The 40th Portugal Fashion, one of the biggest fashion events on the Iberian Peninsula
PORTUGAL FASHION CLOSES ITS PRESENCE IN THE
MAIN FASHION CAPITALS IN PORTO
▪ The fashion shows in Porto will mark the end of the presentations of the Fall-Winter
2017-18 collection, which were also seen in New York, London, Paris, Milan and Lisbon
▪ Trends for the cold season revealed by Anabela Baldaque, Carlos Gil, Diogo Miranda,
Luís Buchinho, Luís Onofre, Miguel Vieira, Katty Xiomara, Susana Bettencourt, Dielmar,
Lion of Porches, Fly London, among many others
▪ Designer Micaela Oliveira makes her début at the event
▪ Katty Xiomara opens a photography exhibition and auctions a luxury tapestry
▪ Júlio Torcato reveals his new collection with an installation at the Porto Customs House
▪ This 40th event will have 31 fashion shows, involving 15 designers, six clothing brands,
six footwear brands, ten young designers and one label
▪ Fashion shows at Cordoaria Nacional, in the Porto Customs House, the Portuguese
▪ Photography Centre (CPF), the CTT Palace and the Porto Silo Auto car park
Following the four fashion shows in Lisbon (Pedro Pedro, Alexandra Moura, Alves/Gonçalves and
TM Collection), the 40th Portugal Fashion continues in Porto, on 23 March, with the proposals
from the young Bloom designers at the CTT Palace. The next day, 24 March, the austere
atmosphere of the Portuguese Photography Centre will be the setting for Katty Xiomara's fashion
show. That day and the next, 25 March, there will be fashion shows by other famous names in
Portuguese fashion, such as Anabela Baldaque, Carlos Gil, Diogo Miranda, Luís Buchinho, Luís
Onofre, Miguel Vieira and Nuno Baltazar.
The emerging designers, some with a prior presence in Bloom, taking part in this 40th Portugal
Fashion are Estelita Mendonça, Hugo Costa, Sara Pontes and Susana Bettencourt. Also being
showcased are the ready-to-wear collections by Ana Sousa, Dielmar, Lion of Porches, Micaela
Oliveira and Pé de Chumbo. Footwear will have its usual collective show, bringing together six
prestigious brands: Ambitious, Dkode, Fly London, JJ Heitor Shoes, J. Reinaldo and Nobrand.
For the four days of the 40th Portugal Fashion (22 to 25 March), 31 fashion shows have been
scheduled, involving 15 designers, six clothing brands, six footwear brands, ten young designers
and one label. There will also be two parallel events supported by Portugal Fashion: the
presentation of the Storytailors collection, on 22 March, in the duo's studio in Lisbon, and the
installation called MOBIL(IZE) with coordinates from Júlio Torcato’s new collection.
Júlio Torcato’s installation will be on exhibit at the Porto Customs House on 24 and 25 March.
There will also be an official event presenting and celebrating the designer's new collection, at
9:30 pm on 25 March, which will be open to the press and to guests. Incidentally, Júlio Torcato
has just opened a shop in downtown Porto, together with his daughter, Inês Torcato, who is taking
part in the Bloom project fashion shows.
“Portugal Fashion is becoming a victim of its own success. As happens with other big
international fashion events, there is a need to support events parallel to the official
calendar to promote designers and labels that, for a variety of reasons, cannot take part in
the fashion show programme. This is the case this time, with Storytailors and Júlio
Torcato, whose new collections will be presented in events supported by Portugal
Fashion”, explained the President of ANJE, Adelino Costa Matos.
Another highlight will be the inauguration, at 11 am on 24 March, at the Portuguese Photography
Centre (CPF) in Porto, of the “Anatomia do Tempo – Memories Revisited – NIGHT, FASHION &
FANTASY” exhibition, organised by Katty Xiomara along with national fashion photographers. As
the name implies, it consists of photographs allusive to the world of fashion, which will be on
exhibit until 23 April in the building the designer chose as the setting for her fashion show at the
40th Portugal Fashion.
The idea for the exhibition came from a challenge laid down to eight photographers (Aloísio Brito,
Ana Luísa Silva, Carlos Teixeira, Cassiano Ferraz, Frederico Martins, Mário Príncipe, Ricardo
Santos and Victor Hugo) for each of them to recreate an old photo from the CPF, inspired by the
mystical universe evoked in Katty Xiomara's new collection, “El toro enamorado de la luna” (see
description below).
