for theatre and for their creations for the group The Gift, the Amália Today project and the fado singer Mísia. In 2006, they opened the atelier-store at Calçada do Ferragial, in the very heart of Lisbon. The first day of the 35th Portugal Fashion enters a new phase at the National Museum of Natural History and Science, from 21h30 onwards. The historical building in neoclassical style, projected by Pierre-Joseph Pézerat and built in the 1850's for the Polytechnic School, will receive the new proposals of Manuel Alves/José Manuel Gonçalves. The duo's new collection is described as easy-to-wear" or, in other words, it has "usability". And it displays the following characteristics: "Configurations of discoordinated polka dots. Cuts made to create a look that is familiar, forming in manifold ways a special wardrobe. Maxi and Mini combinations create a diaphanous outerwear look. Deconstruction of some garments. Sensual textures in a palette of classical tones (black, white, blue and red). Chiffons, georgettes and fluid crêpes, structured silks and organzas, details and applications of metallic ribbons and buckles. Manuel Alves and José Manuel Gonçalves have been a duo for more than 25 years, developing what they call couture design fashion". It all started in 1977, when Manuel Gonçalves opened a men's clothes store in Porto. Later, in 1985, he moved to Lisbon, where he opened a store in Bairro Alto with José Manuel Gonçalves. Together they showcased their first collection in 1987, which was distinguished, in the following year, with a Look Elite award. In 2000 and 2001, the duo showcased their collections at the 7th on Sixth Fashion Week, in New York, with the support of Portugal Fashion, an event to which they would return on its 26th national edition. Manuel Alves and José Manuel Gonçalves became, from then on, a regular feature of the national editions of Portugal Fashion, which also involved the presentation of their proposals in São Paulo in Later, at 22h30, also at the National Museum of Natural History and Science, the TM Collection reveals its most recent proposals designed by Teresa Martins. The Portuguese design brand proposes, for spring/summer 2015, natural and fresh fabrics in a range of fluid and elegant pieces, following a chic, romantic and casual trend. Each piece is

4 meticulously designed and enriched with exclusive embroidery and prints. Dresses, trousers and tunics convey an easy, modern, urban and very sophisticated silhouette. TantoMar is another collection in which tradition, luxury and modernity combine into a perfect synergy that reflects the identity of the brand. Fashion shows held in six historical buildings From Thursday to Saturday, 25th October, the 35th Portugal Fashion continues in Porto with a programme of fashion shows that includes acclaimed names such as Anabela Baldaque, Fátima Lopes, Luís Buchinho, Luís Onofre, Miguel Vieira, Nuno Baltazar or Katty Xiomara, as well as young, up-and-coming creators with international experience, such as Daniela Barros, Estelita Mendonça, Hugo Costa or Susana Bettencourt, and international brands of prestige, such as Dielmar, Fly London, Lion of Porches or Vicri. SPRINKLE is the theme of the 35th Portugal Fashion. The idea of freshness, softness, comfort and pleasure that water sprinkles provide on a fiery hot summer's day inspired the edition of this event. In this sense, Portugal Fashion promises to sprinkle, with the freshness of national fashion, the cities of Lisbon and Porto. Inspirations, trends, colours, forms and materials will be sprinkled on various emblematic buildings of the two cities, generating a creative movement that conveys its disseminating force on the catwalk of Portugal Fashion. With the dispersion of the fashion shows over various locations of Lisbon and Porto, Portugal Fashion adopts the organisational model of the major international fashion events, such as Paris Fashion Week, in which the use of glamorous (and oftentimes unknown) buildings of the respective cities reinforces the promotional capacity, the aesthetic language and the authorial worldview of creators and brands. On the other hand, by dispersing its programme of fashion shows among various emblematic buildings of Porto and Lisbon, Portugal Fashion deepens it ties with the architectural heritage, the local history and the urban culture of the two cities.

