Lisboa Fashion Week: A Celebration of Fashion & Heritage

If there’s one event that truly embodies Portugal’s fashion scene, it’s Lisboa Fashion Week. But before we dive into the glamorous world of fashion, let’s take a quick look at Portugal’s history of garment manufacturing. The country has been producing clothing for centuries. In fact, Portugal was once a major exporter of textiles to countries all over the world, and while the country’s textile industry has gone through its fair share of ups and downs, it’s still alive and kicking today.

In recent years, Portugal has become a hub for luxury fashion production with a large number of luxury fashion’s biggest players from Chanel to Prada, turning to factories in Portugal for production of their products. And it’s not just the big luxury houses that are taking notice of Portugal’s manufacturing prowess, thanks to the country’s reputation for high-quality craftsmanship, many up-and-coming designers are also choosing to produce their collections in Portugal.

One designer who’s making waves in the Portuguese fashion scene is Louis Carvalho. Known for his minimalist, modern aesthetic, Carvalho has become one of the biggest names in the Portuguese fashion world, one who’s designs have been featured in publications like Vogue Portugal, further cementing him as a regular at Lisboa Fashion Week. Carvalho is part of a growing group of designers who are heading up Lisbon’s creative scene, with contemporaries like Luis Buchinho being another designer who is making a name for himself in Portugal. With a focus on clean lines and understated elegance, Buchinho’s designs are perfect for the modern, sophisticated woman. And like Carvalho, Buchinho has become a regular fixture at Lisboa Fashion Week.

But it’s not just established designers who are making waves at Lisboa Fashion Week, there are also plenty of up-and-coming designers and brands like Molly98, PER_SON_A by Alessandro Bonini, Arndses and  Behen Studio who are using the event as a platform to showcase their collections. Founded by Portuguese designer Joana Duarte, Behen Studio is all about sustainability and ethical fashion. Focusing on this theme, their collections are made from up-cycled antique Portuguese textiles, as Duarte works with artisans, small ateliers and seamstresses in Lisbon to create garments that are designed to be timeless, rather than trendy.

One interesting aspect of the fashion industry in Portugal is the focus on sustainability. As consumers become more aware of the environmental impact of fast fashion, many designers are turning to more sustainable materials and production methods, and Lisboa Fashion Week is no exception. Many of the brands featured at the event are committed to sustainability, using eco-friendly fabrics whilst reducing waste. Many of the garments produced in Portugal are made using traditional techniques and materials, which often involves repurposing and transforming old textiles, a Portuguese technique that has been passed down from generation to generation and prevents clothes from ending up in landfills.

Designed to celebrate Portugal’s fashion industry and its talented designers at Lisboa Fashion Week, there’s mix of history, culture, and cutting-edge fashion; it’s a celebration of all things Portuguese. From the country’s rich history of garment manufacturing to the up-and-coming designers who are making waves in the fashion world, there’s no doubt that Portugal is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to fashion.