PT PORTUGAL FASHION MAG
03 05 08 10 12 14 17 19 22 24 27 29 31 FLY LONDON CLIMBS CLÉRIGOS SCREEN OF THE BRAIN OF FOB AND THE PRIZE WENT TO ART IN THE FORM OF CLOTHING TO A NEW SPRING RELAXED INDUSTRY FOOTWEAR FOR THE SUMMER DIOGO MIRANDA EXPLOSION OF TALENT HUGO COSTA FROM THE 1980S BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE FUTURE STAR DEBUT PORTUGALFASHIONMAG
FLY LONDON CLIMBS CLÉRIGOS
The Portuguese footwear brand in now at Passeio dos Clérigos, in a place that promises to be much more than a simple point of sale. This Oporto new brand store replaces the one nearby Coliseu and tries to reach a new kind of public. «Porto is today a major tourist destination, both in the so-called backpacking tourism provided by low cost travel, either in a higher level tourism, with foreigners attracted, for example, by Port Wine», explains the brand s marketing manager, António Alves. Therefore, the Clérigos area is the brand s focus, which under the motto «Always progressive. Never conventional», tries to reach these potential consumers. «Currently, Clérigos area is Baixa s point of convergence and action», he justifies. With a few weeks of existence, the store has, for now, been a real success. «In the very first week we noticed a difference in people s influx, and they were not only tourists. With this location, we managed to reach more people», recognizes António Alves. António Vieira, who belongs to the Fly London team, was responsible for the new space image and decor and the execution of the works was handled by Pedro Macedo. Inside, autumn-winter s new collection takes the centre stage: men and woman s shoes in contrasting colours, along with different finishes in leather, cork, acrylic, wood and rubber. However, more than a selling point, the store aims to be a meeting point between the art of fashion and other artistic expressions. «There s the purpose of including some exhibitions to give the opportunity for young artists to show their work. We want to pep up the store in a more cultural component, even because Fly London has irreverence in its DNA», says the marketing manager. Already on agenda is a program in partnership with Portugal Fashion s next edition, scheduled from the 24th to October 26th, at Oporto, which will include one or more artists. At the moment, Fly London has five stores of its own in Oporto, Lisbon, London (two stores) and Copenhagen and is preparing the opening of a new point of sale in the UK. «For now, I can only unveil that it is not in London», reveals António Alves. Em agenda está já uma programação em parceria com o Portugal Fashion na próxima edição, agendada de 24 a 26 de outubro no Porto, e que incluirá um ou mais artistas. A Fly London conta atualmente com cinco lojas próprias no Porto, em Lisboa, Londres (duas lojas) e Copenhaga e prepara-se para inaugurar um novo ponto de venda no Reino Unido. «Para já apenas posso revelar que não será em Londres», desvenda António Alves. 4
SCREEN OF THE BRAIN OF FOB
Mood boards, press clippings, photographs, interviews, fashion shows and creations Everything fits under Screen to the Brain, the central piece of the exhibition inaugurated this last 17 October at Mude (Design and Fashion Museum) which recreates the 10 years of Felipe Oliveira Baptista s career. The anthological exhibition, a partnership between Mude and CENIT Centro de Inteligência Têxtil under the Porto Fashion Show project, takes the visitor on an unusual journey weaving through the most distinguishing traits of the creations of this designer born in the Azores who lived in Lisbon and then, after a period in London, established a firm footing in the fashion world of Paris. He is currently one of the most highly reputed names, both for his work under his own label and due to his creative directorship of Lacoste. Methodical and obsessed with archivism he keeps all the items he creates and respective mood boards in book format Felipe Oliveira Baptista unfolds before the visitor of this exhibition a creative process which is heavily inspired but even more heavily ladened with work, fearless of being accused of nonsense and antagonism, which actually confer a very specific overall feeling to his collections. This is what Alexandre Betak, a true star in the world of scenography, with work from Dior to Rodarte, wished to convey when he created Screen to the Brain. The first thing that I saw was his inspirational notebooks, which he keeps carefully, all very well organised. And the first idea that I had was that I needed to find a way to show the largest amount possible. Usually, quantity is not important but, in this case, in order to portray 10 years of how his head works, it s essential to show a great deal, all the wealth of his different inspirations, and which are my own inspirations too, he reveals. His identification with the Portuguese designer s work also enabled 6
