Madeira is a Portuguese island of volcanic origin, 951 km south-west of Lisbon and 737 km west of the Moroccan coast in the Atlantic Ocean. Its generally know as the Island of flowers. During last Moda Madeira our beauty editor Antonia Rosa took the chance to team up with photographer Henrique Seruca and fashion designer Luis Carvalho. He was invited to show his SS24 collection while Antonia was leading the backstage team of the shows. They decided to take one morning to photograph four looks inside a banana plantation.
Photography Henrique Seruca
Creative direction and make-up by Antonia Rosa using Clarins,
and ROWE Beauty x Antonia Rosa Artist Palette
Assisted by Frederico Simao
Styled by Luis Carvalho featuring LUIS CARVALHO SS24
Talent Sara Caldas from Affection Agency
Words Andrea Probosch
Interview Kelly Bernardo
Special thanks to BAM Centro de bananas de Madeira and to Moda Madeira
and to Margarida from Showpress
Luis was choosing the looks and our team went into BAM, a banana research and experimentation center, located 15 km from Funchal. A banana plant is not a tree but a giant herbaceous flowering plant. Amongst others they also cultivate the Madeira Banana Musa x paradisiaca “Dwarf Cavendish”, a smaller, sweeter and more flavoursome banana than we get generally in European supermarkets. What may appear as a trunk or stem of the banana is actually a cluster of leaves tightly fused together, it is the largest known plant without a woody stem or stalk. The first banana plants landed in Madeira in the 16th century as a botanical curiosity.
Antonia went for a colourful, bold make-up and Madeira based photographer Henrique captured our model Sara in between huge deep green banana leaves, they provided the perfect backdrop for this tropical editorial. Special congrats go from all our team to Henrique and his family, not long ago they got a baby boy.
Back in Lisbon ZOOT caught up with Luis Carvalho for an interview to talk about his inspiration and his creative process of designing, please read it below.
ZOOT: What is your inspiration behind the SS24 collection?
Luis Carvalho: Shelter 2.0 offers a new perspective on the first collection presented at ModaLisboa. The collection is a fusion of classic and casual elements, creating silhouettes that intertwine simplicity and elegance. The exploration of genderless persists, and we revisit the holographic metallics and distinctive pattern of the first collection presented at Modalisboa in 2013.
ZOOT: How does this collection differ from your previous work?
Luis Carvalho: Shelter 2.0 marks a significant evolution from our first collection. The fusion between classic and casual elements is more pronounced, with a deliberate focus on creating layered and cut-out pieces. The use of holographic metallics and the reimagined pattern from the first Shelter collection brings a nostalgic yet contemporary feel to the pieces.
ZOOT: What materials, fabrics and colours did you predominantly use in this collection?
Luis Carvalho: The SS24 collection features a curated selection of materials, including crepe, silk satin, taffeta, organza, and jacquard. These fabrics were chosen for their ability to enhance the vision of merging classic and casual styles while providing the necessary structure for layered designs. The colour pallete for Shelter 2.0 includes classic tones such as navy, white, sand, and pale pink. Green is the main colour, adding vibrancy to the collection.
ZOOT: Were there any cultural, architectural or historical influences that played a role in shaping this collection?
Luis Carvalho: Nature and architecture are always main references/inspirations in my collections.
In this one the nature provide the image that bring us to the print, that is amplify image of a stone and all the layers and cuts cums from architectural shapes.
ZOOT: How do you envision people feeling when they wear your pieces and how do you balance creativity with wearability in your designs?
Luis Carvalho: When people wear Luís Carvalho pieces, I envision them experiencing a sense of empowered elegance. The silhouettes, carefully crafted with a blend of classic and casual elements, are designed to evoke confidence and comfort.
I always think about the end consumer when I design a collection. The commercial part is very important in my work, as I need to sell the pieces to be able to continue my work, I always have margin for a percentage of the collection where I can develop more “show” pieces but mostly create ready-to-wear collections where the pieces distinguished by construction or design details
ZOOT: Can you share any sustainable or ethical practices integrated into this collection’s production?
Luis Carvalho: Firstly, our decision to produce on a small scale in Portugal inherently aligns with sustainability principles. In addition, we prioritize the use of sustainable raw materials and often incorporate dead stock from factories into our designs, contributing to the reduction of textile waste.
Furthermore, my hands-on involvement in the entire production process, from development to manufacture, ensures meticulous attention to ethical standards.
ZOOT: Can you walk us through the creative process behind creating a collection?
Luis Carvalho: The creative process is varied, it depends from collection to collection. There are collections that start from an image that I find and from there I create the concept around it, other times I start by choosing materials and developing the concept that makes sense to use them, or I simply create a concept based on inspiration from some music, travel or memory.
ZOOT: What aspects of your personal style or identity do you see reflected in this collection?
Luís Carvalho: I think all the collections have a lot of my style and personal identity. They are a bit of a reflection of me and what I look as an aesthetic for my brand and public, a mix between casual and classic.
Thank you Luis!
To boot…
Check out the backstage of the Luis Carvalho SS24 collection here on ZOOT.
View the complete AW 23/24 collection here at ModaLisboa.
Check out backstage Luis Carvalho SS23 on ZOOT.
Luís Carvalho
