Photo & Source: Portugal Fashion

It’s a full-on comeback. The public will once again thrill to the Portugal Fashion catwalk in four intense days of fashion, which will take place mostly at Alfândega do Porto. In all, 35 fashion shows and spring/summer 2022 presentations of nearly 50 brands and creators are planned. Human warmth is therefore again present at the event organised by ANJE, although this 49th edition will also have live streaming, through the new Portugal Fashion portal and in a broadcast led by the actor Joana Barrios.

But the return of the public is not the only outstanding fact of this edition, whose programme extends from the 12th, with the event Portugal – Africa Investment Roundtable, until the 16th of October. The 49th Portugal Fashion counts with the participation of eight African fashion brands and designers, which will hold individual shows under the CANEX programme (acronym for Creative Africa Nexus). This programme is the result of a partnership between ANJE, through Portugal Fashion, and Afreximbank, with the objective of promoting the African textile and clothing industry in our country.

Besides the African creators, the programme of the 49th Portugal Fashion foresees, as usual, fashion shows of young fashion designers (Bloom platform), clothing, footwear and accessories brands and established designers. Highlights include the presence of Alexandra Moura, Alves/Gonçalves, David Catalán, Diogo Miranda, Ernest W. Baker, Estelita Mendonça, Fly London, Hugo Costa, Inês Torcato, Katty Xiomara, Luís Onofre, Maria Gambina, Marques’Almeida, Miguel Vieira, Nobrand, Pé de Chumbo, Sophia Kah and Susana Bettencourt, among others.

The event’s main centre is, once again, Alfândega do Porto, although there will be off location fashion shows, in emblematic places of the city or with a special aesthetic ambience. It is also at Alfândega do Porto that the BrandUp – showroom and urban market of Portugal Fashion takes place, which, due to the evolution of the country’s epidemiological situation, is once again held in this edition. Around 90 exhibitors are expected, with clothing, footwear, accessories and lifestyle items. In this edition, BrandUp includes a pop-up store area dedicated to Portugal Fashion designers and a stage for talks and workshops.

For the director of Portugal Fashion, “the return of the public is great news. The catwalk needs people’s enthusiasm, vibrancy, emotion. However, digital technologies are an extremely useful resource for the promotion and marketing of fashion, meeting new consumer habits. Therefore, Portugal Fashion will once again be broadcasted online and can be seen all over the world. Moreover, this edition is one of the most cosmopolitan ever, given that, in addition to Portuguese brands and designers with an international reputation, it also has the presence of African designers. It will be a great fashion party, with many fashion shows, diverse proposals, young designers, a showroom… and a warm hug to Africa”, concludes Mónica Neto.