Betak to instinctively understand how to show the concepts that stand out in the 20 collections created by Felipe over this decade of work, starting from his very early days, such as at the Hyères Festival, where he won the Grand Award of the Selection Panel in 2002. In everything here, it was important to work the contrasts, the dichotomies, woman-man, nature-technology, earthspace, nude-dressed there are many evident dichotomies which are highly representative of his work, he adds. The exhibition, open and free of charge, with plays of lighting and mirrors, offers a general panorama that had not been possible up to date, even if everyone were to know all of Felipe s collections. By placing a large part of his collections and the themes on which he progressively worked, we begin to have another perception, a truer one, of the dimension and coherence of his work. The designer must certainly view his own work in a different way, Bárbara Coutinho believes, the curator of the exhibition and director of Mude. A vision confirmed by Felipe Oliveira Baptista himself. I find that it is an interesting exercise to look back, over 10 years, and produce an exhibition that is not a classic chronological retrospective but rather something like a new project made with the archives, the designer explains. Protection, New Uniforms and Work Clothing, Variable Geometries, Revisiting the Classics and Technology versus Nature are the five core elements into which the 130 outfits of this exhibition are divided, reflecting a brilliant mind that can be discovered, at Mude, until 16 February 2014. 7
AND THE PRIZE WENT TO
Porto Fashion Show brought the best young fashion designers of Europe to Portugal and distinguished the German Catharina Saffier and the Portuguese João Melo Costa. In the second edition of European young designers promoted by CENIT (Textile Intelligence Centre), whose final performance was integrated in Portugal Fashion last Saturday, 26 October, Catharina Saffier was the grand winner. Currently working as a freelancer in the design of women s clothing and development of patterns, the young designer completed her studies in modelling and styling this year at Esmod Berlin, and her curriculum already includes an internship at the fashion brand Paula Immich. At Porto Fashion Show, Catharina Saffier presented the Closer collection, inspired by a series of black and white prints by the photographer Diane Arbus and the work of the German painter Hans Holbein, which won her the final award of 10 thousand euros. The prize was attributed by an international selection panel, chaired by Felipe Oliveira Baptista and composed of Paula Mateus, director of Vogue Portugal, the British designer Jenny Christoph, the Spanish designer Eugenio Loarce, the French designers Gregory Lamaud and Louis Gerin, the Italian journalist Flavia Colli Franzone and the German journalist Eugen Rapp. João Melo Costa a usual presence at the Bloom Space who recently made his first public appearance on the catwalk of London Fashion Week, at a parallel event organised by Portugal Fashion was also awarded the prize for Portugal. Marina Criado from IED Madrid (Spain), Myriam Boudjella from Atelier Chardon-Savard (France), Thea Cozzi from the Istituto Marangoni (Italy), Rebecca Taylor from Falmouth University (United Kingdom) and Michael Klammsteiner from Esmod Berlin (Germany) were also awarded a prize of 2,000 euros, intended to boost the development of their next collections. Porto Fashion Show should return, with a new edition, in 2015. 9
ART IN THE FORM OF CLOTHING
Abstrart gave the motto and artistic touches were hardly missing on the catwalk, from recycled egg cartons to the collections that will dress the warm season of 2014. Lisbon was entrusted with the mission, by now habitual, of hosting the first day of the 33rd edition of Portugal Fashion, and the returned Storytailors were given the honour of opening the main catwalk, in a tribute, precisely, to the Portuguese capital. Lisbon is extremely luminous, João Branco explains. Added to the light were the Catholic symbols and dresses and outfits of jacket and trousers in pale shades. The second skin of the TM Collection by Teresa Martins flooded the catwalk with voluminous dresses, pleated skirts, straight trousers, loose jackets and long tunics in cotton, silk and linen, while the Alves/Gonçalves duo closed the day with elegant outfits in luxurious fabrics. In Porto and with his first public appearance, the Mozambican colourfulness of Alexandre