Fátima Lopes

V&G went to find out a little more about the symbolic Portuguese designer, whose name needs no introduction. Travelling to the heart of Lisbon, we find the Fátima Lopes atelier. The white and red hues, sparkles and lights lead us to the glamour of the iconic Madeiran. Our meeting took place next to the «30 years wall», where a thousand memories are cut out in small pieces of paper, all of them allusive to three decades of success and heaps of style. Beside them stand awards, too many to count on your fingers. And as for the rest, a conversation rich in experience. Between Funchal and the world, the designer recalls her battles and conquests in the world of fashion. Join us and... lights, camera, action!

«30 years ago, Fátima Lopes was loved and hated (...) I went from stupid to stupendous»

Have you always been a different, unconventional person?
As a child, I had no notion that there was a thirst for difference. Portugal was old-fashioned, but Funchal was even more so. I think young people had a crazy desire to do different things, to go in search of everything that hadn’t been done. This desire to do things differently gave rise to a whole generation of designers in various areas, perhaps because they never had access to anything and suddenly wanted to do a lot. I am one such person. When anything was at all difficult, I tried to transform it into enticing and different projects. That’s what defined my brand from the beginning. It is not a copy of anyone. People have said on many occasions that Fátima Lopes is not a trend. Of course it isn’t a trend. It’s unique. In fact, that’s what made Paris open the doors to my brand. Difference is the definition of being creative and therefore no one can ever accuse me of copying anyone else, because I have always been loyal to myself, whether they like it or not.

You travelled the world from an early age, as you started out as a tour guide. Was it those travels that spurred you to think bigger?
Travel showed me the world and that I was capable of doing anything I wanted to. At 19, I realised that my life could be anywhere, regardless of my profession. The world was so big..., I didn’t need to be shut up on an island. So, being a tour guide turned out to be a school of life, not least because my job consisted of organising trips. I was a girl in charge of groups of 50 people who sometimes went to places I didn’t know and had to pretend I knew them, at a time when there was no Internet. This is what gave me a healthy madness, the irreverence of not being afraid. I thought that if I was capable of doing it, I would also be able to follow my dream. 

At 23, you arrived in Lisbon and took your first steps in the world of fashion. Did Portugal open its arms to your talent from the outset? Did they understand you right away?
That’s a funny story. Thirty years ago, Fátima Lopes was loved and hated at the same time. I was understood by a niche of people like me, irreverent young people who wanted lively fashion. Accordingly, there were people who didn’t understand me at all. At the time, people couldn’t agree on me. Interestingly, it was never a problem for me, in fact, it made me want to go that extra mile. If the criticism was constructive, I could take it on board, but most of it made me laugh. If the intention was to tear me down, it didn’t work as planned.

Did it take recognition abroad for the Portuguese to look at you differently?
Yes. When I started in fashion, I wasn’t a copy of anyone. The little fashion press that there was, and little understood, said that I wasn’t on trend. When I arrived in Paris, I was the first Portuguese fashion designer to enter Paris Fashion Week. The international fashion press opened their doors to me and then the «prophets of doom» no longer said that my work was bad, because they would have been taken for ignorant. So, it was an about-face, I went from being stupid to being stupendous. From 1999 onwards, it did no good to talk badly about Fátima Lopes, as I already had an international brand.

What did the world see in your work that Portugal didn’t recognise?
We are only talking about professionals and amateurs. Fashion Week in Paris is an event for fashion professionals. Whoever goes there can understand who is or isn’t a designer. In Paris, copies are not admitted, because the person making them isn’t a designer, he or she is a couturier. So, professionalism opened doors for me. In Portugal, they were used to copying magazines that came from abroad and, in fact, it was a big difference to stop being judged by an amateur press in favour of a professional press.

Did you hear many «noes» along the way?
Yes. Nothing was easy and the biggest obstacle was the industry. I’ve had a career for 30 years and I keep repeating the same thing since the beginning: the fashion industry in Portugal has never known how to understand designers. When I started, I was seen as a crazy kid, with no notion of business. I wasn’t understood by the industry, although I can see the same problem still exists. I think they want to work for international brands to produce millions of pieces, and there’s never any serious investment in Portuguese brands. At the moment, fashion is responsible for a large part of the GDP of many countries. In Portugal, we have an industry focused on working for abroad, which doesn’t showcase ‘Made in Portugal’. And, in fact, the «noes» I heard were largely from the industry. I was even forced to open my own factory. Today, I work with factories that already understand me, but, unfortunately, young people taking their first steps in the fashion world today must be encountering the same difficulty that I went through.

