Can you tell me how and when did you decide that you could work in fashion and why did you decide to open a site?
I guess I need to go back into my years as a teenager to find the answer. I grew up in Figueira da Foz, a small seaside town in Portugal where surfing is the main focus and fashion falls into oblivion. However, with my older brother studying in Berlin and then moving to London to work as an architect, I started traveling to these fashion-driven cities from an early age and that was the turning point for me. In a way I can say my brother was a huge influence in shaping my own style and nurturing my love for fashion which has accompanied me ever since. Although fashion was ever present and became my main personal interest, it was kept dormant during college where I graduated as a Master in Civil Engineering and my early years as a professional. The decision to create Beyond Fabric came in 2010, at a time I began questioning my life choices thus far: at first it was a mere escape from the drudgery of my everyday life, but I soon realized that I had something different to say, my own perspective on things and that there were people out there who not only valued, but also related to it. I must say that although my work is quintessentially related to fashion and the industry behind it, I don’t consider my blog a “fashion blog” in the sense that I stray from the mainstream reality to focus more on personal style, self expression, trendsetting and overall, things that speak to me.
Tell us something about your work with the site. You travelled a lot, we met in Pitti for example, which have been till now the best moments?
Well, let me put it this way: if I had to choose a defining moment in my life, it would definitely be the day I created Beyond Fabric. It was a crucial turning point which gave me the opportunity to change paths and pursue my dream, but more importantly, it allowed me to know myself as an individual and push me beyond my limits. Besides this outstanding personal journey of transitioning from civil engineer to fashion and exploring my creativity, I would have to say that so far, the best part of running the blog has been the people I got to know and work with. It single handedly opened doors which I could only dream of, both on personal and professional levels. I don’t travel nearly as much as I’d love to, but having the opportunity to go to Pitti twice a year is definitely an outstanding experience: it’s called the menswear Mecca for a reason and the first time I set foot inside the Fortezza is one of those moments I’ll remember forever. Besides the fairs and events, I’d have to say that seeing all your hard work recognized by followers, peers and the industry itself is an extremely fulfilling experience. Every like, reblog or positive comment is a huge step in reassuring you’re on the right path and working full time and running the blog all by myself during my (non-existent) spare time, sometimes resulting in 14-16h marathons, definitely has a special flavor to it.
Now you have also a project which I think is a lot cool. Can you tell us how did you develop a brand and where did the idea come from?
I guess that Beyond Fabric as a brand comes as natural process of the blog’s evolution. I’ve been running the blog for about 4 years now and little by little I’ve come to realize that it became a brand by itself…people recognize the logo, developed a sense of identification with its universe and associate it to a trademark aesthetic and coherent line of thought. Being a personal blog, I’m the face of Beyond Fabric and represent it in every way, resulting in a merging between my personality and that of the brand’s. The idea to materialize the brand into collections and collaborations emerged from the will to physically represent my vision and aesthetic. I believe that the more passionate you are about something, the more you focus on it and imagine new possibilities and interpretations, even if there are a number of brands or offerings you already love. My goal for Beyond Fabric as a brand is precisely to explore those possibilities and interpretations, to deliver unique pieces that reflect my aesthetic and that I’d love to wear.
In which way is the new adventure related to the Portuguese style?
First off, let me start by saying that I love my country: Portugal is one of the richest countries when it comes to historical and cultural heritage, strongly marked by its ancestors, whose presence is, to this day, felt a bit all across the globe. Despite having decided to write the blog in English and develop my projects aiming for international projection, I’m proud of this heritage and have always maintained a strong connection to Portugal.This new endeavor has strong roots in the portuguese culture, rather than portuguese style (which, in my opinion, is really hard to define). For Beyond Fabric’s first collection, I dug deep into our heritage to reinterpret what I believe to be one of its most amazing pieces: the traditional capes worn by shepherds in southern Portugal, or as we called them “Capotes Alentejanos”. These century-old capes were meant to withstand harsh weather conditions and while somewhat rustic in their origins, I felt they had an outstanding potential of being updated to incorporate nowadays menswear and earn a place in the modern man’s wardrobe. The uniqueness of the capes comes not only from the characteristic design which consists of a long vest with two overlapping layers over the shoulders and a trademark fur collar, but also from the exclusivity of the materials used in the manufacturing process. The traditional woolen fabrics, Burel or Surrubeco, are currently produced only in two portuguese factories and feature a heavyweight tight weave which makes them wind and waterproof, while the genuine fur collars help preserve heat and add a beautiful visual element to the piece. The limited edition I produced aimed to preserve the cape’s essence in what regards design and the traditional manufacturing processes, while introducing a few changes: the fit was altered in order to portray a more fitted silhouette, contrast checked inner linings were selected according to the outer shell color to create unique combinations and the fur on the collars was changed from fox to mutton. The outcome is an exclusively designed statement piece embodying centuries of cultural heritage, versatile enough to wear over a suit or a more casual attire, with great mobility and portraying one the most recent menswear trends.