Tique, who was inspired by Maputo and its acacia flowers to create an urban and cheerful man, opened the remaining three days of shows, also marked by the promotion of the young designers Daniela Barros, Estelita Mendonça, Hugo Costa and Susana Bettencourt to the main catwalk in this edition covered by squashed egg cartons and panels of glass. It s actually a reward for everything that we have done and it s the reflection of what Portugal Fashion has done for us, Hugo Costa considers, for the springsummer suggesting male streetwear silhouettes, this time inspired by the street basket lifestyle and graphisms based on broken objects. Elisabeth Teixeira was also in the limelight with a collection composed of sportswear silhouettes and tribal patterns, in keeping with the tribes of North Africa underlying the theme of this designer s proposals. My idea was to create a more urban and contemporary tribe hence the mixture of very organic and traditional materials with sportier fabrics, she explains. Among the usual designers, Katty Xiomara, Anabela Baldaque, Diogo Miranda, Luís Buchinho, Fátima Lopes, Carlos Gil and Luís Onofre revealed their collections for spring-summer 2014, as did Miguel Vieira, who was surprised by a tribute to his 25 years of career. It was deeply moving for me to see the video, with the many people who have been part of my life for so many years now, he states. Felipe Oliveira Baptista was entrusted with closing this 33rd edition, with the collection The Sheltering Sky, filled with proposals that combine, to the perfection, the masculinity of military clothing with a feminine and sensual flair that promises to liven up the warm season of the following year. 11
TO A NEW SPRING
From stones to outer space, inspiration has not been lacking in Bloom s young designers in their creation of the woman and man of the spring-summer of this coming year. Gonçalo Páscoa made his first public appearance in Lisbon, in Cais do Sodré, with Astroman, a collection inspired by the dream of any child: to be an astronaut. The collection was first inspired by the comet Hale- Bopp, but when I started researching I came to the conclusion that what I really wanted was to focus more on astronauts, as the people who risk everything in order to travel in space, and also because when we are little, everyone dreams of being an astronaut, the designer reveals, who was also making his dream come true with his first collection. Androgynous silhouettes, where sportswear and streetwear are combined, lent the undertones for the man of springsummer 2014. Lisbon witnessed the debut of O Simone, the brand of a fictional personality created by a designer with a master s from the Faculty of Architecture of Lisbon University, with his Uncountable collection. Andreia Lexim turned over a new leaf with proposals inspired by 3D items created on paper and transposed to satin, cotton serge, organza and taffeta, and João Melo Costa ushered in the next season with Welcome Back, a collection marked by the use of technological materials and mirrors which brought a new shine to the catwalk. In the north, in Alfândega do Porto, Mafalda Fonseca put men in line, with proposals where beige, black and white were combined in trousers, shirts and jackets, while Cláudia Garrido dressed them in woollens in various shades of grey, dotted with strong colours such as orange, in a collection which includes Carolina Brito s illustrations in jacquards. For women, Teresa Abrunhosa presented sensual silhouettes, with acid patterns and colours reminiscent of the 1980s. I continued to work on the type of silhouette that I have been progressively developing, because my brand involves sensual cuts and rather unexpected openings, the young designer explains. Carla Pontes, in turn, concentrated on minerals, in a collection which closes the trilogy dedicated to stones, composed of light items in pale shades. The fact that this is a clean and light collection is already a hallmark of the actual brand, she points out. For the third time at Bloom, Carlos Couto deformed the circle and using cotton poplin, printed and heatsealed, created the Warp collection. The inspiration came from Roy Lichtenstein s work and pointillism, he reveals about the items where black and white are predominant. 13
RELAXED INDUSTRY
