Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Lisbon’s style gurus

Stefan Hottinger-Behmer looks behind the traditional face of the Portuguese capital and finds a city at the cutting edge of fashion

Photos by Kai Juenemann

Dial 1 for Portugal

As Lisbon levels up to other prominent European capitals, it is unveiling a new and modern face without losing the essence of its serene and melancholic soul. The historic city on the banks of the river Tagus has undergone a series of notable facelifts during the past decade. It all began with the restoration of the remarkable façades of the old town; this was followed by the building of ultra-modern facilities for the Expo 1998 and the opening of design-infused shops, restaurants, clubs and hotels in more recent years.

Old Lisbon stretches from its lilting hills, crowded with aged rooftops, towards the water, as it always has. Standing in sharp contrast to the typical Portuguese architecture present all over the city, some contemporary landmarks set the tone for a new period, such as the colossal Vasco da Gama Bridge, one of the longest in Europe, or Santiago Calatrava’s futuristic Oriente train station.

As the sun sets over this charming town, the hectic activity of the port gives way to a bustling nightlife scene inside the many warehouses that are rapidly being converted into clubs, bars and restaurants, featuring up-to-the-minute interiors and contemporary design. Bold in line and colour, these new spaces have become arenas for the various urban tribes of Lisbon. In Portuguese, the quayside is called the docas, and going to the docas most certainly means following the flow of style. This is where the most fashionable aspects of the city’s metamorphosis are taking place.

Housed in the newly restored Museu da Eletricidade, ModaLisboa (modalisboa.pt) – Lisbon’s fashion week – celebrates a steady string of successful seasons. ModaLisboa is the most talked-about Portuguese event on a global level, attracting some 40,000 visitors each season. The event is the ‘boutique’ week of the European fashion circuit and offers a smaller, more intimate but unequalled experience. Various facets of creative expression are integrated into one single concept, generating an active creative platform on which various up-and-coming as well as established artists and designers come together.

The main protagonists, of course, are Portugal’s fashion designers. Some enjoy cult status on the local scene, while others have been declared rising international stars. Both camps share a unique pace in the development of their collections, a timing that seems to be somewhat distanced from other events of a similar calibre. Sometimes it is hard to understand where these designers are coming from, and audiences are forced to immerse themselves in the local scene before comparing their fashions with the main collections in Paris or Milan.

The creative output of Lisbon’s fashion designers has a unique and emblematic urban feel. Hip youngsters dance away through the city’s balmy summer nights in popular clubs such as Lux, or meet for drinks in busy bars on the famous Bairro Alto, where crowds spill out onto the streets until the early hours of the morning. Various boutiques in the eclectic Chiado district or the cobblestone streets of Bairro Alto sell cutting-edge fashion to a new breed of urbanites that are hungry for style and for a distinctive Portuguese identity.

There is a palpable desire for more adventurous design in the air, as this new generation of style-savvy Europeans craves all things contemporary. And as ModaLisboa continues its successful journey for seasons to come, it will take the arts, interior design and local architecture along with it, placing Lisbon and Portuguese fashion firmly on the international circuit.

Hot to shop

Shopping
Eldorado (23–25 Rua do Norte, tel. )
Small boutique selling a good mix of new and second-hand clothing.

Manuel Alves and José Manuel Gonçalves
(105 Rua das Flores, tel. )
The Manuels, as they are called by locals, make glamorous gowns with sensual accents.

Nosso Design (12a Rua Serpa Pinto, tel. )
A shop entirely dedicated to Portuguese design; glass objects, ceramics, furniture, lamps and jewellery

Designer highlights:

Katty Xiomara

A permanent fixture on the Portuguese fashion map for almost a decade now, Xiomara entrances fashionistas with her uncompromising, urban style, dividing her time between her own line and collaborations with various textile giants. She has shown in New York and Paris, and is always one of the highlights of ModaLisboa.

Shopping for Katty Xiomara
In Lisbon: Mousse, Rua das Flores 41-43
In Porto: Katty Xiomara, Rua da Boavista 795
In Barcelona: Como Agua de Maio, Argenteria 43

Dino Alves

Local veteran Dino Alves, the master of cut when it comes to fitted patterns, often explores the more bizarre side of fashion. Probably the most provocative of the Portuguese designers, Alves puts on veritable fashion extravaganzas to show his collections on the runway.

Shopping for Dino Alves
In Lisbon: Mousse, Rua das Flores 41-43

Aleksandar Protich

Belgrade-born Aleksandar Protich, who has frequented the renowned Royal Academy of Arts in Antwerp, explores the contradictions of free-flowing, rich garments and structured, simple patterns. The craftsmanship of his experimental collections has often been compared to the talents emerging out of London’s buzzing fashion scene.

Shopping for Aleksandar Protich
In Lisbon: Aleksandar Protich, Rua da Rosa, 112

Sara Lamúria

One of the more forward-thinking characters among the rising stars of Portuguese fashion, Sara Lamúria and her brand A_Forest Design bring an intellectual approach to fashion in the city. The creative collective aims to communicate its ideas through art, design and fashion by creating products and organising events that challenge conventional ideas.