Which is the target for the clothes and where can we find them?
This new project came to life through my online store: http://beyondfabric.eu, which carries not only Beyond Fabric’s own label, but collaborations and new Portuguese designers as well. For now, I’m aiming to deliver a comprehensive range of garments and accessories all made in Portugal, showcasing some of the most interesting projects around and making the most of our high quality textile and clothing industry. Beyond Fabric as a brand aims to materialize the blog’s universe and my own aesthetic into wearable pieces: I define my style somewhat along the lines of “classic European with an eclectic twist”, so my creations and developments will focus on delivering pieces which maintain their core essence while bringing something new to the table. That being said, I believe these garments will be valued by people who like to feel good about themselves, praise both quality and distinction, but overall understand the importance of portraying a sharp, confident image at all times, be it in more relaxed of formal occasions.
In general how is the fashion scene in your country?
Although Portugal has come a long way when it comes to fashion, especially in recent years, I believe we’re still way behind other European counterparts in what regards mentality and social acceptance of what is considered different. It’s not an easy task to come up with a definition for Portuguese style, so from my experience, personal self-expression still grants you some staring and remarks when walking down the street (and I don’t consider my style to be the least extravagant). However, things have been changing for the best due to a number of reasons: growing access to global information through blogs and websites (especially on younger generations); the momentum gathered by our clothing and shoe industry has been attracting worldwide brands, also contributing to a new vision for all those involved in the fashion industry; some of our well established and emerging designers have been gaining international recognition; fashion oriented events such as Moda Lisboa have been growing and drawing more people; the current economical situation has imbued people with the will to develop their own businesses and awakened their love for the country, resulting in some really interesting emerging projects that help shape new boundaries. I believe the biggest obstacle in the way of a bright future for Portuguese Fashion is the traditionalism of portuguese people… the combination of a narrow-minded vision that everything foreign is better, along with the lack of support for national projects, both from consumers and manufacturers, makes it extremely difficult for brands and designers to have a chance for success. After all, it’s hard to expect others to support these projects if those who should don’t.
What do you think is elegant? Your definition of elegance?
That’s a though one. For me, elegance in its essence is a status rightfully earned throughout the years, one that only age can attribute through experience and refinement of one’s personal taste. Come to think of it, elegant is a word I don’t use often…usually reserved only for older gentlemen who portray their personal taste effortlessly and with timeless panache. Similarly to style, it’s an inherent quality that comes from within and can be perfected through time, but in my opinion, elegance is the result of an extremely refined style. Of course, these abstract concepts are ultimately materialized through garment combinations and attires and when it comes to elegance, fit is crucial: I can’t imagine elegance without perfectly fitting clothes, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be achieved within a classic style.
Like and dislikes in working in fashion and working on the web?
For me, working in fashion is a dream come true, but as with every line of work there are ups and downs. Being based in Portugal, working online allowed me to share my content with the world and reach out to some of the people I admire the most in the industry. I got to collaborate with some of my favourite brands, travel to Pitti and fashion shows, gain exclusive access to events, exchange ideas with fellow bloggers from all across the globe and expand my network. On the other hand, running a blog, especially one as personal as mine, results in a great deal of exposure and opens the door to criticism, especially online where identity is easily kept anonymous. It’s not the opposing opinions that bother me, after all commenting and feedback are a big part of the blogging community, but the internet opens you to bashful criticism without a particular reason. Working in fashion as blogger can definitely be challenging. While there are many successful cases out there, not all brands are receptive or value the work of bloggers and everything seems to work within a very closed niche. If there’s an industry where networking and actually working on your PR skills is of the utmost importance, fashion has to be it…the downside is that if you’re not located in a fashion capital or can’t afford the luxury of traveling to some of the most important events, you may very well be missing the opportunity of a lifetime.
Plans for the future?
“Don’t make too many plans for your future, so as not to ruin those it has in store for you” – this is one of my favourite quotes from a famous portuguese philosopher and although I don’t take it literally, it has proven right so many times until now. I would rather approach it as what I would like to be doing instead of labeling them as plans, then you add too much responsibility to it. I’m turning 30 soon and would love to be able to devote myself entirely to Beyond Fabric, both the blog and store components, making it grow and developing new projects and collections. Also, I’ve spent the last couple of years working and studying Marketing so, working with brands and stores as a consultant in developing new strategical orientations, creative direction, blogging, styling and content production would definitely be something I could picture myself doing for the upcoming years.
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