Relaxation, always combined with elegance, marked the proposals of the national industry s brands in the most recent edition of Portugal Fashion. Relaxation, always combined with elegance, marked the proposals of the national industry s brands in the most recent edition of Portugal Fashion. In its second presence on the catwalk of Portugal Fashion, Cheyenne showed a young collection, printed t-shirts in vivid colours such as orange set the tone of the first part, while blues and greens predominated in the second, especially in printed trousers. Prints were likewise highlighted in the collection designed by Hélder Baptista for Concreto. Summer Fever lent the motto for comfortable and relaxed items, where strong colours such as blue, yellow and intense orange were intermingled to create an ode to the summer. Concreto s aim is that its summer wardrobe should be complete. the brand explains, where cotton was essentially used, sometimes mixed with linen, silks and lycra, to ensure light and transparent fabrics, with all-over prints and details of metals and stones. The colours and shapes take us to a season bursting with irreverence and a collection dedicated to women and men who wish to identify with the clothes they wear, the brand notes, further adding that these are designer items, produced in small series and with made in Portugal quality assurance. 15
Mad Dragon Seeker, in turn, declared war on the frontiers between stereotypes, proposing a versatile collection full of bright colours and a touch of irreverence, mixed with a more mature premium line. This is a more meticulous line, which is more detailed, using more luxurious materials and more personalised streaks, Daniel Simões explains, who is responsible, together with Alexandrine Cadilhe, for the collection of the Portuguese brand. At Dom Coletto, absolute femininity such as in the romantic dresses in soft shades dominated the proposals for women, while for men the brand matched shorts with t-shirts and open shirts, in a more casual appearance and, in a more sophisticated summer, trousers with shirts and woollen cardigans. This is an elegant and graphic collection but relaxed, which seeks to represent a refreshing and very optimistic summer, it is noted. Inspired by Porto, Vicri s collection for spring-summer 2014 merges modernity and tradition, with technology being combined with patterns of the Invincible city, visible in multicoloured stripes and checks in the shirts the key item of the season. Blazers and suits take on garish colours, such as (almost) full metallic blue or white. The result is a seductive, strong and versatile image for a man in evolution, in a technological world which refuses to abandon its classic references, the brand s creative team remarks. At Dielmar, the 100-year history of the Panama canal was the starting point for the creation of items designed with today s traveller in mind, with pale shades dominating the beautifully cut proposals of this tailor s brand. This is an elegant and structured collection, designed for the modern man but who has a naturalist instinct, a man who carries within himself the essence of other times and cultures. A man who cultivates a casual and relaxed look, albeit always elegant and well-cared, is the concluding remark. 16
FOOTWEAR FOR THE SUMMER
The Portuguese footwear brands unveiled the tendencies for this year s warm season on the catwalk of Portugal Fashion. At Dkode, the past and the future intermingle in a collection inspired by an innovative notion of time where originality can be constructed on solid layers of experience or can emerge from an ingenious and virgin universe, where nothing has been created, the brand elucidates, which conveyed the influence of worldwide cultures in contemporary societies in open and fresh proposals, clearly suited to warmer temperatures. The brand also presented Dkode s new line by Aleksandar Protic, with the designer creating a microcapsule of four models especially featuring cut-outs, soft leathers, crocodile or fragmented textures and metallic finishings. At Fly London, sandals portray a split personality, whether on fancifully designed wooden wedges or flat. For men, cords dominated both the more classic models in leather, and the more irreverent of the canvas type. In each new collection, Fly London presents its own interpretation of current trends and always offers a great variety of models, colours and materials which keeps it at the cutting edge of international fashion, the brand s press release stresses, where this brand has grown under the motto always progressive, never conventional. The timeless and sophisticated classics by J. Reinaldo were reinvented with younger colours and abundant details in luscious and luxurious materials, while Nobrand presented a collection inspired by Coloraised, a printing technique with raised ink, where booties, especially blue (sometimes petrol blue) and black, were under the spotlight. A compendium of colorsplash patterns, urban prints of street art, transparencies and flashes of neon-neutral colours, contrasting with the