Shopping for Sara Lamúria
In Lisbon: Galeria Tereza Seabra, Rua da Rosa, 158-160A
In Porto: Cocktail Molotof, Rua Miguel Bombarda, 457
In Barcelona: Bingo Shop, Calle Roger de lluria 45
In Berlin: Quartier 206, Friedrichstrasse 71

Dine in style

Restaurants

- Bica do Sapato (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, tel. ) Trendy bar and restaurant. The high-ceilinged main room has plate glass windows overlooking the river. This is the best place to see and be seen while sampling some interesting Portuguese dishes with a Mediterranean twist.

- Tavares Rico (35 Rua da Misericórdia, tel. ) Portuguese cooking with a French influence. This is a suit-and-tie kind of place, and certainly one of the Portuguese capital’s classiest addresses.

- O Piteu (95 Largo da Graca, tel. )
This is a typical Portuguese restaurant, not frequented by tourists and located in the Graca district. Try the roast meats and fish dishes along with some surprisingly good Portuguese wines.

Nightlife

- Lux (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, Armazém A, near Santa Apolónia, tel. )
Co-owned by John Malkovich, this is Lisbon’s most famous club. The remodelled riverside warehouse is host to the city’s best parties and star DJs. It’s right next to Bica do Sapato, so you can shake off those calories after a good dinner.

- Portas Largas (105 Rua da Atalaia, tel. )
Mixed crowds meet for a warm-up in this tiled tavern that serves sangria as its main drink.

Clube do Fado (92–94 Rua São João de Praça, tel. ) Popular with locals, who come here to hear the guitar playing and fado singing of both rising stars and established performers.

Mode in Lissabon

Het afgelopen decennium onderging Lissabon meerdere facelifts. Na de restauratie van de mooie gevels van het oude stadsdeel volgde de bouw van ultramoderne faciliteiten voor de Expo ‘98, en de voorbije jaren kwamen er steeds meer boetieks, restaurants, clubs en hotels met designkarakter bij.

Langs de kades, of docas, zien we dat ook de modescène een metamorfose onderging. ModaLisboa – de modeweek van Lissabon – is mondiaal het meest spraakmakende Portugese evenement, met elk seizoen zo’n 40.000 bezoekers. Het vindt plaats in het pas gerenoveerde Museu da Eletricidade en is eigenlijk de ‘boetiekweek’ van het Europese modecircuit. Hoewel kleinschaliger en gezelliger biedt ModaLisboa beslist een unieke ervaring.

Enkele modeontwerpers uit de Portugese hoofdstad genieten een cultstatus op de thuismarkt, terwijl anderen uitgeroepen werden tot internationale rijzende ster. Breng je een bezoek aan Lissabon, kijk dan zeker uit naar Sara Lamúria, Aleksandar Protich, Dino Alves en Katty Xiomara. De designers en hun ontwerpen houden voeling met de stad en haar inwoners. Tal van boetieks in de eclectische Chiado-wijk of langs de kasseistraten van Bairro Alto verkopen avant-garde mode aan een nieuw type stedeling dat zowel stijl als een eigen Portugese identiteit zoekt. En naarmate ModaLisboa de komende jaren zijn zegetocht verderzet neemt het kunst, interieurdesign en plaatselijke architectuur mee in zijn kielzog, waardoor de stad en de Portugese mode tot heuse internationale waarden zullen uitgroeien. www.modalisboa.pt

Les stylistes vedettes de Lisbonne

Lisbonne a subi une série de transformations notables au cours de la dernière décennie. A la restauration des façades remarquables de la vieille ville ont succédé la construction d’infrastructures ultra-modernes pour l’Expo 1998 et plus récemment, l’ouverture de magasins stylés de design, de restaurants, de clubs et d’hôtels.

Le quartier des quais, ou docas, est l’endroit où se concentrent les aspects les plus tendances de la ville métamorphosée. Il abrite le Museu da Eletricidade, nouvellement rénové et ModaLisboa - la semaine de la mode lisbonnaise – l’événement le plus exclusif du Portugal à l’échelle mondiale, qui attire pas moins de 40 000 visiteurs par saison. Durant une semaine, ce show constitue la ‘vitrine’ du circuit de la mode européenne et même s’il se déroule dans une ambiance plus intime, l’expérience reste sans égale.

Plusieurs stylistes locaux font l’objet d’un véritable culte, tandis que d’autres personnalités sont perçues comme des stars montantes sur la scène internationale. Les vedettes à suivre dans la capitale portugaise incluent Sara Lamúria, Aleksandar Protich, Dino Alves et Katty Xiomara. Les designers contemporains de Lisbonne avec leur créativité débordante, transmettent un esprit unique et emblématique du monde urbain. De nombreuses boutiques dans le quartier éclectique de Chiado ou dans les ruelles labyrinthiques de Bairro Alto vendent des tenues à la pointe du new look, à une nouvelle génération de jeunes urbains branchés, assoiffés de style et d’une identité distinctive portugaise. Et dans une perspective d’accroissement de son succès pour les saisons à venir, ModaLisboa intégrera aussi les arts, le design intérieur et l’architecture, plaçant Lisbonne et la mode portugaise en bonne position dans le circuit international www.modalisboa.pt

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