Marques'Almeida channels 1990s British club culture at Portugal Fashion Experience in Matosinhos

The aesthetic of 1990s British club culture set the tone for the collection shown in Matosinhos, where the designer duo spoke about the brand’s challenges and their work in education.

Marques'Almeida and the 1990s rave mood

The pulse of 1990s UK raves filled the Former Vasco da Gama Canning Factory in Matosinhos, as Marques'Almeida closed the second day of the Portugal Fashion Experience. Backstage, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida described the spark behind a line defined by floor-skimming sequinned dresses, cargo trousers, feathers and wet-look hair.

"It really was rave," Marta sums up, still caught up in the atmosphere of the catwalk. Beside her, Paulo Almeida stresses that the "idea of luxury has always been to deconstruct luxury into something that’s almost rave. As if you were in a hall, somewhere in the UK, in the 90s". Laughing, he recalls the label the team gave their creative process: "We called it our midlife-crisis show."

The collection brings together pre-autumn and autumn/winter 2026 proposals, while holding on to the vocabulary that has set the brand apart from the start: generous silhouettes, deconstructed materials and nods to urban culture.

The catwalk as a space for creative freedom

The pair continue to argue that the runway is the ultimate arena for creative freedom. "We’ve always rejected presentations. We grew up watching McQueen’s shows in 2003 or Comme des Garçons. For us, artistically, the show is the moment when designers can step away from production and explore the most creative side," Marta says.

Learning from the young

With 15 years of international experience, the designers have found that teaching is a way to avoid slipping into comfort. Alongside the mentoring programme they run at Portugal Fashion, they teach at ESAD and watched-moved-the presentations by current and former students, including Enzo Peres, who made his solo debut on the Bloom platform with the brand E.P. Atel"ye.

This year, the competition recognised André Pinto with an entirely handmade collection, in which a dress made of shells took centre stage. At the end, the young designer admitted he was living a "childhood dream". "I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer, but I thought it wouldn’t happen," he said.

"We feel that now we’re doing a bit of the older generation’s role, and it’s very rewarding," Marta admits. Paulo Almeida underlines that learning runs both ways: "We try to pass on the message that they can’t be afraid to have fun with what they do."

Reworking the brand through international markets

The brand’s reinvention has involved a shift in commercial strategy, with a stronger push into international markets. The USA accounts for a significant share of sales, and the Middle East has led the team to develop different pieces without giving up their irreverence.

Fashion continues in Porto, where Sílvia Rocha’s Ahcor inaugurated M.ODU: Slaughterhouse, Another Urban Destination as the event’s runway venue. The edition ends this Saturday.