handcrafted details, he summarises. At Goldmud, which presented its collection in partnership with the designer Alexandra Moura, men wore sandals and shoes with special designs, in white and black, while women were divided between slippers and open toe bootees with a square heel. Silvia Rebatto embarked on a journey to Japan, with sandals on an elevated base reminiscent of geta (traditional Japanese sandals), in models which mix colours such as silver, gold, beige, black and white. The brand s collection for this coming warm season also includes models inspired by the central African cultures of the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana and Mali, by geometric elements, by the cities of New York and Shanghai at night and also incorporates a military atmosphere. 18
DIOGO MIRANDA IS ALREADY ONLINE
Just in time for Christmas shopping, Diogo Miranda launched his online store and put a stop to the excuses that Felgueiras is far too far away. Indeed, the young designer of Portuguese fashion, a habitual presence on the catwalks of Portugal Fashion for six years now, opened his brand to the world, in response to the many requests. Portugal Fashion has accompanied us, not just in the fashion shows, but also in fairs we have been to Paris and we have been to London. And abroad, lots of people asked me if I had an online store, Diogo Miranda explains. After the success of the test of Christmas 2012, where he sold a special edition of t-shirts through Facebook, the designer decided to embark into the virtual world, in a partnership with Helena Pereira. I was already interested in having an online shop, but I kept putting it off. Now it has happened. We sell all over the world, he emphasises. The autumn-winter 2013/2014 collection has been available online since 5 November, at diogomirandaonline.com. Dresses, coats, trousers, skirts, tops and accessories are at the distance of a 20
click, with delivery deadlines from three to five days for Portugal, five to eight days for Europe and eight to ten business days for the rest of the world. An important step for the designer who, this year, focuses strongly on the internationalisation of his brand. In addition to his presence at the London fair Scoop International Fashion Show 2013 and at Zip Zone in Paris, Diogo Miranda has shown his collection in Brazil, a market that he believes shows enormous potential for his brand. Everything went really well, we had the carioca society there in full and everyone loved it, but the problem is that getting into Brazil is very difficult. We were extremely successful, but Rio is more social and São Paulo is more business, so it would be a good idea to go to São Paulo, he argues. The collection for spring-summer 2014 has, moreover, a certain transatlantic accent, since it was inspired by the work of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. On my last trip to Rio de Janeiro I got to know Niemeyer s work better and its geometric forms inspired me, the designer reveals. A new collection which will reach his boutique in Felgueiras and the online store shortly, thus achieving the goal that the insignia has established for itself: each season, the brand is dedicated to creating sophisticated products, for a growing number of fans. A recipe for success that Diogo Miranda promises to continue to improve from one collection to the next; we have a gigantic opportunity and I feel that, with each one, I progress 10 years. 21
EXPLOSION OF TALENT
In two years, Carlos Couto trained in fashion design, was distinguished with two awards and has captivated public attention with his collections under his own name at Portugal Fashion s Bloom, which he accumulates with his work in the Petratex design team. Fascinated by the arts from a very early age, which led him to attend the reputed Soares dos Reis Secondary School, Carlos Couto was three months away from completing his 12th year of schooling when he decided, irrevocably, to follow a career in the world of fashion. A decision that was to take him to London, to the prestigious Central Saint Martins where he studied for a year and, upon returning to Portugal, led him to attend the design course at Modatex. A little more than a year after having completed the course, and after having participated three times in Bloom, the Portugal Fashion space dedicated to new talent and winning the 1st prize of Portuguese Fashion News and the 1st Golden Needle competition in 2012 the life of the young designer changed. Professionally, I am currently working in an industry in the area of fashion, as a designer, he reveals. Petratex, known and recognised for his heat-sealed seams and for being the establishment where Speedo