The sixteen year old model, Thomas Van Keulen, was featured at Daily Duo - MODELS.com's showcase of the best new faces.
"Lisboa lad Thomas has the looks of a burnished Botticelli angel. With his golden curls and almond eyes with is a boy with very potent potential (...) well spoken, intelligent, and just beautiful, Thomas is straight up heavenly." Rosie Daly
Read the full article here: https://models.com/newfaces/dailyduo/55803
by Rehana Nurali
WAM Magazine is all about presenting the best quality in everything we do that’s why we teamed up with Embassy - Niche Perfumery to give an exclusive and unique touch to our WAM Covers. Ricardo Claudino is the person responsible for this store located in Lisbon and for bringing this new concept of niche perfumery to Portugal. WAM Magazine talked to him to know more about how this project was created and about his plans for the future. Take a look.
Embassy - Niche Perfumery Store in Lisbon - Rua Rodrigues Sampaio 89
We know that you’ve already worked as a model, nationally and internationally. So how did the transition to the world of perfumery happen?
This passion was born precisely when I was working as a model because I used to travel a lot and when I had free time one of my favorite hobbies was to visit different perfumeries from each city, especially Milan. At that time I had no deep knowledge about perfumes so the most important thing was just to try new scents and new olfactory sensations.
What distinguishes Embassy from other perfumeries in Portugal?
Embassy is a place where you can actually talk about perfumes and where the highlight are the niche perfumes, the ones that you can’t easily find elsewhere. At Embassy you’ll feel comfortable in a cozy environment but at the same time you’ll also have a selection of the most exclusive brands and projects of independent perfumers.
How do you choose the perfumes you have for sale? Do you travel to the countries where they are made?
Embassy’s portfolio was designed to contain a little bit of everything, from the delicacy of the orange blossom to the wonderful natural oud scent. Nowadays with the internet we are able to reach every brand without having to travel. However quality is the most important feature for us so we always travel to the ateliers where the perfumes are made so we can get to know more about each brand’s DNA.
Which are the main brands people can find at Embassy?
People can find really important brands in terms of niche like Heeley, Andy Tauer, Stéphane Humbert Lucas, Laurent Mazzone, Floris, Pure Distance or Hervé Gambs.
What is the minimum and maximum price of a perfume at Embassy?
As the name itself indicates, Embassy is a space open to all perfume lovers since perfume is the most affordable luxury good of all. Therefore each person will be able to find a perfume suitable for their budget.
What do you like most about your job?
What I like the most in this area of niche perfumery is the mind travelling power perfumes have. Either it’s travelling to the past because scent has this power to connect us to memories or just travel through our own imagination.
What do you like the least?
What I like the least is to feel that in a country as developed as Portugal, Portuguese people haven’t discovered yet that niche perfumery is an experience that everyone should have. One thing is certain, once a person has their first experience this becomes a one-way trip because the stories and the quality felt in niche perfumery won’t allow them to try anything else.
What are your prospects for the future?
I believe that future perfumeries will be like Embassy. Spaces with a direct and close contact with the clients, who know their preferences, which perfume is best to use at any given time and who have a deep knowledge about each perfume’s component. We are moving towards a future in which exclusivity and authenticity are increasingly important.
by Rehana Nurali
For Dino Alves the most important thing was always the truth and that’s the statement he passed on his last show at Lisboa Fashion Week FW 17. Having this in mind WAM Magazine talked to Dino Alves to find out more about him and his last collection “Manual de Instruções” (Instruction Manual).
What sparked your interest in fashion?
I always felt that I had a connection with fashion for my way of being in life. But I never decided to go to the fashion area, I never decided to be a designer. Actually when I had to choose I chose to be a painter also because at that time fashion didn’t have much of the artistic side it has today. But I always had fashion in mind since I was a kid because I don’t think it’s just about combining a pair of pants with a shirt, it’s more than that. Fashion comes from the inside, you need to have style, otherwise you can try all the clothes and it won’t work.
Do you feel like you’ve ever walked through life mistaken?
I was mistaken about other things but never about this. I made sure I always kept faithful to what I think is the truth. That’s why I don’t have any partners. I know that if that happens it will have to be with a person like me who gives primacy to the truth. I also feel that the trigger point for me was believing year after year that things would change but the years passed and nothing changed. I looked at the things I used to do when I started and it was clear to me that I did those things without being aware. Of the costs. Of the time it took. Of everything. I still feel fulfilled now doing what I do but I feel I had more freedom before. It was insane but at that time I only thought about my desire to create. Now I still want to feel free but I can’t be as unconscious as I was 10 years ago. I give a lot but then I don’t have much return. The best return is to have a few people in my life with whom I really have a true connection and of course the title that no one can take away from me: the title of Portuguese’s fashion “Enfant-terrible”.