The Portuguese-Venezuelan designer will also be involved in another campaign during the 40th
Portugal Fashion, this one of a social nature. Desistart, a Portuguese luxury tapestries company,
produced a large tapestry (200x400 cm and 50 kg) from a design by Katty Xiomara. It will adorn
the catwalk for the presentation of the designer's new collection. After the fashion show, the
tapestry will be auctioned and the proceeds of the sale will go to a charitable institution.
A diverse, balanced and attractive programme
Porto is the final stage in a cycle of presentations of Fall-Winter 2017-18 collections, which visited
New York, London, Paris, Milan and Lisbon. For the recently-elected Chairman of the National
Board of ANJE, organiser of the event, “it is indeed a privilege to be able to attend the 40th
Portugal Fashion, after the quality of our designers and brands has been, once again,
broadly recognised in the main circuits of world fashion, such as New York, London, Paris
and Milan.
The national audience, both general and professional, will be able to enjoy a particularly
vibrant moment in Portuguese fashion, attending fashion shows that bring together
designer fashion, commercial lines, young designer proposals and footwear collections.
It is a diversified, balanced and attractive fashion show programme worthy of the 20-year
history of Portugal Fashion”, concluded Adelino Costa Matos, the new head of ANJE.
One of the designers included in Portugal Fashion's most recent internationalisation campaigns
and present at New York Fashion Week was Katty Xiomara, who is now bringing her “El toro
enamorado de la luna” collection to the CPF. Inspired by the “mysterious universe of the forest
and its creatures”, the collection has items with pure, clean lines, but with a rolling, natural volume.
“The fabrics are rich and textured, some light and fluid, others structured and compact”, and are
“outlined in jacquards and prints, combined with lace and embroidery”. In the colours, “cold night
blue touched by light and shadow contrasts with the warm shades of wood and leaves”.
Also on 24 March, one of the most promising Portuguese fashion designers, Estelita Mendonça,
reveals a collection where the majority of the materials used are recycled. “The blanket-capes are
made from waste cotton, generally used when moving house or in renovations, and the sleeping
bags were reprocessed [by combining various materials], in an attempt to instil an idea of constant
movement and travelling”. The silhouette “comes close to street style, in a freer, more relaxed
version”.
Another young designer who has been consolidating her work and gaining fame in the fashion
world is Susana Bettencourt, whose fashion show will take place on 24 March. Entitled “Wear’art”,
the new collection from the Azorean designer has “jacquard squares consisting of striped,
pixelized textures, contrasting with angular geometry”. Once again, Susana Bettencourt shows
off her special talent for mixing, intercepting and blending technology and handicrafts, through
the use of hand knits. In this collection, the designer “defends art in fashion, even with the new
dynamics and perception destroyed by fast fashion”.
The programme for 24 March ends with the always eagerly awaited fashion shows by Luís Onofre
and Carlos Gil. The former will be presenting his “Solid Rock” collection, where “women's shoes
recall the monumental nature of cathedrals and men's shoes are inspired by the boldness of rock”.
Metals and Swarovski stones abound, as well as chains, tacks and metal accessories from the
1970s. Carlos Gil, who took part in the most recent Milano Moda Donna, will be revealing his
“Magic Tale” collection, inspired by the world of children. The designer “reproduces prints with
pure children's motifs and acrylic appliqués mixed with geometric patterns”.
Miguel Vieira closes the fashion shows
The kick off on the last day is at midday, with Luís Buchinho's fashion show, just back from
Portugal Fashion's campaign at Paris Fashion Week. The markedly bare, urban look of the Porto
Silo Auto car park serves as the setting for his “This is the sea” collection, where the designer
created “long silhouettes in a look totally constructed in layers, suggesting overlapping skirts and
trousers portraying the fusion of male vs female”.
“Silk prints with stone and clay motifs, elastic fabrics with graphic elements taken from fishing
boats, wools with leather treatment, lace and mesh with foil and cotton and nylon gabardines take
on an important role in showing the nautical environment” of the collection. The colours are neutral
and sober, including black, clay, navy blue, anthracite, red and white.
Another designer with an international impact, although still young, is Hugo Costa, who made his
début in January on the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week Menswear, with the support of
Portugal Fashion. The designer took his inspiration from the adventures of Norwegian explorer
Roald Amundsen to design a collection with oversized silhouettes in long overcoats and
dungarees, where white, black and blues predominate.