produced the famous and controversial LZR Racer swimsuit, threw open new horizons. I have produced in all areas. I work with all sorts of brands: men, women, sports From Zara to Balenciaga, he states. Carlos Couto_25novembro2013_ Interior3An experience that he used in his most recent collection Warp for the spring-summer 2014, where his sealing plays a leading role. Everything is sealed. The collection is basically cotton poplin, printed and sealed. The fabrics are very basic but with the sealing they gain a rich allure, the designer explains. The inspiration was drawn from the work of Roy Lichtenstein, one of the most respected names of Pop Art, who elevated pointillism to a new height, a technique that Carlos Couto used in skirts, dresses, waistcoats and sweaters, portrayed in black and white, with occasional splashes of green and blue. The idea was deformation and from this starting point, taking a formal circle and making these curves which is why the collection is also called Warp. Fresh proposals, designed for a contemporary woman who obstinately seeks the ideal of perfection, he summarises. Yet another step towards achieving his goals in terms of a future career. Now the idea is to show, show and show, so that the brand starts to become visually engraved in peoples minds. This is a more conceptual fashion so that later, more in the future, the big leap can be given, the designer unveils. 23
HUGO COSTA FREE OF BARRIERS
The fashion created in Portugal increasingly attracts more attention among foreign buyers, as proved by Hugo Costa, who is taking his first steps in the internationalisation of his designer fashion. Promoted, in the most recent edition of Portugal Fashion, to the main catwalk, Hugo Costa is a reference name of the new generation of national fashion. His proposals for men, with a streetwear style and personal touch, have charmed the critics and buyers, which is why he is currently expanding at full force. In terms of brand, things are just beginning to happen, he reveals. Aware that the Portuguese market is complicated, not just due to a question of taste but also purchasing power, because when we focus on quality we can t sell cheap, it is in the markets abroad that Hugo Costa s career has begun to take off in new directions. I went to a fair in Copenhagen which went very well, where I made interesting contacts with buyers and distributors, he indicates, also mentioning a small, but extremely good, order to Sweden. Opening up new markets is, therefore, part of the strategy of this young designer. We are making a presentation in the Belgian market and the Dutch market, he notes, however, stressing that we are not in a hurry. We want to live in a sustained manner. Consolidating the brand is, in fact, Hugo Costa s major objective, which is not limited to clothing. I am putting a great effort into promoting the accessories part, he states, referring to packpacks as the most recent addition to his list of creations. In partnership with the company Belcinto, this is an area 25
which should grow in his collections, as well as footwear a segment that has always been present, which is inevitably the result of being based in the footwear zone of São João da Madeira produced by Armando Silva SA. promises to develop accessories and remain faithful to his own style. My strategy is to do what I most love and people will follow as a consequence, he believes. Partnerships with industry are one of the aspects which are seriously considered by the designer, especially at a time when he is battling for the professionalisation of the project of his own brand. During the first years, it was more a question of experimentalism, lots of work on design, searching for an identity. Now the product has started to reach our intended quality level for marketing. For this reason I want to go on adding good partners, he stresses. For the cold season 2014/2015, which will be unveiled at his eighth presence in Portugal Fashion (six of which were at Bloom), Hugo Costa 26
FROM THE 1980S TO THE 21ST CENTURY
