Fashion chronicles: Pink Street 2/3

 

Pink Street, Rua Nova do Carvalho, in the Cais do Sodré neighbourhood in Lisbon was named one of the 12 most popular streets in Europe from the New York Times. It used to be the heart of Lisbon’s red light district and home to numerous brothels, seedy bars and and a place where sailors who disembarked in Lisbon loved to go. In 2011, however, the district was radically transformed and turned into the trendy neighbourhood with its bright pink-coloured pavement as the main attraction — we used this pink splendor for our very own runway.

 

Photography and film Thomas Probosch
Music Tony Corlett

Beauty Antónia Rosa with Clarins

Hair Helena Vaz Pereira from griffehairstyle with Wella

Talent Vitoria Mota from L’Agence

Featured designers DuarteHajime • ARNDES and Gabriel Bandeira

Styling Pedro Trocades and Andrea Probosch
Assisted by Kelly Bernardo and Leticia Lima

Words Andrea Probosch
Interview Leticia Lima

Special thanks to 262 Boutique Hotel and to the ModaLisboa backstage team.

 

During ModaLisboa à la carte in October 2023 we had the chance to photograph the mornings before the shows with different models, each of them wearing curated looks of three different fashion designers introducing their SS24 collection. We selected outfits from some of our favourite established Portuguese designers, as well as from “Sangue Novo” the up and coming new generation. It was a challenge to get the looks even before the shows or hunt them down directly after and secure the looks for the next morning. Special thanks to all the designers and PR´s involved. We met early each morning with our team and decided to photograph in an outdoor location close by the ModaLisboa venue, in and around Lisbon´s beloved Pink Street.

For part two on Pink Street, for Saturday morning, Pedro and I managed to get three looks from the shows the night before. We loved the “Arcade/Mario Brother´s” inspiration from DuarteHajime and were also choosing an incredible denim look from up and coming brand ANDRES plus one outfit from ModaLisboa´s young blood finalist Gabriel Banderas. Our model Vitoria Mota from L´Agence Models stroke me as an unusal exotic beauty, with a fierce gracefull elegance. I knew her since a while via instagram chat but was exited to finally meet her in person at the salon of our friend Helena Vaz Pereira, the founder of griffe hairstyle. Helena started to mould Vitoria´s hair into this amazing bird of prey style hair-do, it looked incredible and different from every angle. Together we walked down through the little cobbled beautiful streets of Bairo Alto to the backstage of ModaLisboa in Pátio da Galé to join our beauty editor Antonia Rosa for make-up. Antonia decided to encance Vitoria´s natural beauty with only highlighter and emphasized her dark eyes with a distintive cat-eye and brushed up her eyebrows. The sun was already high when we finally went to meet Thomas in Pink Street. He had set up his camera in the part of Pink Street with the multicolored umbrella instalation, which was the perfect backdrop for our first look.

ZOOT cought up with Vitoria to talk about fashion, beauty and the model buisiness; we included the interview below.

 

 

Vitoria in DuarteHajime´s incredible Mario Brother´s look.

 

ZOOT: Can you tell us a little bit about your background, what inspired you to enter the fashion industry? Could you talk a little about your journey from the beginning to now.

Vitoria Mota: I grew up in a small beach town called Praia das Maçãs close to Sintra and since I was little I loved playing with barbies make up and watch fashion shows with my grandma. It was always my dream to beacome a model.  I started modelling when I was about 19 years and I took me a while to find the looks that work on myself. In the beginning I was afraid and really shy and it was really hard to work so  It’s been a wild journey in that sense but very rewarding because I always pushed through.

 

 

ZOOT: With such hectic schedules during fashion weeks and events like ModaLisboa, what do you like to do in your spare time to relax and recharge?

Vitoroia Mota: I absolutely love to take naps hahaha so what I would totally do is to play 432Hz Healing Meditation music put a sheet mask on and nap with my cat to recharge for my next castings or shows.

 

 

ZOOT: Can you share some key elements of your beauty and skincare routine?

Vitoria Mota: I love to double cleanse specially after shoots. Face masks the day before shoots to arrive with the best skin possible. Retinol in the days I’m not shooting to renovate the skin.

 

 

ZOOT: How do you prioritize your mental well-being, especially in the face of the intense demands of this industry?

Vitoria Mota: When I started modelling I wasn’t prioritising my mental well-being at all in the fear of loosing work but as I grew in this industry I learned how to say no and take the time to take care of myself daily and put my mental health first.