Another young designer from Bloom, Carla Pontes, “eliminates seams, highlights comfort, selects
soft textures and touches in materials that favour cotton and wools” in her new collection. This is
a collection with “organic volumes with urban and sporty details, such as subtle metallic appliqués,
plastic graphics and details with strong colour contrasts”. There is an abundance of neutral
colours: blacks, raw shades, greys and sky blue.
Also on 25 March, note should be taken of Micaela Oliveira's début at Portugal Fashion. The
stylist dresses actresses Rita Pereira and Diana Chaves and the presenter Cristina Ferreira,
among other public figures and she has her own shops with the She label, corresponding to her
more urban line. Micaela Oliveira is presenting her “Botero” collection, inspired by the Colombian
artist of the same name. “The silhouettes give way to the curves outlined by the garment covering
the body, creating static shadows”. Of note are the coordinates and the semi-oversize fit items,
as well as anatomically market garments in neutral shades, nude and black with splashes of
colour.
The 40th Portugal Fashion ends with Miguel Vieira's fashion show. He recently took part in New
York Fashion week, with the endorsement of Portugal Fashion. In his “Reflexos refletidos”
collection, the designer proposes “for men, slim fit structured, tailor made suits, casual overcoats
and trousers with a pronounced cut; for women, slim silhouettes, contrasting volumes, maxi and
mini sizes and structured garments, some of them oversized”. All of this in dark grey, light grey,
black, navy blue, red and marshmallow white.
In this collection, Miguel Vieira opted for a multitude of materials, from wool to imitation leather,
through tailored check and pinstripe fabrics, neoprene, knits, lace, jerseys, etc. Of note in the
details are the personalised prints, the layers with casual and worked elements, pleats and
manipulated fabrics.
Portugal Fashion 2015-2017 – a project run by ANJE – National Association of Young
Entrepreneurs, developed in partnership with ATP – Textile and Apparel Association of Portugal,
and co-financed by Portugal 2020, under the scope of the Operational Programme for
Competitiveness and Internationalisation – Compete 2020, with funding from the European Union
through the European Regional Development Fund.
Fashion coordination and production by designer Paulo Cravo
BLOOM TAKES OVER THE CTT PALACE IN A FESTIVAL OF URBAN CULTURE
• There will be nine fashion shows by ten young designers and one label
• Portugal Fashion's alternative catwalk once again has its own calendar
• Débuts by Carla Alves (Amorphous label), Mariana Almeida and Nycole
• DJ sets by Alfredo, Maria and DJ KITTEN
The markedly urban and alternative CTT Palace in Porto will be the setting for the nine fashion
shows in the 14th Bloom event, a Portugal Fashion project dedicated to discovering and promoting
young fashion designers. Bloom will be returning to a place it was happy and will once again have
a full day's programme at Portugal Fashion, clearly showing the increasingly prominent role of
new designers at the event.
This time coordinated and produced by designer Paulo Cravo, for the second time in a row, Bloom
will have its very own calendar, giving the young designers' fashions shows more independence
from the main catwalk. “The autonomy of Bloom reinforces the project's capacity to
emphasise its unique characteristics in Portuguese fashion, as well as giving young
designers the opportunity to publicly display what distinguishes them, what individualises
them as designers and sets their work apart”, is the opinion of Paulo Cravo, who has taken
over from Miguel Flor as project coordinator.
At this 40th Portugal Fashion, “we are once again setting aside a day just for the Bloom
fashion shows, following the successful experiment in the previous event. The quality,
modernity and sophistication of the young designers' collections fully justify this
independence from the main catwalk. And the popularity of the event with the public at
what is now the Bloom fetish space, the CTT Palace, as well as the interest of the
specialised press and buyers in the young designers, prove that our strategy of giving it
autonomy is correct”, assured the President of ANJE, Adelino Costa Matos.
He also added that “opting for a calendar just for Bloom is positive, first of all for the young
designers, who have improved material and promotional conditions for presenting their
collections. But Portugal Fashion also wins with this option, because it means that the
event itself is being rejuvenated both creatively and generationally. We are working for the
future of the young designers in Portuguese fashion and Portugal Fashion”.
