Fashion

30 anos de Fátima Lopes

O Pavilhão de Exposições do Instituto Superior de Agronomia foi o local escolhido por Fátima Lopes para o desfile comemorativo dos seus 30 anos de carreira. Depois de anos a desfilar em Paris por sua conta, e mais tarde com o apoio do Portugal Fashion, colaboração que levaria esta designer de moda a trocar as passerelles de Lisboa pelas do Porto, Fátima Lopes regressou à capital onde tem apostado nos últimos anos por desfiles individuais em locais distintos e com casa cheia. E no dia 24 de Setembro, repetiu o feito. Num espaço repleto de convidados de várias áreas mostrou as suas propostas, em jeito de celebração, num desfile onde não faltaram as propostas para mulheres ousadas, sem dúvida um marco na sua carreira onde a mulher, e a designer de moda by the way, se querem sensuais e ousadas.

Mas desengane-se quem estava à espera de um desfile de senusualidade/espectáculo. Fátima Lopes pareceu mais interessada em mostrar o que sabe fazer com diferentes materiais. Foram cerca de 80 as propostas apresentadas, com particular destaque para as botas altas de cabedal com correias acima do joelho e os vestidos de noite onde o negro predominou. Vermelho, branco e preto foram as cores principais nas propostas para ambos os sexos. Fátima Lopes sempre desenhou para homem, mas as propostas masculinas surgiram aqui em grande número, numa coleção marcada por camisolas trabalhadas e ainda pela ganga com pequenos apontamentos para ele e para ela e onde não faltou também o vermelho e o branco.

Nesta celebração de 30 anos de carreira Fátima Lopes surgiu assim mais sóbria e, a avaliar pelas reações e comentários, soube agradar a gregos e troianos, provando que não serve só um determinado perfil de consumidor. E desta forma quiçá mais discreta, com propostas mais amplas mostrou que está aí para muitas curvas, trilhando o seu próprio caminho “sem copiar ninguém” como gosta de salientar.

Carlos Tomé Sousa

Felipe Oliveira Baptista opens a new page at Kenzo.

Photo by Karim Sadli

The Portuguese-born and Paris-based designer and former creative director of Lacoste is as of today at the helm of Kenzo.

“This is the end of a page, not the end of the book”. These words date back to February 2014 when Felipe Oliveira Baptista decided to put his eponymous brand on hold in order to focus on other projects and after 10 years presenting his designs and assisted by the fashion platform Portugal Fashion. And what a book, may we add.  Shortly after there he was working for Lacoste as creative designer, a position he retained until the spring of 2018. As of today Felipe is at the creative Helm of the Japanese brand Kenzo part also of the LVMH empire whose speakers stated that one of the reasons behind this invitation lie in his relationship with different cultures. But considering the good results achieved at Lacoste during his tenure and the underperformance of Kenzo at LVMH when compared to other giants in this group, money may have played also a decisive role. Felipe origins were there in some of his designs when he appropriated some elements of his place of birth, the Azores, but looking at his body of work it breathes rather some restraint and contained elegance which is also synonym for Kenzo for many who prefer precisely that containment than the overt flowery patterns or the unbearable tiger.  Looking back at his work with his eponymous brand and the brands that inspired him of for which he worked for Felipe may thus become the right man to revive Kenzo.  

Carlos Tomé Sousa

Karl Lagerfeld e Eça de Queirós


Em 2010, Karl Lagerfeld foi convidado para editor por um dia da revista francesa Madame Figaro, lançada em plena Semana da Moda de Paris em Setembro. Nada de estranhar, tendo em conta o peso de Karl no mundo da moda. Por entre escolhas e grafismos mais ou menos óbvios o mais curioso nessa edição surgia umas páginas mais à frente. Anos antes de Portugal se tornar no paraíso de reformados, estilistas e futebolistas franceses já Karl Lagerfeld andava de olho em Portugal, mais precisamente na obra de Eça de Queiróz, um dos seus escritores favoritos. “Li o seu livro mais famoso, “Os Maias”, uma saga familiar proustiana sobre a vida em Portugal e na cidade de Lisboa no final do Séc XIX. “E descobri depois, por acaso, outros livros dele que estou agora a ler, mais precisamente “O Primo Basílio” e “202 Champs Elysées” que decorre em Paris, onde morreu, e “O Crime do Padre Amaro”. É genial. A reeditar”, afirmava nessa revista.
E ao que parece, este criador consagrado, dono de uma enorme biblioteca e que gostava também de editar, estaria mesmo interessado em editar toda a obra de Eça de Queiroz em França. As referências a Portugal nessa revista estendem-se ainda à música. Na secção Espectáculos Lagerfeld recomenda “la trés grande pianiste portugaise en son domaine privé (le dernier Concerto pour piano de Mozart)…. cela ne se refuse pas”. Karl Lagerfeld morreu no dia 19 de Fevereiro e não consta que alguma vez tivesse considerado a possibilidade de viver em Portugal, mas fica a curiosidade.
Carlos Tomé Sousa