What inspires you to create?
I constantly say I get inspired by life and by people. Even when I pass by the street I see something that at first might not be that relevant but it can be the starting point of something. Nowadays I definitely get more inspiration from people and social causes. I never got my inspiration from a movie or a piece of art and although I’m not really a political person I think that what I do turns out to be political because I don’t feel fulfilled with just the design. That’s something most people are able to do. So I want to do more than that. I want to react to something through fashion.
In this specific collection what was your inspiration?
My inspiration was the fact that there is a discrepancy between the enthusiasm of going to a show and then how this enthusiasm is actually reflected after. Because in the end how many people that goes to the show actually end up buying the pieces and demonstrating a real interest? In Portugal there aren’t designers who have 400 or 200 clients, that doesn’t exist here. That’s why during Ana Bola and Maria Rueff’s presentation of the show I made clear that in that room I only had like 5 or 6 direct clients.
Although people assume my pieces are very expensive without even trying to know the real price I also had in consideration that nowadays there isn’t much purchasing power. That’s why I made a collection without locks, buttons and this wasn’t because these items are expensive but because of the time it takes to apply them. Therefore, I reduced the effort to the minimum. All of this has it’s funny side because people have no idea of how much it costs and people who say “I was expecting more from this collection” are the ones that usually understand this the least that’s why I felt like saying “Really? Do it yourselves then” and this was highlighted in a funny way in the presentation.
This is a message that concerns all designers. I was just the spokesperson of them all. So I’m really happy that now after the show I can feel the support of my colleagues like Ana Salazar that is without a doubt the mother of Portuguese fashion and others like Nuno Baltazar and Valentim Quaresma. This is one of the reasons I wanted to grab this statement I made and make it theirs too. Make this for all of us. Because the difficulties I have to go through are the same for them.
What advice do you give to the designers who are just starting out?
I think that the way to go is for people to be original and don’t go after anyone’s ideas. People should just follow their own ideas and remain truthful to who they are. I’m totally certain that that made like 80% of my success. People need to make sure that their work passes their own truth because everyone can see when something isn’t authentic.
Are there any professional goals you think you haven’t reached yet?
What I feel on a professional level is that I should not have to work this hard to achieve things and with that I’m obviously not saying I don’t have flaws but this is what I want the most. I feel that I have ambition but I’m not a materialistic person. I really cherish the people who have been with me in this journey and I know I was able to pass a good energy to them and make a real connection. This human side is surely one of the most important aspects in my professional life.
What do you think about the current national fashion scene and its future?
Honestly I’m not sure because the main thing here is that we are in Portugal and it’s not a big country so obviously there is a larger artistic expression in other countries and a greater impact. That’s the major difference for things being much harder here than in other places. Despite that I see my colleagues’ shows and I feel that most of them really are as good as other international designers. There is not a lack of creativity but we’ll never be a country focused on fashion although this might change in the future. Another thing is that for us to go abroad we need to have a structure in those countries and this is something that, in the last instance, needs support. So for the future let’s hope this changes and people don’t just settle down.
Dino Alves' "Manual de Instruções" Collection - Lisboa Fashion Week Fall Winter 17
See bellow some of the best looks from Lisboa Fashion Week Fall Winter 17:
Day 1 - Lisboa Fashion Week FW 17
Day 2 - Lisboa Fashion Week FW 17
Day 3 - Lisboa Fashion Week FW 17
by Rehana Nurali
WAM Magazine went to Lisboa Fashion Week and got the chance to interview Filipe Faísca, an inescapable presence at portuguese runways. Take a look to get to know him better and to see what he has to say about “Caleidoscópio”, the last collection he presented at Lisboa Fashion Week Fall Winter 17.
What sparked your interest in fashion?
Fashion for me is life and it started really early, even when I was four years old I used to tell my mother how she should get dressed to go out. So for me there is something in the fabric that is closely connected with the skin, it’s more intuitive and it’s more about the feeling than about the thinking...
What inspires you to create?
I get inspiration from the world and the universe itself. It’s always inspiring to go out and to feel the energy that surrounds us. Besides that I get most of my inspiration from travelling.
In this specific collection what was your inspiration?
It was the speed with which life passes by today and having that in consideration we need to realize that there is neither time nor space. We are living a life of plurality and a mix that in fact has always been part of Lisbon since the 14th century where the trade increased. So nowadays a woman’s wardrobe has to be efficient and therefore we worked hard on this trend that is related to sports which is something that currently everyone talks about. But we worked this trend in our own way with our House’s DNA. It’s all about the details, the manufacture and handcraft. That’s why people can see a sportswear line that is well thought out and with many finishing touches.
What advice do you give to the designers who are just starting out?
