In the circle, that is a collection full of symbols, what's behind it?
AO: It's a collection facing the moods that a person may have throughout their experiences. Both a positive reality, when we are good. Also addresses the other side, the less good aspects of life, the most negative and depressing. At the time I researched a lot about depression and people who were in very complicated situations. Reach the point of not knowing what to do. I found this whole a beautiful world. People seem to see everything very clean and everything becomes clearer. The routines are not as important, the question is how it goes and how your life can be happy or not. Then it looked at the neurological level, which makes our mind, where the person is located, which is part of the brain where depressions appear. The spirit in the ancient Egypt where it all comes from and began to form symbols, each had a spiritual meaning through situations and thus forming the collection, but always with a practical aspect and sportswear, with that stamp.
The fly dolphins was inspired by the music or not, the concept first appeared and then the song?
TO: The idea did not come with the music. Upon finishing the course and win the contest, I wanted to do other things that came from that period of my life. Better and more experienced I studied the issue of moulage, with tubes and slides. The collection began to be dark, not in terms of colors, but the aura. That song seemed to fit perfectly. From the moment I draw although the song did not inspire me, helped me to emphasize the aura that I had designed for that collection, and accompanied me always as the process was developing, I thought it made sense to put it as the title of the collection, because it became too narrow.
The cardigans are very intricate, which was the technique you used to create the effect?
TO: The technique itself, cannot say for sure. It was all done on the machine. These are people who knit for many years, almost from childhood with mothers, we did experiments and easily reached that result. A knitting machine seems almost an organ, with all those needles. We'd experiencing, let's take that needle there, that there, there, until you get the effect that I had drawn. They are whole pieces.
How many hours on average were required for a coat?
AO: I'm not sure, but it takes a long time. The devise, shape and sew, about four days. The ladies who knit did everything. Usually I help sewing the closes, however, these coats were all made on the machine.
The turtleneck sweaters also have embroidered symbols, there is also an underlying idea in them?
AO: It was a technique that I have not had time to evolve, develop and test more. I enjoyed this collection so I use it in Portugal Fashion. I have been developing and studying until I got different results. Symbolically has no meaning, I admit that these parts do not. Aesthetically yes, were images I saw and loved as I was making the parts, even when they were not complete, I liked the textured look in three dimensions, since it is all high and was thinking how much fun it was to assemble it . I had a basic bodice and it was being applied parts that were few and took a long time to do, because these were all made by hand.
How did you do that kind of ribbing on the sleeves, shoulders? There are applications in skirts and it is noted that a collection was very well thought out and designed, where you lost many hours.
AO: Yes, many hours were lost on the jerseys. I love to do everything by hand, but is not always possible, because it entails different costs. It's complicated. Everyone cuts to reduce costs in order to present collections. We talk about crisis and it is noticed, because we need to simplify to afford otherwise could not do it.
You did everything by hand?
AO: I was very funny because we had to make a mold of bodice and all those basic lines inside they have weigh strings. Therefore, a number of those are heavy and when it to wash it you have to dry it for two weeks, because it has much cotton on the inside. Each line is a cord, coat it with the very fabric of the bodice and I had a kind of bar, I'd put down as I was stitching, as it was all very organic, you could not use the machine. Had to be sewn to the piece, one by one to give the effect I wanted. It took a long time to do one week each. It is very beautiful, because I really liked doing that, to develop the concept.
The shoes are also your design?
TO: The shoes have a convoluted story. Pedro Pedro, we gave it to me and I changed them. I painted and cut. I also really like to pick up parts and change them, was the case of these shoes, and it worked well. It was all very amusing. The collection was very well thought out and had much time to think it helped.
What is the balance that you do to participate in an event like the Portugal Fashion? It was good for you?
AO: Yes, it is always positive. I regard it as something not transcendent. I think it's necessary to compete and if I win is because I worked hard to achieve. Now, everything is evolving, I'm in Portugal Fashion, because as a young creative , we have to present very few coordinated, which is what I can currently give. Then I feel the need to do other things and leave, although they always have been very supportive, I think they will understand. If you decide to stay, is equal, and evolution is important, but not the most important. Nor is the culmination of career. It just has to happen.
So what is the future, your brand?
AO: I really do not know. I have other interests that not only fashion, but I take it very seriously. When you start to get into a routine that is to prepare to sell the next collection and sacrifice some things you like to be more commercial, I'm not sure yet if that's what I want to do. As I have only 22 years old, I still have some time to think and so I'm not too worried. I learn many things, something that I would like to do is jewelry, take a college course and learn other things in order to mix. Otherwise we reached a point that we are doing the same thing. I wanted everything to evolve for the better, growing, no matter what the platform is.
