Flash chat

We caught up with Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida on the heels of their LVMH Young Fashion Designer win to chat about their love of denim and all things ’90s.

How has your brand evolved? Almeida: “We started working with denim because of the attitude it has.” Marques: “Then we needed a new challenge—we really can’t stand still—so it was still about jeans and T-shirts but also silks and fur and eveningwear.” How does that attitude translate to eveningwear? M: “There are a lot of ’90s inspirations, but we still want it to be new and modern. Normally, some of that newness comes from combining things that are quite shocking together.” Why the ’90s? A: “We’re obsessed with designing for the ‘cool girl’ with a relaxed, effortless vibe.” M: “When we started looking at magazines from the ’90s, we were like ‘Yes! Remember those jeans?’” What else stands out from those days? M: “I remember reading interviews with photographer Corinne Day when she was doing black-and-white

shoots with loose trousers hanging from the hip bone. And then you started seeing editorials where they would style an amazing Dior corset with baggy jeans. That was so exciting.” n