5 Programme of a high quality and very heterogeneous If in Lisbon the majestic Thalia Theatre and the National Museum of Natural History and Science were selected, in the northern capital, the 35th Portugal Fashion maintains the Customs building in Porto as the nerve centre but disperses the fashion shows among the no less monumental buildings of Correios Palace, Porto Music Conservatory and São Bento da Vitória Monastery. For the president of ANJE, organising entity of the event, the distribution of the fashion shows among various buildings complies with the principle of maximisation of the promotional potential of Portugal Fashion, as well as of reinforcement of the connection of the event to the cities where it is held. It is therefore in line with the innovative dynamic and cosmopolitan nature of Portugal Fashion, which, in spite of being headquartered in Porto, over the course of its history several editions have been held in various cities of the country and it has a strong international dimension, explains João Rafael Koehler. He further adds that this new organisation model of fashion shows essentially reflects the capacity of Portugal Fashion to reinvent itself and to draw closer to the magnificence, glamour and sophistication that the major international fashion events oose. To conclude, says João Rafael Koehler, this edition of Portugal Fashion presents a programme of fashion shows of a high quality and very heterogeneous. There will be designer fashion, commercial lines of the industry, very talented young creators and the best footwear in the world. All this with a meticulous production, in grandiose buildings and in a cosmopolitan environment." All that's left to say is that Portugal Fashion is a project of the responsibility of ANJE Associação Nacional de Jovens Empresários (National Association for Young Entrepreneurs) in partnership with ATP Associação Têxtil e Vestuário de Portugal (Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal), being currently financed by QREN under the Compete Programme - Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme.

6 Portugal Fashion once again discovers new talents PREMIERE OF SEVEN YOUNG DESIGNERS AT THE BLOOM CATWALK This 35 th edition shall include 12 fashion shows by young designers and fashion schools The 35 th PORTUGAL FASHION SPRINKLE includes 12 fashion shows at Bloom, a catwalk dedicated to young designers and fashion schools. In Lisbon, the Hibu brand and designer João Melo Costa shall present their proposals at Bloom. In Porto, on the 23 rd and 24 th of October, seven fashion shows will take place on the Bloom catwalk, with ten young designers and one brand (Klar). With the exception of Carla Pontes, Mafalda Fonseca and Teresa Abrunhosa, all of them are young designers (Pilar Pastor, Rita Gilman, Filipe Martinho, Catarina Santos, Eduardo Amorim, João Rôla and Pedro Neto) who are premiering at Portugal Fashion. On Saturday, April 25 th, the Bloom catwalk shall be devoted to students from four fashion schools: Árvore, MODATEX, ESAD and Escola de Moda do Porto (Porto Fashion School). The Bloom project was created by Portugal Fashion in 2010, in order to nationally and internationally support and promote young Portuguese designers. Since then, and including this 35 th edition, 34 new designers and three emerging brands were included in the fashion show program of Portugal Fashion, under the Bloom project. And some of these young designers have even participated in fashion shows with the support of Portugal Fashion, thus being present in important fashion events in London, Vienna and Madrid. The evolution of the young designers from Bloom was so significant that, in this 35 th edition, and just like in the previous two, Daniela Barros, Estelita Mendonça, Hugo Costa and Susana Bettencourt will unveil their new collections in the main catwalk of Portugal Fashion. This means that the designs of these young designers already have a quality, maturity and aesthetic sense that justify a greater visibility in the fashion show program of Portugal Fashion, both in national editions of the

