A review by Curated by GIRLS in partnership with KALTBLUT at @lisboafashionweek. This year, Fashion week was a big question mark, due to the sanitary Covid crisis that continues to impact the world. A number of shows around the globe have been cancelled or postponed, some only took place virtually… So it was really exhilarating to know that Lisboa Fashion Week SS21 was maintained, IRL. Team KALTBLUT & Curated by GIRLS was reunited to discover what the new edition of ModaLisboa “MAIS” (‘more’ in English) was about! As always we were positively surprised! www.instagram.com/curatedbygirls
ModaLisboa is the largest national support for Portuguese designers, and especially young designers, giving them each time a wonderful opportunity to showcase their work. It is maybe less pretentious or conventional than other fashion weeks, but It has this special flavor! Firstly because Lisbon is a particular place, with its own flow and very relaxed pace. We can feel that ModaLisboa is a mix of cultural tradition and renewal, infused with Portugal’s creative scene and interesting heritage as beautiful as deep; coming from a glorious past, through dictatorship to modernism, the country learned from their own and others mistakes. Successful in translating this strong culture of past and present, ModaLisboa is above all on a mission to promote principles of sustainable development in all stages of fashion week, to create awareness to both environmental and social issues, and showcase the best ethical practices in the fashion industry. For sure ModaLisboa team had to adapt to the new “normal”, but safely managed to maintain physical as well as digital runway shows & presentations, with this year a selection of 33 local designers that were not afraid to use the traditional codes and somehow destructure them, with respect. Let’s bring you back to the MAIS edition of Lisboa Fashion Week.
ModaLisboa took place at the Parque Eduardo VII, near Marques Pombal, each day in a different area of the park, for a total of 6 different mind-blowing locations. The weather was – very – hot, and Yes it was a little uncomfortable to wear a mask with the heat but some of the outdoor presentations gave us a slight sensation of attending a summer festival. What a feeling!
Day 1 quietly started at the Linha d’agua, on the verge of a small pond, and later in the Jardim Amalia Rodrigues, with an astonish view on the Tajo. Obviously the atmosphere was not the usual, but the team managed to give us a warm welcome. Our highlight on that first day was João Magalhães, whose show was a journey of memory through flowers in pastel tones, accompanied by a live performance by Mirai.
João Magalhães João Magalhães
Day 2 took place in the amazing tropical greenhouse of Estufa fria. By far our favorite location, with its astonishing, fresh and wild atmosphere… And a quite exciting program that day!
AWAYTOMARS did a very entertaining presentation for their collection “FUTURE POSITIVISM” uniting their community of creators for a live painting & conception of pieces, based on the idea of a bright, fairer, more ethical, and more egalitarian future.
Awaytomars Awaytomars Awaytomars
Once again we fell in love with the unique work of Joanna Duarte, the designer behind “BÉHEN” (‘sister’ in Hindi) and her new collection; an ode to childhood and the growing pains called love. Social responsibility is at the core of the brand: manipulating and bringing back life to vintage fabrics, antique bed covers, table cloths, old bedspreads and any fabrics that Joanna can find in her grandmother’s closet. The process of production is slow, valuing the importance of time, and everything is made in very small workshops by women’s communities all over the world.
Béhen Béhen
We also loved Constanca Entrudo’s maze-like presentation, inspired by the warm Madeira island, exploring the relationship between space, sound and materiality. All knits were made out of eco-friendly fibers produced from recycled materials, including plastic bottles collected from the sea giving a second life to materials that are not biodegradable.
Constança Entrudo Constanca Entrudo Constanca Entrudo Constanca Entrudo
Saturday and Sunday were about Labs and workstations, in the Resort, a little village with a Festival vibe, and some great shows & presentations by Saskia Lenaerts, Carolina Machado, HIBU and of course the “Sangue Novo” contest that gives an opportunity to young designers to stand out.
Our coup de coeur of this SS21 edition was KOLOVRAT whose collection aimed to capture the moment of transition we are currently living, familiar forms, with a new atmosphere and a new vision.
KOLOVRAT KOLOVRAT
And Nuno Gama surprised everyone with his “one jacket” performance, expressing how we have to rethink our way to behave and consume, change our society to make it more balanced and fair. Can’t agree more!
Obviously « ModaLisboa Mais » suffered like all events from the Covid Crisis but the production managed to still make it a vibrant and warm event, meeting inspiring people and creators. Some designers stroke us with their freedom and creativity, and showed how Portugal fashion has a great future ahead !
Thank you to the fantastic team of ModaLisboa for having us!
Lily Tjon (hashtagbylily), Lottie Pang, & Laetitia Duveau
