Like their previous sell-out collections, the latest delivery from Portuguese designers Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida looks and feels as though it was sent express from the 1990s. Frayed denim, oversized shirts, three-quarter-length shorts, bucket hats, and chunked-out shoes—it’s neo-grunge heaven, right? So why the 90s? Who are they designing for? And what was going through their minds when they created the Spring/Summer 2013 collection? All these Qs answered below.
Gillian Tozer: In a short period of time, Marques’Almeida has found itself in a niche that is unrivalled and awesomely defined. How did it come to this?
Marta Marques: We originally came to London to intern with the Preen and the Anglomania-Vivienne Westwood teams. We were both interning for six months and later joined Central Saint Martins London. We discovered a lot of support platforms in London [as opposed to Portugal.]
Paulo Almeida: More than learning the right set of skills, [being a fashion designer] is a matter of putting yourself in the right place at the right time. When we considered setting ourselves up as a label, we realized the masters course at Central Saint Martins was integral. We had completed our final show when Lulu Kennedy from Fashion East approached us.
GT: The 90s is and has been a strong influence on your collections? What's the connection?
PA: We grew up in the 90s so we have an honest relationship with that era. We spent a lot of time in the library going through back catalogs of The Face and i-D, defining our brand identity.
GT: In line with the idiosyncratic look of your shows, there is a consistent and precise “Marques’Almeida” girl. Can you define her?
PA: We care a lot about the girl. It's not about the way she looks, it's the way she carries herself and her attitude. We don't care if she has the perfect measurements.
MM: Casting is the fun part of the process: we love matching the right girl to the right clothes. We do the castings in our studio with John Colver—he has a very similar eye to us.
GT: Your concept shoots also have a defined, very London, look to them. How do you find your shoot locations?
MM: London is our reality: we live and work here so it makes sense to incorporate the locations—the streets we walk and the grocery shops we visit. These are all a part of our everyday realities and people relate to this. One of our models Alice [Neale] is from Brighton, so we decided to create a concept shoot there.
GT: Will you be shooting another concept shoot for FW12?
MM: We did one especially for the “Under the Influence” series and that was insanely fun! Other than that, we’re in love with the backstage pictures from the show; they communicate the spirit of our brand and collection really well. We've been releasing them on our Facebook and Tumblr and soon they’ll all be on our website. The concept shoot for Spring/Summer 2013 is very close to our heart—we’re so excited!
GT: Can we talk a little about the colors of the collection?
MM: As always, I don’t really know where they came from! There’s always something we respond to and without realizing it, we’re obsessed with it.
GT: And the disused suede on the accessories?
MM: We’ve always wanted to u
Gillian Tozer: In a short period of time, Marques’Almeida has found itself in a niche that is unrivalled and awesomely defined. How did it come to this?
Marta Marques: We originally came to London to intern with the Preen and the Anglomania-Vivienne Westwood teams. We were both interning for six months and later joined Central Saint Martins London. We discovered a lot of support platforms in London [as opposed to Portugal.]
Paulo Almeida: More than learning the right set of skills, [being a fashion designer] is a matter of putting yourself in the right place at the right time. When we considered setting ourselves up as a label, we realized the masters course at Central Saint Martins was integral. We had completed our final show when Lulu Kennedy from Fashion East approached us.
GT: The 90s is and has been a strong influence on your collections? What's the connection?
PA: We grew up in the 90s so we have an honest relationship with that era. We spent a lot of time in the library going through back catalogs of The Face and i-D, defining our brand identity.
GT: In line with the idiosyncratic look of your shows, there is a consistent and precise “Marques’Almeida” girl. Can you define her?
PA: We care a lot about the girl. It's not about the way she looks, it's the way she carries herself and her attitude. We don't care if she has the perfect measurements.
MM: Casting is the fun part of the process: we love matching the right girl to the right clothes. We do the castings in our studio with John Colver—he has a very similar eye to us.
GT: Your concept shoots also have a defined, very London, look to them. How do you find your shoot locations?
MM: London is our reality: we live and work here so it makes sense to incorporate the locations—the streets we walk and the grocery shops we visit. These are all a part of our everyday realities and people relate to this. One of our models Alice [Neale] is from Brighton, so we decided to create a concept shoot there.
GT: Will you be shooting another concept shoot for FW12?
MM: We did one especially for the “Under the Influence” series and that was insanely fun! Other than that, we’re in love with the backstage pictures from the show; they communicate the spirit of our brand and collection really well. We've been releasing them on our Facebook and Tumblr and soon they’ll all be on our website. The concept shoot for Spring/Summer 2013 is very close to our heart—we’re so excited!
GT: Can we talk a little about the colors of the collection?
MM: As always, I don’t really know where they came from! There’s always something we respond to and without realizing it, we’re obsessed with it.
GT: And the disused suede on the accessories?
MM: We’ve always wanted to u