At Lisbon Fashion Week, some of the most memorable looks weren’t simply outfits. They were works of art.
During my visit to ModaLisboa in October, I watched young designers send unconventional creations down the runway, including oversized, sculptural flowers that looked as though they’d been plucked straight from a garden and transformed into wearable fashion.
The vibrant theatrical designs would surely be a favorite of Harry Styles. They played with exaggerated shapes and quirky details that blurred the line between clothing, costume and sculpture.
The collection came from Portuguese designer Marta Amorim, whose experimental approach earned her a place among the five finalists in ModaLisboa’s Sangue Novo emerging-designer competition.
And she wasn’t the only designer taking an unconventional approach.
Another standout was Granatum, the label founded by designer Marta Estrela, whose collection included a dress covered in mussel shells.
Inspired by Estrela’s hometown of Espinho, a coastal Portuguese city with a strong fishing heritage, the collection incorporated maritime references including fishing nets, sardines and shells. The designs transformed elements associated with everyday coastal life into unexpected runway statements.
Watching these collections, I was struck by how differently the designers approached fashion. Rather than simply following established trends, they were drawing inspiration from personal histories, local traditions and unconventional materials to create something distinctly their own.
That connection between fashion and identity was something I noticed throughout Lisbon Fashion Week. Designers weren’t just presenting clothing. Many were using their collections to explore where they came from, the experiences that shaped them and the cultural influences that continue to inform their work.
It gave the shows a sense of personality that went beyond the clothes themselves.
But what makes Lisbon Fashion Week particularly interesting isn’t just the creativity appearing on its runways. It’s the investment being made in the people behind those designs.
While fashion weeks in New York, Paris, Milan and London are often associated with established luxury houses and celebrity-filled front rows, ModaLisboa is making space for the next generation of Portuguese fashion talent.
Through Sangue Novo, its emerging-designer competition, ModaLisboa provides young creatives with an opportunity to present their work on a professional runway while gaining access to mentorship, industry connections and resources that can help them build sustainable careers.
At the October 2026 edition, ModaLisboa Priority, ten emerging designers presented their collections at Pátio da Galé in Lisbon.
The participants included Albert Porta, Alexandra Sousa, Catarina Pica, Elio, Francisco Martinho, Granatum, João Pecuro, Marta Amorim, Matheus Dauzaker and Ronni.
The collections reflected the range of creative approaches developing within Portugal’s fashion scene, but only five designers advanced to the next stage of Sangue Novo: Marta Amorim, Granatum, Elio, Francisco Martinho and Ronni.
Rather than naming one overall winner in October, the competition selected five finalists who will continue developing their work before returning to Lisbon Fashion Week in March 2027.
Between the two editions, the designers will receive mentorship from jury members and industry professionals, giving them an opportunity to refine their collections and develop their creative identities.
They will also have access to communications and showroom support through Showpress.
That continued support is particularly significant in an industry where getting noticed is only one part of building a career.
A runway presentation can generate attention, but emerging designers still have to figure out how to source materials, navigate production, establish recognizable brands and ultimately find customers.
For many young creatives, those practical challenges can be just as difficult as designing the clothes themselves.
Sangue Novo attempts to bridge that gap by connecting designers with people and organizations that understand the business behind fashion.
The competition also offers educational and professional development opportunities.
Through a partnership with IED – Istituto Europeo di Design, two designers can receive summer courses at IED Firenze, each accompanied by a €2,000 scholarship.
Another opportunity, developed with Portuguese textile company Burel Factory, includes a creative residency and a €1,000 grant, allowing a designer to explore new ideas while working directly with an established manufacturer.
Textile companies including Calvelex/Fabrics4Fashion, RDD Textiles and Riopele also support the development of collections.
By connecting emerging talent with experienced industry professionals, ModaLisboa is helping young designers navigate that transition.
The emphasis on creativity and personal identity also extends beyond Sangue Novo.
Throughout the October edition, ModaLisboa showcased a mixture of established designers and newer voices, including names such as Gonçalo Peixoto, DuarteHajime, Valentim Quaresma, Dino Alves and Nuno Baltazar.
Moving between presentations, I was struck by how frequently designers incorporated their backgrounds, personal experiences and cultural heritage into their work. Rather than presenting one unified interpretation of Portuguese fashion, ModaLisboa gave designers room to explore their individual identities, whether through traditional references or more experimental ideas.
That was one of the things I appreciated most about the event. The collections felt personal, as though the designers were sharing pieces of their own stories through fashion.
Portugal has a longstanding reputation for textile and footwear manufacturing, with factories producing goods for domestic and international fashion brands. But attending ModaLisboa offered a different perspective on the country’s fashion industry.
Beyond its manufacturing expertise, Portugal is also cultivating designers who want to develop their own creative identities and bring new ideas to international audiences.
Programs like Sangue Novo are particularly valuable because they create connections between those two sides of the industry.
Emerging designers benefit from access to experienced manufacturers and textile specialists, while established companies gain exposure to new perspectives and unconventional approaches to design.
The result is an opportunity for both sides to evolve.
Of course, appearing at fashion week doesn’t guarantee that a young designer will build a successful label. The challenges of securing financing, attracting customers and sustaining a business remain long after the runway lights go down.
But providing mentorship, materials, professional exposure and opportunities to continue developing collections can make those early stages more manageable.
The runway offers young designers a chance to show the world what they’re capable of creating. The support surrounding it gives them an opportunity to figure out how to take those ideas further.
For the five Sangue Novo finalists returning in March 2027, their October runway appearances were just one step in a much longer process.
What stayed with me wasn’t simply the creativity of the collections, although it’s hard to forget a dress covered in mussel shells or flowers that looked as though they’d grown straight out of the runway.
It was how much of the designers’ identities came through in their work, and how seriously ModaLisboa seemed to take giving those ideas a future.
The next generation of Portuguese fashion is already making itself known. Now, these designers have an opportunity to show what they can do next.
