Portuguese fashion. Artworks, gender issues and love in the digital age. Bloom took a chance on the catwalk – Observer
Sílvia Rocha, the name behind the Ahcor brand, was a finalist in the Bloom contest in 2020 and in this edition she once again showed her worth. The idea for the collection came from a question heard at a coffee table: “After all, what is it to be feminine?”. “I started to think about the definition of masculine and feminine, about the physical characteristics that each gender conveys, and I questioned this cataloging. There was an urgency to address this issue, but I bring questions and not answers or solutions, I just want people to face this too”, he shares to the Observer, adding that this is the time he brings gender issues to the top of the catwalk.
The freedom to refer to who you are, without fear of distinction, was another aspect that a designer wanted to explore in the enigmatic and meaningful piece that opened the show. “It is a kind of fabric helmet, where only the eyes are visible, which protects us from prejudice and allows us to cover, hide and as a cover that many people respect us.” In dresses, overalls and pants, overlapping pieces, sleeves with, drapes, transparencies and buttons that become protagonists.
In a color palette that varies between orange, blues and greens, classic materials draw attention, such as fabrics with less traditional jacquard patterns, knits, lace and even velvets. “I really wanted fur, I found this one with an animal print, which I used on cuffs and hems, and they transport me to free and exotic places”, adds Sílvia Rocha, as she packs the car backstage.