The return of Levi’s cult brand SilverTab

SilverTab, one of the most cherished subrands launched by Levi’s in 1988 is making a comeback this year.

Levi’s is here with an extensive collection with a strong street style inspiration. Everything goes as long as you feel comfortable. The new autumn collection mixes high fashion and streetwear and the 1980’s with the 2000’s just to mention a few of the leitmotifs of the new Levi’s® Red Tab collection.

But the brand has something new coming and when we refer to streetwear the word counterculture comes with it. The big news this year is the return of SilverTab™ which the brand claims will be bigger than ever. Introduced in 1988 Silver Tab collection was a sub-brand that was there to attract the Hip Hop, raver and grunge generation. Until recently they were unfortunately only available in the USA and in selected vintage stores. At a time when phones are becoming increasingly bigger and hence the need for bigger pockets, skaters grow in numbers and rave has made a comeback these super loose jeans are here for the killing and appeal to a whole new generation and to an older generation who still cherish these baggy models. Along with baggy models SilverTabs features also some regular less baggy models and assorted apparel from jacket to shirts. Welcome back Silvertab.

Carlos Tomé Sousa

 

 

 

Style Out Lisbon

 

Musicians and designer clothes take to the stage in a renovated Lisbon venue for a night of celebration and for the occasion of Lisbon Fashion Week’s 50th edition.

The location were once was what many called the Lisbon Broadway hosts tonight a special evening combining music and fashion. Capitólio, a renovated theatre, will be the stage where artists like Ana Matronic, D’Alva, Surma and Emmanuelle will play and sashay wearing designs by some of the most offbeat Portuguese designers at Moda Lisboa, as Lisbon Fashion Week is better known. “We are thrilled to announce Ana Matronic – best known as the lone female member of pop phenomenon Scissor Sisters who will be debuting her new music exclusively in Lisbon, ahead of her album release this year”, reads the press release referring to the woman who will headlining the gig. Valentim Quaresma is the designer whose garments and ornaments Ana Matronic will be wearing on stage.Music plays an important role in the career of this accessories designer and was always there since the beginning, particularly in his joint work with Ana Salazar, the pioneer of Portuguese fashion design, for whom he designed accessories for more than 20 years and where music was an important element that added up to the avant-garde style of both. We are curious to see whether he will go for metal accessories, the material he is best at it, or whether he will go for other materials he has been experimenting with in recent times. 

Kiddy Smile, a French DJ and fashion provocateur as he is often referred to, and his vogue dancers will be wearing Patrick de Padua, a designer who knows Lisbon nightlife well, who deejays now and then in Lisbon clubs, and whose garments embody that clubbing spirit. D’Alva will be wearing Luis de Carvalho, a designer who likes to dig in the music scene archives to get inspiration for some of his clothes and where pop and elegance go hand in hand. Surma chose Carla Campos to come up with the garments for her dream pop performance. Brazil-born Emamnuelle and Soulwax protege will be wearing Ricardo Andrez, a designer with that pop and indie attitude who is good at designing smart garments but with than penchant for disruptive looks and styling. Kokeshi, part of DJ duo   Heartbreakerz, will be wearing Duarte. Style Out Loud is brought by Street Style Creative, based in Berlin and with a small office in Lisbon. Its mission is there “to connect the dots between fans, customers, influencers, performers, designers, brands, products and technologies via engaging events, content and digital everything”.

Moda Lisboa 50

This event marks the kick off of Moda Lisboa an event celebrating its 50th edition. Ideated by Eduarda Abbondanza and Mário Matos Ribeiro in the early 90’s, Moda Lisboa showcases twice a year what’s best in Portuguese designer fashion. Links to music and the Lisbon scene have been there since the beginning from the early days when offbeat clubbers, designers, visual artists, musicians and the lot walked hand in hand exploring new means of expression 20 years after the end of fascism in a country and where a new generation was eager to come up with its own vision of the world and of fashion for the sake of it.

Carlos Tomé Sousa