In October, the top fashion talent in the Iberian Peninsula gathered in Lisbon and Porto for Portugal Fashion SS18. More than 30 shows took place over the four days of Portugal Fashion. The first day was dedicated to shows by young new designers who participated in the BLOOM event. These are our favorite designers from this most recent display of talent in Portugal Fashion.
Luís Onofre
In 1990, Luís Onofre took over the management of the footwear company founded by his grandmother in 1939. Since then the designer has already developed collections for several established brands. Onofre also provided his own brand’s footwear Paris Hilton, Naomi Watts and Michelle Obama. His “Ziggurats” collection took inspiration from carved stones and gems of ancient structures.
Recalling the opulence of the adornments used by the people of Mesopotamia and the grandeur of their pyramids, each shoe is made up of an unexpected succession of exotic layers.
Olimpia Davide
In October 2016, Olimpia Davide made her fashion debut with her own show at Portugal Fashion’s Bloom. For her SS18 collection, she found inspiration from memories of her grandparents.
In this Collection, her inspiration came from her grandparents and the house they live in, where her best memories of summers past come from. It is from there that she takes her stories to design this collection. Her grandparents are the central theme, and their differences are brought together in a single collection. The suit that her grandfather always wears to work, the tie, which will be a predominant detail, the oversized white shirt and the tight waistcoat that he wore on his wedding day will all be important elements. In contrast, there is also a silhouette adjusted by scarves and elastic bands, inspired by her grandmother.
Susana Bettencourt
In her collection, the designer decided to pay homage to Amelia Earhart, the first woman pilot to make a transatlantic flight. Amelia was part of the suffragette group, who fought for the right to vote and gender equality. The colours of the collection and the references to the aviation uniforms of the 1970s recall the posters for the National Women’s Party.
Katty Xiomara
In 1996, Katty Xiomara took part in Portugal Fashion for the first time, as a fashion student. Since then, she has shown collections in many major international fashion shows, including New York Fashion Week. Her collection evoke the image of a parachute taken by a Caribbean breeze.
The soft tones of the sea and the vibrant shades of pink and orange on fruity scales of papaya, melon and raspberry are outlined by black and white as neutral points of encounter. The forms emerges from the basic concept of the parachute; Detached, simple and uncluttered with embroidered patterns and prints that evoke this environment.
Ana Sousa
Ana Sousa opened her first fashion studio at the age of 16. She grew this studio into a multinational brand featuring stores in Portugal, Spain, Luxembourg, South Africa and Switzerland. Her SS18 collection combines the sporty style of street wear with feminine touches, like bows, ruffles, and embroidery.
In the daily life of this urban jungle, comfort and fashion are the best allies, suggesting a summer filled with colours and patterns inspired by botany and the blurriness of the bottom of the ocean. The collage of fabrics redefines fine materials, such as jacquard, bouclé and lace, giving them a lively, young and, above all, feminist appearance.
We would love to hear which of these designers are your favorite? Or perhaps you have another designer from Portugal Fashion that you loved more? You might also want to see our picks for the best of Jakarta Fashion Week.
