Introducing the Next Generation of Portuguese Fashion Talent

Launched in 2007, SAYMYNAME is the brainchild of Portuguese designer Catarina Sequeira. Her feminine, sporty cuts and playful use of colour have ensured that the the label has earned an international following, and the label is sold in stores across Europe and Asia. In 2015, Sequeira was awarded the Mediterranean fashion prize award. Working with, and often combining, materials as diverse as silk and viscose, designs artfully juxtapose textures.

Not your average designer per se, AWAYTOMARS is a crowdsourcing platform for creative ideas in the fashion industry to be realised IRL. Based between Lisbon and London, today the platform has more than 5,000 users from 87 countries and is growing fast. In taking care of the production and distribution elements of launching a brand – something fashion designers frequently struggle with – ATM has liberated the creative process, and enabled the next generation of fashion talent to get their ideas out there.

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Menswear designer Catarina Oliveira references streetwear, while ensuring a recognisable aesthetic. Having launched her line at Sangue Novo of ModaLisboa (the new designers section of the fashion week) in October 2013, Oliveira has consequently evolved her designs to offer romantic, wearable pieces.

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Having trained at London’s University of Westminster, Portuguese designer David Ferreira is a maverick talent who frequently walks collections that would make Rei Kawakubo proud. Ferreira’s approach mixes haute couture with a very modern type of woman; having already received support from Fashion Scout, one can only expect the hype around this young talent to grow.

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After graduating from London College of Fashion, Ana Durate launched her brand in 2015. With a focus on mixing and creating different textures through leather, knitwear and technological fabrics, DUARTE is a luxury brand with an affluent customer in mind. However that’s not to say that the clothes don’t feel relevant, the brand’s strong emphasis on a sportswear aesthetic ensures an inclusive ethos.

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A graduate of London College of Fashion, Lisbon born Nair Xavier is another designer to have risen through ModaLisboa’s Sangue Novo platform. Now a regular at the fashion week, Xavier’s collections marry classic tailoring with bright colours and patterns. Currently one of the top 10 finalists for the International Woolmark Prize | Not Just A Label, in the category of Best Designer ROE (Rest of Europe), Nair Xavier is definitely a name to know.

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A native of Porto, Olga Noronha’s sculptural designs are precise and imaginative. A graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, and more recently from Goldsmith’s, Noronha plays with shape and silhouette to offer a modern investigation into how clothes work with the human body. With her focus now fully on avant-garde jewellery, expectations for the forthcoming collections couldn’t be higher.

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