I'll talk about the evolution of fashion in our country since the late nineteenth century to the present day. A revolution from good to excellent.
I remember the first time I read references about Portuguese women and fashion. It was a very interesting article published in the magazine Saturday, was written by a correspondent for National Geographic who visited our country, what matters here for the story was that, for the chronicler, and his was in the early twentieth century, the Portuguese women dressed well, were very beautifull except they had strange habit, mania yes, they walked barefoot. At the time, poverty was a kinky. Maybe today is like that! Being poor is a strange habit, what do you think? After this ironic comment, in the last century, in the late 60’s you must remember the Grace Kelly suits, tufted hair, with skirts well below the knees according to morals behaviour and social customs, by now, women walked with shoes on, I know I just could not resist! Well, these shoes were pointy
and no one talked about designers, everything was done in the most fashionable dressmaker, with the fashion magazine under the arm to copy such Monegasque princess outfits.With the revolution of April, the one, of the carnations, came the hippy period in force, with the mini skirts that left the mother's height on the brink of a nervous breakdown, long hair, the famous mouth-pants will the-bell and a symphony of colors and patterns that cut off from the ideal of beauty almost chaste and classical arrangements of the new state period.
The eighties were the times of excessive brightness and shoulder pads, the pop up of alternative clothing stores, which were brought from the major European capitals by the hands of Ana Salazar and Fatima Lopes. Over time, both will be current references for portuguese fashion design, they began designing and manufacturing their own models that sold together with the closes they brought from abroad.
With the ninety’ s comes the recognition of national designers, besides the two names that I mentioned, appeared names on the market as Abbondanza and Matos Ribeiro, Jose Carlos, Antonio Tenente, Luis Buchinho with Jotex, Anabela Baldaque and the Maneis. In 1991, at the invitation of the cabinet of culture of Lisbon City Council, takes place the first edition of ModaLisboa, an event that includes a rubric designated of new blood, that introduces over the years names like Maria Gambina, Paulo Cravo and Nuno Baltazar, Katy Xiomara among others.
With the end of the century approaching we perceive there’s an evolution trend in the Portuguese way of dressing, fruit of the work of fashion designers, the terminology also evolves thru time, and also the various institutions that have always associated their name with the best national textile production with a great tradition in our country. Today the Portuguese woman is aware of fashion trends and follow them and now they only walk barefoot becouse it pleases her! Okay, I could not resist once again!