Zuzu Angel em exposição na Fábrica de Santo Thyrso a partir de 26 de Outubro

A exposição da designer brasileira Zuzu Angel e o desfile de moda Finalistas ESAD & Modtíssimo completam o programa de abertura da Fábrica de Santo Thyrso. A exposição de moda ZUZU ANGEL – RAÍZES DO BRASIL ATRAVÉS DA MODA propõe a articulação e intercâmbio entre designers de moda portugueses e brasileiros.

Zuzu Angel foi a primeira designer de moda brasileira a lançar uma linha voltada para as raízes do país, com identidade própria, contrapondo-se à inspiração europeia e americana que marcavam o design de moda dos anos 60 e 70. Usou as rendas do nordeste, os estampados da fauna e flora amazónicas, a inspiração baiana, o valor da cultura brasileira. Vestiu celebridades da alta sociedade brasileira e americana e, ao mesmo tempo, foi precursora dos modelos prêt-à-porter. O drama que viveu com o seu filho, assassinado pelo governo brasileiro no âmbito do movimento estudantil contrário à ditadura militar, marcou a sua trajetória, passando a usar a moda como arma e voz de todos os que se pronunciavam contra o regime, e terminando ela também assassinada, embora o facto só tenho sido dado como provado mais de 20 anos depois.

A vida e luta de Zuzu Angel inspiraram Chico Buarque a compor Angélica e o escritor José Louzeiro a escrever Em Carne Viva. Esta exposição é comissariada pela filha de Zuzu, Hildegard Angel, e resulta da ligação da ESAD com o Instituto Zuzu Angel no Brasil. Este evento insere-se na parceria da ESAD com a Câmara de Santo Tirso no âmbito do projeto da Fábrica de Santo Thyrso, integrando-se no Seminário Internacional sobre Quarteirões Culturais, a decorrer de 25 a 27 de Outubro. Integra-se assim no primeiro ato público da Incubadora de Moda e Design e o primeiro evento a decorrer na Nave Cultural da Fábrica.

Mais sobre esta iniciativa, aqui.

"Debating African design and fashion at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation"

(foto de Sandra Rocha/KameraPhoto)

Nowadays, the design and fashion concepts are, directly linked to what happens in the capitalist countries. But, how can it be, to the African creators, who do not have the same resources as their American or European counterparts? It was on this issue (and not only!) that the debate of the African and Latin America Observatory addressed, entitled "The place of design and fashion in North Africa", held in May, at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Little by little, fashion begins to grow in Africa. At least it is one of the conclusions that it is drawn from the conference "The place of design and fashion in North Africa", organized by the Africa and Latin America Observatory, which took place at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in Lisbon, Portugal, last May.
Among the experts that were present was Mirian Tavares, from the Research Center for Arts and Communication in Faro, (Centro de Investigação em Artes e Comunicação de Faro), and Sandra Muendane, from the African Center for Development and Strategic Studies (Centro de Estudos sobre África e do Desenvolvimento). The first investigator held and presented an analysis to the photographic work of the Moroccan Majida Khattari, namely to the vision that she has about the role of the veil in the Muslim world and how she "uses photography, facilities and fashion shows as a provocation/ reflection" about it. Meaning, Khattari is inspired on the lives of Muslim women to design her work and thus "establish a dialogue between different cultures within her own culture".  An art that includes a goal, according to Mirian Tavares: "to cause unrest and the desire to know more". Already in her speech at the conference, Sandra Muendane held a picture of the functionality of small workshops of African fashion. She has an architecture degree in fashion design from the Technical University of Lisbon (Universidade Técnica de Lisboa), and drew on her experience in parades, exhibitions, workshops and artist residencies in Africa and explained how the creators of this continent work. "The inspiration is the cultural, economic and political social environment in which one lives, because it has a direct effect on our actions", explained the also Mozambican designer, adding that the purpose for these designers is to create "a line of functional and commercial clothing (to sell) and/ or conceptual (to be commented)

Sandra Muendane also mentioned the fact that because there are hardly any institutes specialized in fashion teaching in the African territory, that means that many creators are self-taught or have only a technical training course in sewing. And to illustrate the work done in an atelier, the researcher portrayed a day in a ready-to-wear in South Africa. First the collections are drawn up, "which implies looking for trends and sketch making". Then the "existing materials, which are organized by country, color and gender” are adapted to make the molds, which "are then cut and sewn in the same atelier".

Pieces that attract the upper class
The African designer’s creations are disclosed in fashions shows - there are several events, such as the Angola Fashion Business - salons, specialized magazines and even websites. And it is from there that they capture their main customers that, according to Sandra Muendane, belong to the "upper class, between 25 and 60 years old, or foreigners who want to know the African fashion". Sales are mostly made in the designers' own stores, where the prices are around "between 190 and 380 dollars" in the ready-to-ware. And one of the conclusions presented by Sandra Muendane is that fashion, despite being a business like any other, "also serves as an intervention vehicle, because their actors use their natural talent to communicate through design”.

Egypt and Tunisia revolutions on the agenda
Fashion and design were not the only debated topics at Gulbenkian. The consequences of the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, both occurred in 2011, were also on the agenda of the conference of the Africa and Latin America Observatory. First, with the interventions from Susanne Kümper (German fashion designer) and Omar Nagati (Egyptian architect and urban planner), which have focused on Cairo contemporary fashion and in the ways that artistic and cultural expression are also displayed in the streets of Egypt’s capital, respectively. The aim was to show how these were influenced by the popular uprising of 2011, which put an end to the regime of Hosni Mubarak. And then, Nuno Coelho, communication designer and professor at the University of Coimbra, gave his semiotic perspective on the effects of the Arab spring in Tunisia, which took from the power President Ben Ali and open way to the first free elections in that country.

"Fashion week in Lagos: Putting African designers on the map"

If New York, London, Paris and Milan have been the traditional compass points of world fashion, Lagos has typically not even figured on the map.

But according to Penny McDonald, organizer of the Arise Magazine Fashion Week held in Nigeria's largest city last week, that is unlikely to be the case for much longer.

She said the event, which drew 77 designers and big names including supermodel Alek Wek, British couturier Ozwald Boateng and up-and-coming model Dudley O'Shaughnessy, had gone a long way to establishing Lagos as Africa's fashion capital, a city with international style credentials.

"It's raised the bar," said McDonald, international managing director for Arise, a title which describes itself as Africa's global style and culture magazine. "Everyone knows it's New York, London, Paris and Milan -- and we see this as the fifth destination now. We're hoping to make Lagos a fashion destination, part of the fashion season."

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