Nine fashion shows by ten designers and one label
The fashion shows at the 14th Bloom kick off right at the beginning of the afternoon, with the
catwalk divided between Olimpia Davide's creations and the proposals from Amorphous, the label
of a first-timer, Carla Alves. The second fashion show is by Nycole, also making her début at
Bloom. The fashion performances continue with Eduardo Amorim, who recently took part in White
Milano Uomo – an internationalisation campaign supported by Next Step, Portugal Fashion's
commercial project.
This will be followed by proposals from Maria Kobrock, the collective fashion show by Beatriz
Bettencourt and Mariana Almeida (making her début) and Pedro Neto's new collection. In the
evening, there will be fashion shows by David Catalán, Sara Maia and Inês Torcato, three names
that have already gained some projection in national fashion.
The irreverence of the young designers is framed by the markedly urban cultural atmosphere that
Bloom creates, by combining fashion with other contemporary aesthetic expressions, particularly
music. During the intervals between fashion shows, the CTT Palace will vibrated to the beat of
DJ sets by Alfredo, Maria and DJ KITTEN. Once again, it is expected to be a festival of urban
culture, which Nova Era radio will be devoting a special programme to.
39 young designers supported by Bloom
The Bloom project was created by Portugal Fashion in 2010, at the 27th event, in order to support,
publicise and promote young Portuguese designers nationally and internationally.
Since that event in 2010, the Bloom project has made it possible for 39 young designers and six
new designer labels to present their collections. Namely, Alexandre Marrafeiro, Ana Segurado,
Andreia Lexim, Beatriz Bettencourt, Carla Pontes, Carlos Couto, Catarina Santos, Celsus,
Cláudia Garrido, Daniela Barros, David Catalán, Diana Matias, Eduardo Amorim, Elionai
Campos, Estelita Mendonça, Gonçalo Páscoa, Hugo Costa, Inês Marques, Inês Torcato, Iúri,
Joana Ferreira, João Melo Costa, João Rôla, Mafalda Fonseca, Margarida Gentil, Maria Martins,
Maria Kobrock, Olimpia Davide, O Simone, Pedro Jorge, Pedro Neto, Pedro Pinto, Pilar Pastor,
Pritt Franco, Rita Gilman, Sara Maia, Stefano Ficetola, Susana Bettencourt, Teresa Abrunhosa
as well as the Align With Kay, Atelier Ctrl, Autopsy (by Jordann Santos), HIBU., K L A R and UN T
labels.
The names of young designers Carla Alves (Amorphous label), Mariana Almeida and Nycole,
who will be making their débuts on the Bloom catwalk at this 40th Portugal Fashion, must now be
added to that list.
Some of these young Bloom designers have participated in international fashion shows and
showrooms with the support of Portugal Fashion, or its complementary commercial project, Next
Step, and have been present at important fashion events in London, Paris, Milan, Vienna,
Copenhagen and Madrid.
Carla Pontes, Estelita Mendonça, Hugo Costa and Susana Bettencourt are examples of young
designers who, following their participation in the Bloom project, have consolidated their careers
and are now on the main Portugal Fashion calendar. They have also taken part in several
international fashion events with the endorsement of Portugal Fashion.
24 and 25 March, from 2 pm to 10 pm, at the Customs House in Porto
PORTUGAL FASHION COLLECTIONS
ON DISPLAY AT THE BRAND UP SHOWROOM
▪ Designs by Anabela Baldaque, Luís Buchinho, Micaela Oliveira and Katty Xiomara
will be at the event
The Brand Up showroom will be held during the 40th Portugal Fashion, with its inclusion in the
event format for the fifth time. It is an exhibition of collections by creators and clothes brands, open
to the general public but also directed at specialised purchasing agents. It is important to mention
that Brand Up takes place at the same time as the fashion shows at the Porto Customs House, on
24 and 25 March, between 2 pm and 11:30 pm, with free admission.
Brand Up takes on an eminently commercial role, complementing the showcasing of the catwalk
collections. Items of clothing presented in Portugal Fashion can be seen up close in the showroom.
The collections on show are by young Bloom designers Beatriz Bettencourt, David Catalán,
Eduardo Amorim, Nycole, Olimpia Davide and Pedro Neto and designers Anabela Baldaque, Carla
Pontes, Luís Buchinho, Micaela Oliveira and Katty Xiomara.
