ModaLisboa this season delivered an incredible rush of creative energy, but one presentation stopped us completely in our tracks: the new SS27 collection, WILDFLOWER by Luís Carvalho, was without hesitation my absolute favourite collection of the entire week. A heartfelt thank you goes once again to our generous hosts at APICCAPS Portugal, whose ongoing invitation brought us to Lisbon to experience the craft, innovation, and vibrant spirit of the Portuguese fashion landscape firsthand.
Behind the scenes, photographer Luís Miguel Fonseca documented the quiet focus, pre-runway tension, and intricate textile craftsmanship through a series of stunning backstage frames captured for ModaLisboa powered by CANON.
With WILDFLOWER, Carvalho builds upon the conceptual foundations of his previous work, exploring how memory, nostalgia, and time reshape what we carry with us. The collection conjures an analogue childhood—an era before omnipresent screens, where days stretched out under open skies, surrounded by earth, wind, and unfiltered natural light. Rather than taking a literal approach to childhood motifs, Carvalho translates its core emotional resonance: a sense of lightness, intuitive play, curiosity, and an innate instinct to uncover beauty in simplicity.
Visually, the collection draws from fields of wild flora swaying in the breeze—soft, kinetic landscapes in constant flux. Flowers act not as mere surface prints, but as architectural patterns: petal-like volumes and layered panels that appear to blossom organically across the body. Traditional tailoring sheds its usual stiffness, embracing deconstructed lines, fluid layers, and relaxed proportions that allow elegance to unfold naturally.
The material dialogue pivots on the contrast between fragility and substance. Whisper-weight, flowing textiles meet structured foundations, evoking how time blurs certain memories while sharpening others. Grounded in a palette of ecru, beige, and neutral grey, the collection is punctuated by shades pulled straight from nature and memory: grass green, warm salmon, and sky blue.
Since launching his eponymous label in 2013, the award-winning designer—and two-time Golden Globe winner—has remained one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Portuguese design. With WILDFLOWER, Luís Carvalho once again proves his mastery in fusing raw emotional depth with effortless sophistication.
Backstage Photography: Luís Miguel Fonseca @luismigueldcf
for ModaLisboa powered by CANON
Designer: Luís Carvalho @luiscarvalhoofficial
ModaLisboa @lisboafashionweek
Footwear: Seaside Hair: Helena Vaz Pereira – griffehairstyle Make-Up: Antónia Rosa Atelier Soundtrack: Ed Rocha Gonçalves Thanks to: André Morna, Li, Manuela Oliveira, Soraia, Tânia Dioespirro
Special Thanks: APICCAPS Portugal @portuguese_shoes