7 event and in promotional actions abroad, justifies the President of ANJE (event organizer), João Rafael Koehler. The bet we made on these youngsters was indeed successful, considering the auspicious results obtained by their collections, both in commercial terms and in terms of acceptance by the specialized public, he adds. New generation of designers is promising Since the 27 th Edition of Portugal Fashion, in October 2010, the Bloom project allowed 27 young designers and three brands by new designers to present their collections in an alternative catwalk of the event. They were: Alexandre Marrafeiro, Ana Segurado, Andreia Lexim, Carla Pontes, Carlos Couto, Celsus, Cláudia Garrido, Daniela Barros, Diana Matias, Elionai Campos, Estelita Mendonça, Gonçalo Páscoa, Hugo Costa, Iúri, Joana Ferreira, João Melo Costa, Mafalda Fonseca, Margarida Gentil, Maria Martins, O Simone, Pedro Jorge, Pedro Pinto, Pritt Franco, Sara Maia, Stefano Ficetola, Susana Bettencourt and Teresa Abrunhosa and also Autopsy (by Jordann Santos), Hibu and Klar. To these names you must now add the seven debutants of this 35 th edition: Pilar Pastor, Rita Gilman, Filipe Martinho, Catarina Santos, Eduardo Amorim, João Rôla and Pedro Neto. Incidentally, it should be noted that Pedro Neto, João Rôla, Catarina Santos and Eduardo Amorim were, in this order of classification, the winners of the Portugal Fashion Bloom contest, whose results would be announced at the 34 th Edition of the event, last March. After being distinguished by the contest s technical team of juris, these young designers began to benefit from a series of incentives - financial, technical, promotional and strategic -, including the possibility to present their collections on the Bloom catwalk during this 35 th edition of Portugal Fashion. It is worth adding that Filipe Martinho is also the result of the Portugal Fashion Bloom contest, seeing as he was among the nine finalists, being thus invited to join the line-up of the platform devoted to new talent.

8 Various editions of Bloom also hosted collective shows by students of fashion design from the following schools: Árvore Escola Artística e Profissional, MODATEX Centro de Formação Profissional da Indústria Têxtil, Vestuário, Confeção e Lanifícios, ESAD Escola Superior de Artes e Design de Matosinhos and Escola de Moda do Porto. Thanks to the Bloom project, these students had the opportunity to enrich their specialized learning with the participation in this big fashion event, with all that entails in terms of experience in the design of coordinates, in the preparation of fashion shows and in the work behind the scenes. As you can see, the discovery, support, guidance and promotion of young designers is, for a long time now, one of the strategic intentions of Portugal Fashion. The event seeks to act as a lever of emerging talent in order to renew the national fashion panorama, to facilitate the integration of new designers in the labour market and to fill any gaps that companies in the textile, clothing and footwear industries may have in terms of design. The main instrument of this strategic plan is, precisely, the Bloom project, whose coordination was entrusted to the stylist and fashion teacher Miguel Flor, responsible for selecting the young designers and for structuring the presentation of their designs. For the President of ANJE, the new generation of fashion designers is quite promising and is, in general, better prepared than before, for there was a breakthrough in terms of specialized training. Besides that, the youth of today is more cosmopolitan, better informed about what is happening in the world of fashion and has more international contacts factors that favour not only creativity but also the ability to promote designs, brands, projects.... In this sense, João Rafael Koehler believes that the generational renovation of Portuguese fashion will occur without losing quality. On the contrary, I am convinced that, with this new generation of designers, Portuguese fashion and the textile sector will become even more innovative, creative, competitive and internationalized.

9 Internationalization of young designers The logistical and promotional accompaniment of these young designers by Portugal Fashion also has an internationalization aspect. In December 2012, young designers supported by the Bloom project Carla Pontes, Daniela Barros, Estelita Mendonça, Hugo Costa, Joana Ferreira and João Melo Costa presented their designs at the Matadero- Centro de Creación Contemporánea, Madrid. In September 2013, Daniela Barros and Estelita Mariano participated in the Vienna Fashion Week. João Melo Costa, in turn, held - on that same month - a fashion show at the Embassy of Portugal in London, inserted into the supplementary program of the London Fashion Week. Earlier this year, in February 2014, the same João Melo Costa and Daniela Barros showed their collections at the Fashion Scout initiative, integrated into the London Fashion Week. Very recently, on September 10 th, Susana Bettencourt presented her proposals at the Vienna Fashion Week and two days later it was Daniela Barros and João Melo Costa s turn to again participate in the Fashion Scout initiative, in London.

Over 20 designers and 14 labels at the 37 fashion shows in the 38 th Portugal Fashion

Proposals for Autumn-Winter 2016-17 Over 20 designers and 14 labels at the 37 fashion shows in the 38 th Portugal Fashion One of the biggest calendars ever: 21 designer collection shows, 10 young designer