The likes of Milan, Paris, London and New York stand as the unassailable fashion capitals of the world, with the “Big Four” unlikely to ever truly be rivaled. However, there’s a lot more to world fashion than just those who either come from or are set up in those major cities.
As the demand continues to grow for a new, novel, and iconic fashion from around the ever more globalized world, we see new destinations emerging as fashions capitals. Chief among them to emerge in recent years in Portugal.
For a very long time, textiles have been among the most important sectors for the Portuguese economy, with Scoop detailing that it has millions of clients in Spain and hundreds of thousands in France and Germany. Now, “Made in Portugal” means it’ll be reliable, of high quality, and ecologically responsible.
So, to immerse yourself in this new fashion capital here’s what you need to know.
Get to grips with the easiest second language
Of all of the languages in the world for English-speakers to learn, it’s commonly considered easy to learn Portuguese online fast compared to other languages. Getting to grips with the language will give you an in as you explore the new world of Portuguese fashion. Now, commitment is the first thing that you’ll need, and then, decide on your goals.
Being one of the easier languages to learn, you could set your goal to be to learn the basic terms needed for traveling as well as keywords and phrases for fashion. By setting these goals and putting in 30 minutes of learning per day, you’ll quickly learn what you need to know, from avoiding the common swimwear buying mistakes to finding the hidden design gems.
Once you know enough of the language, you’ll be able to seamlessly flow from fashion boutiques to open markets, picking out stunning pieces while discussing them with the sellers and creators. Better still, you’ll also be able to ask people where to go and what to see to get the real inside scoop.
Where to go to experience Portugal’s fashion scene
Most of the time, a fashion capital is to be narrowed down to one city, and in Portugal, most would point to the capital, Lisbon. Of the Lisbon fashion boutiques, FORA, Embaixada, and D’Aquino are among the top picks, with the latter being a store that’s brimming with choice if you want a handmade hat.
Of course, Lisbon isn’t the only place where you can get some superb fashion pieces in Portugal. Instead, you could venture to Albufeira for all of your accessory needs. That said, in Lisbon, you have Casa Amora, Feira da Ladra, Colombo Mall, and the Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet.
On the other hand, you could go in search of the biggest names emerging from Portugal. These include Diogo Miranda, Sophia Kah, Katty Xiomara, Carla Pontes, and Storytailors – many of whom have collections in the capital. With Sustainability trending now, you could also look to Marta Marques and Paolo Almeida, who have committed to their environmental pledge from 2020, as shown by their 2022 spring collection.
There’s a lot to love about Portugal as a fashionista, but if you want to discover everything that a scene like Lisbon has to offer, the best way to start is by learning the language.