What to Wear Home from Lisbon

What to Wear Home from Lisbon

Fashion in Lisbon is flourishing, especially in the trendy Bairro Alto district, where Portuguese designers followed the nightlife with their boutiques. The brightly lighted modern shops make a stark contrast to the area's 16th-century layout and dark, narrow streets. Moda Lisboa (www.modalisboa.pt) is the most important fashion showcase in Portugal and the social event of the season, bringing together Portugal's most prominent designers—Ana Salazar, Fátima Lopes, Maria Gambina, José António Tenente, Luís Buchinho, and Manuel Alves, just to mention a few.

The Portuguese upswing 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 to fashion, and she has a second shop on Avenida Roma and another in Porto. Minimalist interior decor focuses attention on the clothes, which still use organza, mousseline, crepe, silk, and fishnet to create her trademark asymmetry.

Also hitting the scene in the '70s was Augustus. His unstructured shapes, strong colors, daring cleavages, and backless dresses are well known, and he mixes soft, flowing fabrics, embroidered tulle, natural silks, georgettes, chiffon, lace, and leather. He designed the dress first lady Mária José Rita wore to the royal wedding of Spain's Prince Philip in May 2004. He has a shop in the Amoreiras shopping mall and on Avenida Roma.

Ana Salazar's former apprentice José António Tenente now has his own line. His cocktail dresses have a classic look and an incredible attention to detail: hand embroidery with sequins, glass, and crystal. He also designs jeans, handbags, and eyeglasses.

Young designer Maria Gambina goes for a more carefree, sporty look. She uses prep school-like polos and sports clothes to create a schoolgirl look with a touch of devilish flirtation—bustiers and corsets or hook-and-eye fasteners with tied cords.

A show stealer at the Prêt-à-Porter in Paris, Fátima Lopes is one of Portugal's most internationally acclaimed designers. She has taken her fluid cuts, asymmetries, and unusual trimmings (such as her diamond-studded bikini) abroad and has opened shops in Paris. A Barbie doll has been made in her image with long black, shiny hair, accentuated bangs, and daring outfits.

Manuel Alves and José Manuel Gonçalves, a team praised for their skill in using luxurious materials to create very feminine, sophisticated looks, first opened a boutique at the D. Pedro Hotel in the Amoreiras district for their women's prêt-à-porter collections. They now have a store in the Bairro Alto.

Perhaps the best time to get familiar with these names in fashion are 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%).