A wider audience is thus given the opportunity of becoming better acquainted with Portuguese
fashion, particularly items that are not on offer in retail outlets. On the other hand, national and
international buyers are expected to be at the showroom, by invitation from the Portugal Fashion
organisers.
In the opinion of the new President of ANJE, Adelino Costa Matos, “the commercial aspect is
inherent to the Portugal Fashion project. In its 20 years of existence, it has sought to
reconcile the creative side of fashion with its business potential. With this in mind,
organising showroom events at the same time as the fashion shows is a way of making it
possible for designers and labels to work on their collections from a purely commercial
standpoint, thus complementing the performance, artistic and glamourous side of the
catwalk. Brand Up is part of the history of Portugal Fashion and is on the Portuguese
fashion calendar, so it is with great pleasure that we have once again organised this
showroom”.
THE TENDERNESS OF 40
Portugal Fashion has reached its 40th event, a number which is normally associated with
maturity and consolidation. After the event's 20th anniversary in 2015, this is an occasion that
brings back memories and encourages a return to the past to better envision the future.
On 27, 28 and 29 July 1995, under the name “Portugal Fashion 95 – Jovens à Moda do Porto”
(young people, Porto style), an event was produced that was not limited to the usual catwalk
fashion shows. In addition to the tout court fashion show, the inaugural programme also included
a conference, a children’s fashion show, musical interludes and a tribute to international
designer Franco Moschino. This event was only possible thanks to the vision and
entrepreneurial capacity of ANJE directors such as Paulo Barros Vale, Manuel Serrão and Paulo
Nunes de Almeida.
Participants in this first event included names that are well-known today, such as José António
Tenente, Nuno Gama, Maria Gambina, Luís Buchinho, Júlio Torcato and José Carlos. And to
add glamour to these designers’ collections, international top models like Claudia Schiffer, Elle
Macpherson, Carla Bruni and Helena Christensen paraded on the catwalk of the recently
opened national headquarters of ANJE, in Porto.
The following year, Portugal Fashion sought to consolidate its philosophy. Once again, care was
taken to attract the attention of the international media, using the media exposure and charisma
of top models. But, unfortunately, the event chose the Coliseu do Porto as the stage for the
show. On the first night, 27 September 1996, a fire broke out in the Porto concert hall. The
second part of the event was then postponed until 26 October, in the Crystal Palace.
The concerns about making the proposals from the textile and clothing sector better known
became more accentuated in the 3rd event, with the introduction of a show devoted exclusively
to the industry. At the 5th Portugal Fashion, in 1999, the Ferreira Borges Market continued to be
the nerve centre, but the number of participants increased considerably because young
designers were given an opportunity to present their proposals. For the first time, there was a
footwear show, which took place in the Porto Customs House.
In 2000, and with the intention of adjusting to the calendars of the major international fashion
shows, Portugal Fashion was divided into two annual events: one dedicated to fall/winter
collections and another presenting the spring/summer proposals. There was also some
decentralisation of the event. The first event in 2000 was not held in Porto, but rather in Portimão,
in April. In the following events, shows were held in Funchal and in Figueira da Foz.
In 2004, for the first time, the event took place at the Porto CACE Cultural Centre, an ample and
aesthetically stimulating space that would allow individual shows to be focused on. The 16 th
Portugal Fashion, in 2005, marked the beginning of a new cycle. The event reinforced the
relationship between the industry and designers, focusing on labels where the design is clearly
seen as a competitive factor and on designers who look at their work from a commercial point
of view. It is also understood that the collections gain fresh impetus when they are presented
individually, because the designers are allowed to maximise the entire spectacle inherent to
fashion shows.
Unlike what had been happening since 1995, and despite the nomadic nature of some of the
shows during the history of the event, the 21st Portugal Fashion, in 2007, was not held in Porto,
but on the left bank of the River Douro. In fact, Vila Nova de Gaia hosted the following three
Portugal Fashion events, in accordance with a protocol signed by the event organisers – ANJE
and ATP – and the local authority.
The 25th Portugal Fashion in 2009 marked the event's return to Porto and the Customs House
building, which had hosted the spring/summer events in 2001 and 2002. The monumental
building, restored by Eduardo Souto de Moura, would become the event “headquarters”, playing
host to all of the events held in Porto.
The 27th Portugal Fashion, in 2010, marked the 15th anniversary of the event, with the largest
fashion show programme ever, as well as artistic interventions, contemporary art exhibitions,
concerts, DJ sets and other entertainment. This event was also marked by the start of Bloom, a
project dedicated to discovering and promoting new designers.
