This time around, ModaLisboa showed us another side to the wonderful city of Lisbon. Their Spring/Summer 2020 edition took place in quite an unconventional venue, in what used to be the Army's Old General Uniform and Equipment Workshops. Although it no longer works as a factory, the site still belongs to the Portuguese army, which meant having to walk from fashion show to fashion show while being escorted by armed, uniformed soldiers. It just begs the question, how did they manage to pull this off? And yet it made for a great setting to hold a variety of brands that caused quite an impression on us, once again. Here are our top seven collections that represent the wide array of viewpoints that exist in current Portuguese fashion.
Awaytomars
Sticking to their other-worldly, and of course, Mars-inspired motifs, this collection was influenced by an era in time called the Noachian period. This season, the brief sent to their over twenty-thousand designers registered to their online platform was about the time were planet Mars was covered in water and when this was inhabited by microorganisms. The users imagined how these must have looked like by creating beautiful colourful and chic abstract prints and patterns with ombré effects, with a wide colour palette of blues, oranges, purples, whites and blacks, with elegant silhouettes that follow the now-signature Awaytomars line.
Carolina Machado
A white cobbled pathway usually used as the main entrance to the Church of Santa Engrácia, also known as the Portuguese National Pantheon, acted as the catwalk for Carolina Machado’s show. Conveniently located right next to the main venue, the beautiful backdrop along with the bright blue sky set the scene for a collection inspired by a trip to the isle of Capri in Italy. The palette of pastel purple, greens and oranges mirrored the colours that can be found in the Mediterranean scenery on a sunny summer morning. The feminine dresses, gabardines and oversized shirtless suits gave off a relaxed feel which was topped by a perfect song choice with Robyn’s Between the Lines.
A white cobbled pathway usually used as the main entrance to the Church of Santa Engrácia, also known as the Portuguese National Pantheon, acted as the catwalk for Carolina Machado’s show. Conveniently located right next to the main venue, the beautiful backdrop along with the bright blue sky set the scene for a collection inspired by a trip to the isle of Capri in Italy. The palette of pastel purple, greens and oranges mirrored the colours that can be found in the Mediterranean scenery on a sunny summer morning. The feminine dresses, gabardines and oversized shirtless suits gave off a relaxed feel which was topped by a perfect song choice with Robyn’s Between the Lines.
Constança Entrudo
It’s hard to believe that this designer’s eponymous label is just a year old, but her previous work for brands like Marques Almeida, Petter Pilotto and Balmain shows. She has proven that she is here to stay with the skilful way she sends down the runway models wearing wet, mermaid looks, colourful, deconstructed pieces of mixed materials, just as fringe, knitwear, and their signature furry element, seen in wool-covered high heels and sneakers. In addition to melted aluminium echoing the show’s title, translated into English to something like Everything that is solid dissolves in the air. And it all started out with a drowsy, literally zombie-like Mykki Blanco slowly walking down the catwalk. What a great way to kick off the show.
It’s hard to believe that this designer’s eponymous label is just a year old, but her previous work for brands like Marques Almeida, Petter Pilotto and Balmain shows. She has proven that she is here to stay with the skilful way she sends down the runway models wearing wet, mermaid looks, colourful, deconstructed pieces of mixed materials, just as fringe, knitwear, and their signature furry element, seen in wool-covered high heels and sneakers. In addition to melted aluminium echoing the show’s title, translated into English to something like Everything that is solid dissolves in the air. And it all started out with a drowsy, literally zombie-like Mykki Blanco slowly walking down the catwalk. What a great way to kick off the show.
#Decenio Alexandra Moura
This season Alexandra Moura paired up with established Portuguese brand Decenio to create an exclusive collaborative collection which brought the best in both parties. Inspired by Decenio’s Mediterranean way of life, Moura used an image which was then turned into a pattern – of a very common summer scene of a parasol in a sandy beach. The picture had these deep-toned melancholic blues that felt as if the parasol were frozen in time. This theme was then seen in the models’ iridescent faces and their choice of accessory of a never-before-seen handbag that had been frozen inside an ice cube, which glided down the runway, water droplets falling onto the floor, which required to be cleaned shortly after. Quite a literal play on the concept of fleeting and long-lasting moments.
