Lisbon steps out in style

Lisbon Fashion Week has kicked off with shows from a groups of new young Portuguese designers.

One of them, Olga Noronha, says she wants to merge anatomy and jewellery, transforming orthopedic items into something altogether more decorative. She says she was inspired by her father, who is an orthopedic surgeon. She said: ‘It is about altering the comfort zone of the people that walk, the mannequins that walk wearing the pieces that I presented, and the people who surround them. So, I want to mess with people’s heads and make them think and feel things they cannot verbalize literally.”

Valentim Quaresma is also a jewellery designer based in Lisbon. After 20 years of collaborating with avant-garde designer Ana Salazar, he started his own line in 2005. His futuristic and innovative style quickly brought him a lot of attention. For his new collection, he says he was inspired by Africa and the Middle East: “It was a mix of the Middle East and Medieval times that deeply inspired me. But I’ve also used some African references and you can see that in the kind of materials I’ve worked with in this collection.”

Alexandra Moura is an up-and-coming designer who is winning international recognition. She has designed clothes for some of the biggest stars on Portugal’s music scene including Sonia Tavares from electro pop band The Gift and Teresa Salgueiro, from Madredeus.