In her fourth collection, Teresa Abrunhosa brought the sensuality of the 1980s back into fashion for spring-summer 2014. The retro graphic prints and lines of sports cars mark Teresa Abrunhosa s collection for the next warm season. The mixture of patterns, with a palette of colours in acid and vibrant tones, such as lime green, fuchsia and blues, confer a fun and young atmosphere to the collection. The silhouette is tight and sensual, with an unexpected design which reveals the body in an unpredictable form. I continued to work on the type of silhouette that I have been progressively developing because my brand involves sensual cuts and rather unexpected openings and so I persisted along these lines the designer comments. And in terms of the colours and prints, I rather followed the line of the 1980s, that type of graphism, Teresa Abrunhosa notes, where she used materials like crepe and silk satin, with details in leather and sequins. The designer, who did an internship with Pedro Pedro, started her professional path at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Porto University, where she graduated in Painting, although fashion was always part of her plans. I have always been very interested in fashion. When I was doing the painting course, I participated in various competitions, such as Acrobactic and the Young Designers Competition, first in partnership with a friend and then alone, she explains. Currently, and also thanks to her presence at Bloom, she has grown in the world of fashion, particularly through her website where I provide the looks and contacts for those wishing to buy, Teresa Abrunhosa reveals, adding that she has also increasingly established contacts in international markets. 28
BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE FUTURE
On an ending note to the celebrations of 25 years of career, Miguel Vieira created a collection for the next warm season which is a perfect symbiosis between the past and the future. This is a collection which involves origins, in two aspects: the origin when I started to work 25 years ago, when I began with woollens, the knitwear I made incorporated a lot of gemstone work; as well as the origins in terms of the planet, i.e. the oceans, forests, birds all those elements are embroidered with crystals, the designer explains. It was deeply moving for me to see the video, which also included the many people who have been part of my life for so many years now, Miguel Vieira confesses. Regardless of whether people like my collections or not and they usually do! what I think is important, above all, is the amount of friends that one creates over time, a sort of second family. And it was extremely moving to see all of those friends of mine, who are professionals in different areas, coming to offer me their congratulations, he concludes. Pure and stylised lines, but with a visibly classic touch, mark the collection, as well as plays of textures of patterns developed by the atelier, whether in the form of prints or gemstone work. The colours are dominated by shades of pastel, combined with the elegance of black, the simplicity of white and the confidence of navy blue, Miguel Vieira points out. The collection has already been presented in June, at international events, and it s being well received, reveals the designer who also displayed his work at Moda Lisboa and Portugal Fashion, where his show was preceded with a video celebrating the 25 years of his career. 30
STAR DEBUT
Aged 23 years old, Gonçalo Páscoa made his first public appearance at the Bloom Space of Portugal Fashion with a collection that put the world of fashion looking upwards to the heavens. Astroman is a collection inspired by the dream of any child: to be an astronaut. The collection was first inspired by the comet Hale-Bopp, but when I started researching I came to the conclusion that what I really wanted was to focus more on astronauts, as the people who risk everything in order to travel in space, and also because when we are little, everyone dreams of being an astronaut, the designer reveals, who was also making his dream come true with his first collection. I then decided to create a personality, a super-hero, an astronaut, that everyone wanted to be and wear his clothes, he adds. Versatile items, which combine sportswear and streetwear, thus constitute the proposals of the young designer, aged only 23 years old, for the man of spring-summer 2014. Androgyny is the baseline of my kind of clothing, but also sportswear, I create sporty items which are easy to wear on any occasion, he further notes. Asymmetries, overlaps and comfortable and rather unusual materials, such as semi transparent TPU rubber, confer a new value to the items. Mostly white, this is a collection that explores colour and transparency through touches, whether in sporadic mix and matching items or in the prints which are concealed among items, he explains. Born in 1990, Gonçalo Páscoa trained at the Higher Education School of Applied Art of Castelo Branco and is completing a master s in Art Market Management at ISCTE. Regarding his first experience on the catwalk of Portugal Fashion, I think it went well. It s not for me to say how it went, but I really enjoyed it, he states. I hope to continue at Bloom, he concludes. 32
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