What to Wear Home from Lisbon

The upswing in the Portuguese fashion world began in the '70s, when Ana Salazar shook up a national look that was stuck in the '50s. Intellectuals and artists embraced Salazar's asymmetrical shapes, ripped cloth, and cowl-effect drapings, and the international press hailed Salazar as a pioneer of "Made in Portugal" fashion. Her first shop on Rua do Carmo is still a landmark, though she has now split from its owners and in 2013 launched a new brand, Ana By Herself.

Big-name Portuguese designers include Fátima Lopes, known for the bold designs which have made her famous on the international fashion scene. The designer has opened stores in Paris and Los Angeles as well as Lisbon. She is perhaps most well-known for wearing her own diamond-studded bikini on the runway of a fashion show, and has even had a Barbie doll created in her image.

Manuel Alves and José Manuel Gonçalves, a team praised for their skill in using luxurious materials to create very feminine, sophisticated looks, now work out of an atelier in the Bairro Alto.

A new generation of designers is now coming through, led by the likes of Storytailors, whose large atelier and shop in Chiado has been visited by several foreign celebrities.

Perhaps the best time to get familiar with these names in fashion is during winter sales in January and February, and summer sales in July and August. Savings can be as much as 50% (and sometimes up to 70%).