Lisbon Fashion Week fall/winter kicks off

The 44th ModaLisboa, or the Lisbon Fashion Week, kicked off on Friday featuring urban fall/winter outfits designed by young names including David Catalan and Ana Duarte.

This year's edition opened under the theme of curiosity, which was inspired by a scene in "Alice in Wonderland," and the opening show, called "Sangue Novo," or new blood, was aimed at celebrating youth and creativity.

"Sangue Novo is a great opportunity and platform for us to gain visibility and set up our own brand," said Duarte, 23, who recently completed a master's degree in menswear design and technology at the London College of Fashion, and had her designs showcased at the London Fashion Week in 2013.

"I think it is from young people that new ideas spring up and revolutionize the market," she said.

Models showcasing Duarte walked down the runway wearing earthy and natural shades, contrasting with metal reflections, which was intended to reflect the concept of nature versus technology.

Designer Patrick de Padua was selected at the end of the show to represent Portugal at the Maastricht fashion festival in June. His collection, under the theme of "promises," involved oversized silhouettes and overlaying of pieces to reflect concepts like expectations, safety, rupture and loss.

After the "Sangue Novo" show, Ricardo Andrez showcased his collection Tall, consisting of bold, dark tones worn by bald mannequins.

This was followed by the works of designers Olga Noronha and Catarina Oliveira, and designer Dino Alves closed up the show with the audience and press all obligated to attend wearing black clothes.

On Saturday, ModaLisboa will present collections by veteran designers including Valentim Quaresma, Alexandra Moura and Ricardo Preto. This fall/winter edition ends on Sunday. Endi