This season Alexandra Moura paired up with established Portuguese brand Decenio to create an exclusive collaborative collection which brought the best in both parties. Inspired by Decenio’s Mediterranean way of life, Moura used an image which was then turned into a pattern – of a very common summer scene of a parasol in a sandy beach. The picture had these deep-toned melancholic blues that felt as if the parasol were frozen in time. This theme was then seen in the models’ iridescent faces and their choice of accessory of a never-before-seen handbag that had been frozen inside an ice cube, which glided down the runway, water droplets falling onto the floor, which required to be cleaned shortly after. Quite a literal play on the concept of fleeting and long-lasting moments.
Hibu
Minimalist genderless brand Hibu delivered exactly what we wanted to see and more. With extremely wearable oversized workwear pieces, from boiler suits to white-stitched jackets and pants, the clothes shone for their effortless quality. What made it even more memorable was the actual performance that was put on the runway. A few minutes in, several people sat on the front row jumped off their seats to undress themselves in front of the audience. Right after, in groups of two, the models started exchanging outfits, which for example saw a more masculine-presenting person wear a beautifully-quilted teal skirt to show off the versatility of the garments. A very simple yet neat touch to a solid collection.
Minimalist genderless brand Hibu delivered exactly what we wanted to see and more. With extremely wearable oversized workwear pieces, from boiler suits to white-stitched jackets and pants, the clothes shone for their effortless quality. What made it even more memorable was the actual performance that was put on the runway. A few minutes in, several people sat on the front row jumped off their seats to undress themselves in front of the audience. Right after, in groups of two, the models started exchanging outfits, which for example saw a more masculine-presenting person wear a beautifully-quilted teal skirt to show off the versatility of the garments. A very simple yet neat touch to a solid collection.
Kolovrat
This season spared the theatricality of other past collections to focus on more wearable fashion that reflected what their store’s customers usually love and buy from them, as said by designer Lidija Kolovrat herself. A way of showing this was by having models of all ages walk down the runway, which caused quite a positive reaction as many people stood up and cheered from their seats to show their appreciation. The show included several motifs that weren’t new to the brand, like their paint-splattered boiler suits. Their always imaginative accessories finished the looks with, for example, some Matrix-looking sunglasses and industrial black water bottles, as well as updated items like their fish shoes, now in black and white matte versions, and their passport/emoji bags.
This season spared the theatricality of other past collections to focus on more wearable fashion that reflected what their store’s customers usually love and buy from them, as said by designer Lidija Kolovrat herself. A way of showing this was by having models of all ages walk down the runway, which caused quite a positive reaction as many people stood up and cheered from their seats to show their appreciation. The show included several motifs that weren’t new to the brand, like their paint-splattered boiler suits. Their always imaginative accessories finished the looks with, for example, some Matrix-looking sunglasses and industrial black water bottles, as well as updated items like their fish shoes, now in black and white matte versions, and their passport/emoji bags.
Ricardo Andrez
We could say that Ricardo Andrez’s signature is to always look to the future when coming up with a new collection, but this time around, instead of going for that alien-invasion look, he’s going for a more realistic take. Considering the urgency in which we need to change our actions to combat climate change, Andrez decided to use deadstock fabrics in order to not contribute to the pollution generated from making new materials. This makes for tons of tie-dye, a recurring theme this season, colour explosions and discrete animal prints as well as graphic tees and sweaters that read very clear messages like ‘Call for sustainability’ in the form of an American 1-800 phone number.
We could say that Ricardo Andrez’s signature is to always look to the future when coming up with a new collection, but this time around, instead of going for that alien-invasion look, he’s going for a more realistic take. Considering the urgency in which we need to change our actions to combat climate change, Andrez decided to use deadstock fabrics in order to not contribute to the pollution generated from making new materials. This makes for tons of tie-dye, a recurring theme this season, colour explosions and discrete animal prints as well as graphic tees and sweaters that read very clear messages like ‘Call for sustainability’ in the form of an American 1-800 phone number.