Portugal Fashion once again underwent a conceptual transformation at the 30th event in 2012.
The first day of fashion shows took place in Lisbon (MUDE / Lisbon Geography Society) and the
remaining three days were at the Porto Customs House, as usual. The event then began dividing
its calendar of fashion shows between the two cities.
This organisation model, with opening shows in Lisbon and the main body of the line-up in the
Porto Customs House, has remained constant. In addition, the shows started to be held in
aesthetically important buildings, so that the catwalk can interact with the surroundings. This
staging of the shows is, in fact, a distinguishing feature of Portugal Fashion and one of its
strategies for adding value to Portuguese designs, both nationally and internationally.
With this decentralisation of the fashion show programme, Portugal Fashion took on the
organisational model of other big international fashion events, such as Paris Fashion Week,
where the use of glamorous buildings (often unknown) in these cities reinforces the promotional
capacity, the aesthetic language and the authorial worldview of designers and brands.
In 2016, at the 39th event, the Bloom project was given its own calendar and an exclusive venue
for its fashion shows, thus gaining independence from the main catwalk.
Internationalisation of the event
The international aspect of Portugal Fashion is one of the main areas of operation of the project
and is undoubtedly one of the most important, bearing in mind that due to our limited domestic
market, labels and designers can only grow by expanding their activities to the international
arena and marketing their proposals there.
Portugal Fashion campaigns abroad have generally been well-received. Since 1999, shows by
the main Portuguese designers and labels (Felipe Oliveira Batista, Fátima Lopes, Luís
Buchinho, Ana Salazar, Alves/Gonçalves, Miguel Vieira, Storytailors, and many more) have
been produced at major international fashion events, such as Paris Fashion Week (ready-to-
wear and haute couture), the 7th on Sixth Fashion Week (New York), São Paulo Fashion Week,
London Fashion Week, Barcelona Fashion Week, SIMM (Madrid International Fashion Salon),
Istanbul Fashion Week, Vienna Fashion Week or the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid, for
example.
These shows are complemented by showrooms, presentations to the press, contacts with
purchasing agents, meetings with possible financial backers and raising support from public
entities promoting Portuguese investment abroad. In other words, there is an entire external
promotion programme that involves much more than the actual shows. On the contrary, it has
different components and areas of operation.
In recent years, Portugal Fashion has been working on continuity with designers and labels that,
in principle, not only present quality collections, but also have production, distribution and
marketing capacity for the international market. A specific example of this integrated and
uninterrupted operating logic is designer Luís Buchinho, who already exports around half of his
collections.
Now that Portuguese fashion has moved up to the first division in the world league, it would
make no sense to interrupt the internationalisation strategy followed so far, which would just
mean throwing away the reputation already earned. The future must include an increasing focus
on the major international fashion shows, where our designers’ creations parade side by side
with names such as Armani, Versace, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Dolce & Gabanna. It is important
to continue to show the world that Portugal is good, both in quality and design.
Young designers (Carla Pontes, Daniela Barros, Estelita Mendonça, Hugo Costa, Joana
Ferreira, João Melo Costa, and others) have also participated in international fashion shows and
showrooms with the support of Portugal Fashion and have been present at important fashion
events in London, Vienna, Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin and Madrid.
In 2015, Portugal Fashion took part in the Milano Moda Donna Fashion Week for the first time,
producing shows by Carlos Gil and Miguel Vieira in The Mall. After this trip to the capital of
Lombardy, Portugal Fashion can take pride in having participated in the four main fashion weeks
in the world: New York, London, Paris and Milan.
The Next Step project, a new promotional itinerary for the Portuguese fashion business
organised by ANJE, began in 2015. For a year, until the end of 2016, the commercial arm of
Portugal Fashion organised over 20 international promotional campaigns and two workshops,
involving 16 national designers and six national brands, with a frankly positive outcome. In this
first quarter of 2017, Next Step was back with more weight and influence in the
internationalisation of business in the Portuguese fashion sector. It was present at three different
campaigns in New York, two in Paris, one in London and another in Milan, making a total of
seven external campaigns.
In 2016 and 2017, the event became part of the annual calendar of collection presentations in
the four main fashion capitals, and both the Portuguese designs and the technical quality of the
Portugal Fashion staff were very well-received on these international circuits.