Has the season even started without the spring ModaLisboa schedule? This year the unique fashion week kicked off from 12 – 15 March 2026, bringing back an exciting itinerary that once again elevates both emerging and staple artists from the ever-evolving scene in Portugal.
Following up on its October edition, ModaLisboa presented by OMODA & JAECOO, returned with a fresh concept (PEBBLING), collections and lineup of designers. This time, Schön! and photographer Emil Huseynzade went behind the scenes for a unique look at the event and new-season lineup. Read on to find out more.
As with every Lisboa Fashion Week, it arrived heralding a new concept: Pebbling. Initially used as a term to describe the ‘love language’ seen in the penguin world, in recent years the term has been adopted, particularly in neurodivergent circles, to describe the giving of thoughtful, consistent gifts – or even memes, as a way of building and nurturing meaningful companionship.
Expanding on this, Carlos Moedas, the Mayor of Lisbon, states, “It is a concept that speaks of small gestures that create connection. Small signs, small acts of sharing that form the foundation of any relationship.” These tiny gestures are brought to life throughout Lisboa Fashion Week via its ethos, bringing creatives, industry professionals and the city itself together to form new connections and strengthen existing ones. “The programme reinforces the idea that Fashion does not exist in isolation. It exists in constant relationship with culture, technology and society.” Moedas continues.
designer. Ariana Orrico
Sangue Novo
The running thread of connection was seen during the eagerly anticipated SANGUE NOVO show, a competition where young designers are invited to showcase their designs in return for coveted prizes. Five shortlisted designers: Adja Baio, Ariana Orrico, Mafalda Simões, Mariana Garcia and Usual Suspect were present to round out the second, and final, instalment of the competition. Their distinct offerings for the March catwalk are created in an almost incubator period, thanks to a programme of sessions with industry professionals, who help to guide the final showing. The competition brought the first night to a close with a sparkle of anticipation as the winners were chosen: Ariana Orrico and Mafalda Simões.
Orrico impressed judges with the autumn/winter 2026 menswear collection, ‘MACHO ALFA’, winning the ModaLisboa x Burel Factory Award. A one-month creative residency at Burel Factory, including creative and technical support, a grant of €1,000 and a self-titled presentation during ModaLisboa under the Workstation platform. Her winning collection stood “grounded in the understanding of gender as performance,” as it journeyed through the idea of the ‘King’ in the game of chess. A piece that occupies a slippery status of power — always one false move away from being toppled. The designer secured her own checkmate this season by sending models down the runway in delicate hand-knitted pieces, juxtaposed against leather creations. Using natural and deadstock materials to frame the project “within a logic of circular economy,” while playing with unexpected proportions and silhouettes.
Fellow winner, Mafalda Simões, took home the ModaLisboa x IED Award – Istituto Europeo di Design, unlocking a choice between two Master’s Programmes at IED (1 year): Fashion Marketing based in Milan, appraised at €20,300, or Fashion Design in Rome, worth €19,400 — plus a €4,000 grant.
To secure her spot, Simões enrolled the judges and attendees into a world of warm pastels and seasonal hues with the ‘SOFT TISSUE – BODIES UNDER PRESSURE’ collection. The offering aimed to explore the duplicity of the human body via its innate vulnerability and resilience. She suggests that “despite its fragility, the body persists, softens, reshapes, and finds new configurations.” Simões’s artisanal approach to knitting and crochet shines in muted raspberry, barely-there blues and delicate, cream knitwear, layered over and under plush red and brown pieces. Enveloping the body in delicate, yet protective structures, “the process is slow and artisanal, attentive to the body, to time, and to the material, using natural fibres.”
designer. Luís Carvalho
Béhen
On day two Béhen invited attendees to rate their favourite looks from her autumn/winter 2026 capsule womenswear collection: ‘MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL… WHO’S THE CUTEST OF THEM ALL?’ Guests were welcomed with a paper and pencil, adding an immediate sense of connection to the private viewing. Once again, the studios showcased their commitment to elevating traditional, artisanal processes — and the use of the finest materials. “The collection is made entirely with 100% natural materials,” the brand explains. The looks themselves featured skirts and midi-dresses with seven layers, drawing from traditional Nazaré skirts. Polished separates were also on show, alongside refined low-waisted silhouettes, making another appearance. Most pieces were embellished with intricate embroidery in glass and fine-metal beads to finish the look. The hand-made ‘cat tails’ accents at the cuffs/hems bring a playful edge to the collection while paying homage via traditional techniques from Nisa in Alentejo
Luís Carvalho
On Sunday night, Luís Carvalho’s autumn/winter 2026 collection took suiting and tailoring to new heights. Specifically: ear level. ‘AFTERIMAGE’ saw the designer reimagine a workwear wardrobe with future-esque proportions and materials, while also anchoring in timeless silhouettes and accents. The designer explains the lineup is “born within a silent territory between what once was and what is remembered to have been — a space where time blurs outlines and memories reinvent themselves between the real and the imagined.”
designer. Adja Baio
Lisboa Fashion Week always aims to highlight the best of Portuguese design, and other standout moments for autumn/winter 2026 include Arndes’ clean use of leather, suede and silks for a literal and figurative textured lineup. Valentim Quaresma’ added a layer of drama to proceedings thanks to his floor-sweeping capes and metallic masks, fusing both his textile and sculptural practice. For NUNO BALTAZAR, his first bridal collection was on show, exploring new conventions and identity by establishing “a conscious rupture with the traditional canons of bridal Fashion.” We also stepped into the office of Gonçalo Peixoto, via a formal line of Y2K-inspired silhouettes, and sheer moments of decadent fabrication.
Finally, for Constança Entrudo, an even more intimate experience was on the table. Off-schedule and on-site: we were invited to the brand’s cosy new studio for an up-close look at their designs over coffee, delicious cakes and pastries. Inspiration for the brand was on show via delicate books filled with vintage magazine clippings, and the team and designer were on hand to happily talk through the intricate textile processes that go into creating her unique, “(un)woven” designs.
With every closing of Lisboa Fashion Week, it’s a bittersweet goodbye. And from a birds-eye point of view, it’s easy to see ModaLisboa for the (very large) pebble of affection that it is. Standing as a bi-yearly promise of dedication to Portuguese design, the fashion industry itself, and the connection that comes from genuine self-expression.
designer (right). Ricardo Andrez
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photography. Emil Huseynzade
words. Jade Thompson
