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Backstage at KOLOVRAT SS24 at ModaLisboa à la carte

Beyond Boundaries: Kolovrat's Cuban dreamscape collection

Carmi from Face Models backstage KOLOVRAT SS24.

With the “Cuba Re-Elected” collection that goes beyond mere clothing and which expresses her profound desires for the future, Lidija Kolovrat is turning limitations into opportunities.

Photos Frederico Santos
Beauty Antonia Rosa and team using Clarins
Hair by Cláudio Pacheco and team at Chiado Studio with L’Oréal Professionnel Paris
Jewellery Teresa Milheiro
Words Monica Lopes

In a parallel universe, where imagination flows freely between reality and dreams, Lidija Kolovrat, found inspiration in the challenges of a trip to Cuba. In this place, where history is told through the vibrant colors of vintage Chevrolets, the imposing colonial palaces, and the typical street stalls, she noticed a paradox: a country rich in culture and colours, but challenged by numerous limitations, with a lack of practically everything.

Allowing herself to be carried away by the differences of a country as captivating as it is contradictory, Kolovrat was struck by the scarcity that permeated the tobacco plantations, by the companies that succumbed to the weight of time, by the roads echoing the absence of movement. Cuba, a territory of unexplored riches and unfulfilled promises, became the blank canvas for Lidija Kolovrat.

As a result of this journey to Cuba, emerged a collection that constructs itself as a visual poem, where each piece tells the story of a dreamer facing the complexities of the real world. The photos, captured through Kolovrat’s lense, come to life in digital prints in exuberant forms, pleated, oversized volumes conveying the abundance of dreams contrasted by limited reality.

The play of contrasts is evident. Wide and tight shapes combine, oversized pockets become symbols of utility and extravagance, while unexpected blends of materials and original prints capture the essence of Cuban unpredictability. Digital photoprint of “messy cars”, broken tiles, stencils of Che Guevara are omnipresent on the designs. Blue, yellow, white, and black, in fabrics ranging from light and ethereal to heavy twills, silks, crepes and cottons tell a multifaceted story of hope and challenge.

Each piece is more than just a fashion item; it’s a manifesto, a visual narrative echoing the sighs of a heart dreaming of a world where boundaries dissipate in the face of the grandeur of possibilities and hope for the future.