Do mentalities have to change for the fashion industry to grow in Portugal?
Mentalities have to change for Portugal to one day lay claim to be the international fashion capital. 

It’s all a chain, isn’t it? Designers depend on the industry.
And the industry depends on designers, but only on international designers. There are no synergies between industry and Portuguese designers, and that’s what’s missing. It’s time the industry opened its eyes and realised that, perhaps, they’d make more money from Portuguese designers if they helped to publicise and build national brands.

You are someone who doesn’t give any value to what others say about your work, but is there any opinion that, in fact, is important?
I care about opinion, as long as it is constructive. If people speak well, I listen. I like sincerity and I can’t stand meanness, envy and criticising just because. But I pay attention to opinions, especially if they come from my family, friends and people I respect. 

In September, you celebrated 30 years of career. Tell us about how the journey has been.
It’s 30 years that began with dreams, determination, stubbornness and a lot of dedication. It’s seven days a week and at least 10 hours a day of work. My profession is full-time. I don’t go home, switch off from my work and pick up where I left off the next day. It’s not like that at all. Being creative is hard; each collection has to outperform the previous one. It’s a life that has as much difficulty as it has excitement. I’ve never compared myself to the person next to me, I never wanted that, but I’ve always been aware that my competitors are the biggest multinationals in the world. So, with this in mind, they have been 30 years of great dedication. It’s a path that is being mapped out, every six months, due to the collections. 
Fátima Lopes has never lost its identity, even with all the evolution and change in style. Fashion is cyclical and, therefore, you have to be prepared for change. Anyone who doesn't have this awareness of reality will fall by the wayside. I have always understood that fashion, the world, times and people undergo changes. I have to be aware of them so that I can respond to them. I have managed to create a brand that, in three decades, has never stagnated. It’s a feeling of mission accomplished! I look forward to another 30, I feel grateful.

In 1999, you were the first Portuguese fashion designer to show at Paris Fashion Week. How did you feel?
People used to say it was impossible to get into Paris Fashion Week and, as the impossible doesn’t exist for me, I achieved it. Without having the same weapons as the big international brands, I was always independent. It was hard, but I quickly became la créatrice portugaise. At the time, being Portuguese wasn’t very positive, but they never discriminated against me, in fact, they treated me as if I were an exception. The image of the Portuguese has changed over time. But it was certainly a moment of professional achievement.

Is fashion a universal or a personal concept? 
It’s subjective. For me, it’s a personal concept, as it’s my fashion. I kind of overlook other people’s fashions. I would say that the creative part is very personal and solitary. And today there are many fashions. Fortunately. We are currently living in the most democratic era of fashion, where everything is accepted. There are many different designers, and that difference is positively received. There were times when people had to follow fashion dictatorships, almost. Not nowadays. There are no badly dressed people, there are different tastes. I think democracy and inclusion live on in the fashion world as a whole.

« In Paris, copies are not admitted, because the person making them isn’t a designer, he or she is a couturier».

How is the health of fashion in Portugal these days?
I see it as positive, in terms of creation. We've never had a lack of creativity, what we lack is synergy between creators and industry. Let those hand-in-hand come and then I'll say that Portuguese fashion is in perfect health, and I'd recommend it. 

Does a fashion culture exist in the country, or not?
Yes, there is. We are experiencing real globalisation in every sector. Fashion is not only for professionals in the area, it is also widespread, it is part of everyone’s life. It is accessible. There might be people who talk too much about fashion, as if they were born fashion experts, when they don’t actually have those skills, but it’s also something positive, because it means that today fashion is transversal. 

Complete this sentence: Being a fashion designer requires...
being born with the gift, a lot of work and total dedication. 

Fátima Lopes gives a lot to fashion.What does fashion give you?
Fashion gives me quality of life and happiness. It is part of me. 

What is a day like in the life of one of the most iconic Portuguese fashion designers?
My days are never the same. They start very early and end very late, but almost all of them are dedicated to work, either designing or managing companies and teams. I don’t like being a boss, I like being a leader.

Are you a good leader?
I think I respect everyone; I value everyone’s work and I’m not good at policing people. I like to work with people who can easily understand my language.


«The fashion industry in Portugal has never known how to understand designers».