ModaLisboa: three emerging Portuguese brands to be on the lookout for

Filipe Cerejo, Duarte, and Buzina are the three emerging brands that stole the show during ModaLisboa’s latest edition, which took place between March 10 and 13 at the Hub Criativo do Beato, an industrial site on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital that showcased the avant-garde collections of its local designers. Its return to a physical format and at full capacity strongly marked the effervescence of the designers’ return to the catwalks. FashionNetwork.com selected three innovative labels from the booming Portuguese fashion scene to be on the lookout for.

The London-based Portuguese designer views fashion as a progression between the past and the future, experimenting with shapes and volumes in unpredictable ways. The Middlesex University graduate in fashion design received the Ede and Ravencroft Award for Excellence in 2019. This recognition earned him a spot as a finalist in Sangue Novo, ModaLisboa’s competition for young designers. Throughout his career, he has seen his work featured in publications such as Rain magazine, Vogue Italy and Fucking Young.

Cerejo won the ModaLisboa x Polimoda award this year thanks to his collection presented on Friday, March 11 for Lisboa Fashion Week, which featured unstructured industrial-styled garments. Besides being endowed 3500 euros, the prize awarded him a masters degree scholarship at the Italian university, as well as the opportunity to present a collection on the Portuguese event’s Workstation platform.

Founded in 2015 by designer Ana Duarte with the objective of redefining sustainable streetwear, the brand took its first steps by presenting its first collection at Sangue Novo. A year later, she received the competition's "Honorable Mention Award" for her second submission and has paraded at ModaLisboa ever since. The Lisbon-born designer, who graduated from FA-Lisboa and has a masters degree in menswear design and technology from London College of Fashion, is also a professional illustrator with five published books.

The Portuguese award is not the only accolade Duarte has received. In addition to being selected to participate in different exhibitions and events such as Riga Fashion Week, she was the winner of the C.L.A.S.S. Icon 2021 Award, which rewards creative designers that raise consumer awareness of the new values of sustainable fashion.

Her latest work picked up from where her previous collection, entitled "World Keeper", left off in which a dog named Tadao fought against environmental issues created by humans. Her mainly unisex streetwear line consists of athleisure wear pieces with colorful prints produced with sustainable and technical materials.

The brand, founded by Vera Fernandes in 2016, targets women of all ages, body types, and personal styles who appreciate authenticity. Sustainability is at the heart of its DNA, which is why the fabrics are made from recycled raw materials from factories it is associated with, such as the Portuguese textile manufacturing company Riopele S.A.

Exclusivity is another core element of the brand. Its collections are composed of only 20 one-size fits all pieces, each produced between 10 to 70 times. The garments are crafted from beginning to end by the same seamstress, making them even more special and personalized.

With a color palette ranging from white to more colorful shades such as orange, fuchsia, purple or gold, her collection presented on Saturday, March 12, is inspired by influential women who play by their own rules, such as pop culture icon, Princess Diana. Featuring exaggerated volumes and oversized proportions, the line offers voluptuous dresses as well as pants or jumpsuits mostly adorned with large bows.

ModaLisboa: three emerging Portuguese brands to be on the lookout for

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