Lisbon Fashion Week | Moda Lisboa #42 Vision
Three intense days, a Vision of Fashion! I haven’t missed a thing during Lisbon Fashion Week, from the debut of young designers to the announced come backs. Between first and second row, paying attention to details, tailoring, trends and inevitably …Shoes! Shoes! Shoes! That’s why we are called WTF Shoes, because we really trend for shoes!
Portugal is high; the second place after Italy in the industry, fighting back the European crisis. Portuguese designers are the new age sailors, navigators, embracing cultural genes from the old days. The sea is wide, the waves are strong and responsible for undeniable damages, but the sailors are strong, and the destination is called future, even if the way is not a straight line, but sometimes a painful track of ups and downs.
Sangue Novo is the new crew of Portuguese fashion cadets, who aspire to be the sailors. Not always aware of the dangers of the sea, not always sure of the route, sometimes lost, sometimes determinate! I have missed Co x Labs between young footwear designers and fashion designers. The early beginning is important! Creativity is important! But businesses need sales and sales need vision, like the theme of the 42nd Lisbon Fashion Week. More collaborations with industry, fabrics manufacturers, footwear industry re urgently needed. Do not kill creativity, the challenge is to take creativity to another level, and increase commercial value, either luxury market or urban concepts lower targets. The world public is huge, you just need to spot your audience, doing good! Just do it the Portuguese way!
The two high moments happened during Nuno Gama and Filipe Faísca shows. I selected both designers for different reasons, with positive and negative aspects. Nuno Gama gave life to an open hair performance with horses, a riding band from the National Guard, a live band playing Portuguese famous marches and perfect tailoring and Portuguese symbols, from eternal figures like Amalia Rodrigues. Inside, the colors of Portuguese national flag, shown at the end of the show, when the models were using the garments turned inside out. Some woman dresses, black, like a parade of black widows or Severas, a traditional figure of fado. So exciting!
Late to come was Filipe Faísca show, dynamic, vibrant, revival, bringing to the catwalk not only 80’s and 90’s top models like Sofia Aparicio
but also powerful young women from the new generation. Runway was on fire! The collection was superb, fresh, passionate…what a great come back from Filipe. But, I must say I was somehow disappointed with him …because the shoes were an unhappy choice! Models felt four times! The responsible were the non Portuguese shoes!!! In a country that is recognized for making luxury, quality, handmade, desirable shoes, the sexiest industry in Europe, he chose not to use the national production and he was wrong! Sorry Filipe, I hope you can change your mindset next time!
From the other shows I highlight Luis Carvalho evolution and the great collaboration with the footwear designer Joana Marques, the talent behind Joana D’a Graça Shoes; Pedro Pedro and Alexandra Moura consistent works, both maintaining collaborations with Basilius Shoes and Goldmud, and truthfully winners. Both Miguel Vieira and Nuno Baltazar, who always fill my eyes, didn’t surprise me so much as I expected. They have played for safe, using the winner cards. Nuno Baltazar repeated the same jumpsuits from last collections…despite of some good coordinates…the shoes were disappointing and I believe he can improve next time. I always expect quality and refined taste from him. Miguel presented a conservator collection, after 25 years designing clothes and shoes. I haven’t felt passion for any special garment and the shoes were very usual and already seen, and for sure the next is going to be awesome.
In the end, the vision was shown to the world and I will let you know more details separately in the next days. With ups and downs, curves, the Portuguese odyssey is still starting, and much more it yet to come, every day, every week, every time. I see you soon!
Patrícia Valério
WTF Shoes Editor-in-chief
