Have you ever had a blank, one of those times when you can't do nothing righ?
It happens with some frequency, sometimes there are bad days, there are occasions when it is harder to draw than others. And I do not feel like doing anything.
Which part of the creating process you like best? And the least?
I like the cut piece directly from the fabric, often i cut first before i've even drawn.
my least favorite part is the confection, the are some steps that I do and even appreciate, but overall no. And for this phase of the design, I have a team working with me.
And which is the most difficult piece to perform?
Any one, there are pieces that in terms of modeling are simple but can become complicated due to the type of fabric. The degree is the same. What is needed is to meet the characteristics of each piece to make it less unwieldy.
And the fabric?
It was the pigskin because of the difficulty in placing the embroidery, it is a material that looks like suede and it is a challenge since it is not easy to embroider.
How did this element became a design? It was a special request?
It was at the request of a bride, who was my model in several of my shows. There was this wedding dress, for a fashion show, that could be easily removed by himself, and had a whole interior, more comfortable and informal as to be worn by the bride, after church, in pigskin.
She liked the idea and told me that when she got married , that she would like two pieces made by me in this way. A more conservative dress to the formal ceremony, the other more casual had bangs and it was this type of leather. I notice your surprise, but contrary to what may seem, is very common to use this skin on items like bags and even coats.
Whem did Madeira's embroidery appeared on your creations?
It was right in my first collection of end of course. The show was on the Oporto Coliseum. Them for a period i decided not to use it, but after that I went back to used embroidery.
It was difficult to acceptance by potential customers and the general public?
Here in the Madeira has stages, there are periods when people ask me a lot, there are others where they say they are tired of it, they dont care anymore. What is a shame because Madeira embroidery has a unique characteristic. What I notice is a greater impact outside the island.
The Portugal Fashion was important in this process?
I made four editions of the PF and then there was the branded stores that sell clothes. And the feedback was positive, however, the team that organized this event has changed, the stores no longer exist and there are new people doing things, new values and of course i was replaced. However, thanks to this former PF workgroup with whom i maintain a collaboration in Portugal, I was able to attend a fashion event in Switzerland and Germany
And how was the reaction of foreign customers?
When I attended to the fashion show in Geneva and Berlin the dressses had a huge acceptance. But, i have a diverse clientele, the site helps you do that, I made dresses to Venezuela and have had orders to several countries in Europe.
How to overcome the difficulty of distance, for example?
I usually insert sizes and standard measurements on a dummy client base and always ends up being the same, then I make the submission. For the client of Venezuela, the dress was given to family members, they took the dress back with them.
The fact of living on an island some how limits your work?
No, but complicates. For example, the raw materials are more expensive due to shipping. The maintenance of equipment is another difficulty, i feel that becouse Madeira did not have a tradition of textile industry, there are problems to me regarding the replacement of parts in machines. It's all expensive and takes time to resolve.
After all these years of an already long career, has any plans to perform in the future?
Quite honestly? I'm in a introspectic phase and have no defined project.
And ever considered the internationalization of the brand?
That would mean a step higher than the leg, in my view. This is a decision that depends largely on personal initiative and I still have not given this step.
