As part of the celebration of its 25th anniversary, Portugal Fashion will tour several municipalities to promote talent and fashion. Vila Nova de Famalicão will be the first stop of the Portugal Fashion Sessions, with a competition focused on ecodesign that opens the doors of the next Bloom to a young designer.
In partnership with different city councils, Portugal Fashion intends to launch «a movement of “Positive Fashion”, where fashion is understood not as the cult of the ephemeral, but as an economic, cultural and social phenomenon capable of creating identity ties, feelings of belonging, intergenerational inheritances and community participation”, states a statement.
«The fashion sector is in constant evolution and there is a growing concern with the future of the planet allied to environmental and social issues, and it is therefore important for Portugal Fashion to increasingly promote a global future, which is sustainable in valorization of the local essence”, says Mónica Neto, director of Portugal Fashion. «It is also intended to make known the quality of national production through the articulation of sector players and designers, with local brands and agents, in order to ensure involvement and impact, but without neglecting the prestige and positioning of the Portugal Fashion brand» , he adds.
In each location, the Portugal Fashion Sessions will take on different missions. At the first stop, in Vila Nova de Famalicão, the idea will be to promote the concept of the Textile City and all the production dynamics, with a focus on innovation and sustainability.
Focus on ecodesign
The Bloom Portugal Fashion by Famalicão Cidade Têxtil Ecodesign Contest will therefore be aimed at young designers who will have to transmit these values with their proposals.
“One of the main purposes of this initiative is to value national creation through ecodesign practices, in light of the innovation of materials, processes, products and forms of communication”, explains a statement. “Thus, the participating designers will have at their disposal innovative and sustainable materials, produced in Portugal, made available by CITEVE and a group of industrial partners in the municipality of Famalicão”, he adds.
Those interested in the competition will receive a complete dossier with technical files, photos and videos of all available materials, to later present in the application a creative proposal and a functional proposal for spring-summer 2022, with integration of the chosen raw materials. A jury will then select five designers, who will produce two coordinates to be presented in a public fashion show on July 10th, in Vila Nova de Famalicão.
The winner will have the opportunity to present 10 coordinates in the next edition of Bloom, the initiative dedicated to Portugal Fashion’s new talents, in October, and will receive financial support of 1,500 euros to finance the completion of the collection.
Participants in the Bloom Portugal Fashion by Famalicão Textile City Ecodesign Contest must be resident in Portugal and be between 18 and 35 years old. The deadline for participation is June 15th, but by then interested parties must express their interest on the Portugal Fashion website to formalize the request for access to available sustainable materials.
The initiative’s program in Vila Nova de Famalicão also includes international lectures focused on sustainability, showcases and a Brand Up Market, which will take place on the 9th and 10th of July.
The Portugal Fashion Sessions will then travel to other municipalities and even leave Portugal, and an edition is already being prepared in Madrid.
@ Portugal Têxtil
