Macanese designer Nuno Lopes de Oliveira is preparing a new collection to present at Fashion Week in London, which will take place from 16 to 20 February. And unlike last year, this year Nuno will also include some women’s collections.
Can you tell us more about the collection you are preparing for the London Fashion show?
Yes, I am in the process of making my new collection for 2018, which will be first revealed in London and then in China and Macau, at fashion shows spreading through out the first half of the year. It will be a collection of 20 to 30 looks, and this time I will include womenswear as last year I only showcased menswear, because of so many female clients asking me to do more women’s wear. The collection will include Nuno Lopes signature statement pieces and also more commercial pieces, but still retaining the aesthetic of the brand.
How would you describe your new designs and where do you get your inspiration from?
For the new collection I picked the planet Saturn as my source of inspiration. When I was growing up, apart from my love for fashion, I was very much fascinated by science and astronomy. While watching a documentary about Saturn earlier last year, I learned that instead of raining the usual “rain” like on earth, on Saturn it actually rains diamonds because of the extreme conditions in Saturn’s atmosphere. As soon as I heard that, I instantly knew that was what I was going to do for my new collection – Diamond Rain.
There are so many other aspects of Saturn that fuel my curiosity and sparked ideas as I discovered more about the planet. I wanted to know more about this beautiful looking planet, not only its majestic appearance but also the mystery underneath its exterior. From there I continued to research more for the design development and I also took inspiration from old Hollywood art deco Sci-Fi movies.
Apparently Macau is also present in your style. Can you explain a little more about that?
The soul of Macau is the glitz and glamor and its unique cultural identity. As a 90s kid growing up, I watched this city transform from a calm harbour city into this glittering city, but it was not until I left Macau and lived in the UK that I realised and began to cherish the beauty of my home town. I love being indulged in glamor as you can see from my designs. It’s a direct reflection of myself and the influence of my upbringing in Macau. Even now, Macau keeps on inspiring me, either as I learn about a piece of history or see new architecture in the city, because art influences art, no matter what form it is.
Last year you became the first Macau designer to show your work in the London Fashion Week, and now you will return again. How did the invitation come about?
The good thing about London is the fashion industry is so vibrant and mature that there are so many platforms from different organizers for designers to showcase their work during fashion week and be noticed by people in the industry. The organizer that invited me was the Imperial London. They host fashion shows every year, and for last year when I was invited to showcase, all the profits went to Breast Cancer Research UK. Not only did I have a platform to showcase my work, but at the same time I was able to dedicate my time to such an important cause. I guess it would be a shame just to do it once right? I am aiming to do at least one London show every year.
After that, you will also showcase your collection in Shenzhen and Macau. What are your plans for these two other events?
I tend to include some old pieces in my new collection so it has a flow and a continuation of my branding. If it’s a classic statement piece why not show it again? It would be a waste being in the archive.
And are you working on any other projects in this part of the world?
Yes, there are projects still underway, but I can’t discuss them until they are set in stone. All I can say is I won’t be fading away any time soon. Stay tune. But all is beneficial to Macau culturally. As I always say, the wealth of a place isn’t just determined by the wealth of the economy, but also the richness of culture, which I think Macau lacks at the moment in terms of the creative industry.