 

 

 

 

 

Vitoria in ARNDES´ voluptuous full denim 3D laser cut illusion.

 

ZOOT: How do you see the Portuguese fashion industry in comparison to France, Italy or UK?

Vitoria Mota: I think throughout the years the fashion industry in Portugal is expanding and elevating to sell on bigger markets. We do have really great designers which I proudly buy from and what impress me is that more and more famous designers are makings their clothes in Portugal which means we do have the ability to produce it in the fineness of qualities.

 

 

ZOOT: Can you  describe your style off-duty and mention some fashion essentials that you love in your personal wardrobe?

Vitoria Mota: In this days I really love to be comfy so I would go for leggings, socks , Adidas samba, a top, cap and a hoodie. My fashion essentials atm are leather jacket, a pair of Levi’s jeans and some cool sunnies.

 

 

ZOOT: The fashion industry has been making moves towards inclusivity. How do you see the industry evolving in terms of diversity?

Vitoria Mota: “Diversity and inclusion is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have if you want to future-proof your business.” – someone said. I am so happy to see that not only plus size women have their space in the industry but also older women and all the beautiful skin colours. I’ve been working a lot recently with all kinds of women with different ages and that’s beautiful. I think we have so much to learn from each other.

 

 

 

Vitoria in the intense all-black creation by newcomer Gabriel Bandeira.

 

ZOOT: Who are your role models in the industry, and how have they influenced your approach to modeling?

Vitoria Mota: Throughout the years I had different role models. In the beginning I really loved Adriana Lima. Her persistence and resilience towards her goals really inspired me to thrive. Nowadays I really appreciate the work of Irina Shayk. She’s a strong women, ageing very well and I love to see that.

 

 

ZOOT: The fashion industry is not without its challenges. What changes would you like to see in the industry to create a more positive and supportive environment for models?

Vitoria Mota: “Perfection” epitomized in the 1990s shifted to “the girls next door look” in the 21st century. However today due to AI and so many vastly available editing softwares that anyone can use have changed this to looks that are unrealistic. The expected standards have increased exponentially.

I would love for the industry to go the opposite direction where we see examples of the least or non-edited images/video showing beauty in reality and shifting perspectives on expected beauty.

 

 

ZOOT: How do you deal with criticism, and what advice would you give to young models who might face negativity or body shaming?

Vitoria Mota: Relating back to my answer to my previous  question, I think the body shaming and negativity are a result of heavily edited and mis-represented images which we see are being debated across AI forums.  It is harder for AI to be detected than created. Hence, body image must start at home and in the mind, not based on external world expectations.

 

 

ZOOT: Beauty is often associated with physical appearance. How do you define beauty, and what message would you like to convey to those who may struggle with societal beauty standards?

Vitoria Mota: Define beauty as congruence.  Congruence meaning a thing or object, or person being true to itself.  In this case we would not be limited to only the physical but to our honesty about who we are, what we believe about ourselves and what we intend to look like and accept about ourselves.

 

 

ZOOT: If you could talk to big fashion houses, what subjects close to your heart would you address?

Vitoria Mota: I would push them to go further in their creative distance from what the others in their field. In the last 20 years since the proliferation of the internet and social media, we have seen a convergence of motifs and themes because the major fashion houses have all been consolidated and many are unwilling to take the risk of missing out on the popular fervor.

 

 

Thank you Vitoria!

 

 

 

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To boot…

 

DUARTEHAJIME
@duartehajime | www.duartehajime.com

View the complete DUARTEHAJIME SS24 collection here at ModaLisboa.

Check out backstage DUARTEHAJIME SS24 on ZOOT here.
Check out backstage DUARTE AW23 on ZOOT here. 

 

ARNDES

@arndes_process

View the complete ARNDES SS24 collection here at ModaLisboa.

Check out backstage ARNDES SS24 on ZOOT here.

 

Gabriel Bandeira
@gabriel.srb | see collection here.

View more of Gabriel Bandeira on ZOOT.

 

Thomas Probosch, photographer
Thomas is a photographer / filmmaker and works as art director and picture editor for different magazines. He is one of the founders of ZOOT Magazine. During the past 30 years he has lived and worked in London, New York, Barcelona and Lisbon before he moved to his hometown Nuremberg.
@thomasprobosch I www.probosch.com

Check out part one: Pink Street with Val here on ZOOT.