PORTUGUESE DNA IN LONDON

Blackspider | Cristina Barros | Marita Moreno | Katty Xiomara | WT – are the five made-in Portugal brands in the Portuguese delegation of another edition of the Pure London event. This initiative is promoted by Associação Selectiva Moda, within the internationalisation project From Portugal.

Circular knits with a contemporary style, supplemented by differentiating stamping details and techniques are the highlights of the collection of the first-time exhibitor WT. «Our brand’s style, stripped down and sport-chic falls within the spirit of this event and the British market. We intend to raise the profile of the brand and penetrate this market, attracting new customers», says Paulo Torres.

Blackspider, a regular exhibitor at this fair, shall present its autumn/winter 2016 collection, which celebrates its 15th anniversary and pays tribute to its creator, and it is presented under the brand “CRISTINABARROS”. «Our participation in Pure London is part of our ambition to provide continuity to our already successful Europe-focused internationalisation project. The United Kingdom is a strategic point and a reference at European level in the fashion panorama», states Francisco Costa, sales manager of the company.

The Marita Moreno brand is participating for the second time in the fair, presenting a collection where the Foz Côa line is the highlight. Inspired on the rugged landscape and carved figures in the caves of the Foz Côa Park. Following several visits to the Coa Park and Museum, which granted the right to use the images in this collection, the rugged scenery contrasting with the delicacy of the rock carvings gave rise to a collection of shoes and boots for men and women. The use made of coarse woollen cloth and leather with a rough surface, with metal applications where the Foz Côa carvings are engraved, gives rise to design objects that transport us to the typical rocky escarpment landscape of the Douro and Côa. The women’s collection also presents sculptural forms and sharp colour contrasts. «Participating in Pure London is a continuation of the work that was done at the last edition of the fair, and this second edition has special meaning for us because we will also present the man’s collection. The first participation of Marita Moreno in Pure London was a fantastic experience, because the brand had a very positive response. The brand was extensively publicised on social networks and invited to be present at selected events in London. The products of our brand were greatly appreciated and valued. They also caused surprise due to the novelty of combining traditional and craft materials with contemporary design. The English market continues to dictate trends and new values and concepts coupled with premium quality, hence it is a relevant choice for the Marita Moreno collections of handbags and shoes. The invitation to continue in the exclusive Premium Footwear sector was received with much pride and confirmed the quality of our brand’s products», explains Marita Ferro, the company's manager.

The participation of the five portuguese companies in one more Pure London edition is an initiative promoted by the Selectiva Moda Association, co-financed by the EU Structural and Investment Funds as part of the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020 and COMPETE 2020. The FROM PORTUGAL project is made up of approximately 81 international activities which take place in the second half of 2015 and in 2016, covering the entire textile and fashion industry and spread over four continents, with a total investment of over 13 million euros.