The advice I give is that they should have a lot of persistence and willpower because it really takes a strong will and a true pleasure for doing this to get somewhere.
Are there any professional goals you think you haven’t reached yet?
Of course, I think I still have to reach industrialization because I’m just an atelier that makes pieces one by one.
What do you think about the current national fashion scene?
My view of the national fashion scene is wonderful, I think it’s boiling. But like I said before it’s important to be aware that fashion in its manufacturing side is a really precious thing like making furniture, watches and jewelry. It’s so meticulous that you have to be very careful with it.
Filipe Faísca's "Caleidoscópio" Collection - Lisboa Fashion Week Fall Winter 17
by Rehana Nurali
Vasco Freitas loved to play football and to surf so it never crossed his mind to work as a hairstylist. It all began when he was 15 surrounded by his father’s barber tools and using his friends’ hair to experiment.
Now his passion for the job combined with his talent made him the Portuguese professional in the fashion industry who apart from models has been working more internationally wise.
Vasco just finished an incredible season at the Fashion Weeks. New York, Paris, Milan, you name it, he did it all. Working for designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Versace, Valentino, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Sacai, Alexander Wang, Victoria Beckham, Marc Jacobs, Bottega Veneta and Fenty x Puma. Side by side with names like Luigi Murenu, Pat McGrath, Giulio Panciera and Yusef amongst so many others. Besides that he’s on the team for the Victoria’s Secret show.
You are one of the most successful Portuguese professionals in the area, both nationally and internationally. Recently you had an outstanding season in New York, Milan and Paris fashion weeks. Tell us a bit more about that experience.
It was very good. In every season there are new designers and the brands themselves change their marketing strategy every time so it’s really great to have the chance to be part of these projects where our job has worldwide repercussion. And as you can imagine it was an enriching experience taking into consideration that I’m constantly training and learning and committed to be on top of everything that’s new in the market so I can always be evolving.
What do you think has changed from the first day you’ve started as a hairstylist till now?
Everything really. I’m a person who’s in constant change. Every 6 months I have new projects and international challenges so I always try to be 100% prepared for it.
What inspires you the most to create?
Travelling is definitely what inspires me the most. Just getting involved with different cultures of the countries I go, whether it’s a business trip or just leisure.
Do you have a mentor or someone you really appreciate in your area?
Luigi Murenu for sure.
You already have a hair salon in Porto. Is it in your plans to open a space in Lisboa?
Yes. I hope 2018 will be the year that I make that happen but in the meanwhile for those who want to put their hair in my hands I’ll be going monthly to a hair salon in Chiado area starting next month.
What do you think should change in the national fashion scene?
Well that’s pretty easy. Instead of designers creating their own brand, the brands themselves should start having their own designers. I think this is the only way we can do something that has an international visibility.
Which international designers do you admire the most?
Each designer has its own singularities and it’s obvious that the best designers play alongside with big Houses in the Fashion Industry. As I said before, every season the brands change their designers, image and concept but despite that I always have my favorites. The designers I admire the most are Raf Simons, The House Valentino and Givenchy.
Is there anyone you would like to work with and haven’t had a chance yet?
Yes. With photographer Steven Meisel.
You´ve been working abroad for some time but do you feel that now was the time you’ve consecrated yourself?
No. I never expected to be consecrated by anything, much less by the fashion industry in Portugal where people have opinions and considerations about myself without even knowing me. Furthermore, I never did this for anyone. I always wanted the best for me and for whoever is with me. So, as for everything else I can just say “I don’t lie to myself”.
As for his prospects for the future Vasco says that most of all he would like to be worldwide the Vasco he is in Portugal. Having in consideration the great guy he is that part is going to be easy. WAM Magazine can’t predict the future but we can state that professionally the top of the world is already counting him in.
by Rehana Nurali
Maria Borges, a model who made history in 2015 as the first model to walk the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show with her short natural curls, is now announced as the new face of L'oreal Paris.
Maria recently walked for major shows like La Perla, Badgley Mischka, Brandon Maxwell and Ralph Lauren. Now she's the new ambassador of L'oreal Paris, a brand that she's already worked before and for which she did this year's Skin Campaign.
In light of this news, Maria Borges said in a statement "I believe in the beauty of diversity and the empowering message that a girl who started from the bottom can be an international beauty symbol and be the living proof that our dreams are valid and the future ahead of us is bright".
by Rehana Nurali
After 12 years, Riccardo Tisci, one of the biggest names in fashion, leaves Givenchy.
Riccardo Tisci, who's known for being the creative director of Givenchy and for giving it a twist with his own edgy image, has left the LVMH-owned couture house on January 31.
The company has confirmed to WWD that his last collections were fall men's wear and spring couture and for now his successor is still unknown.
This recent news, brought up speculation that Tisci's is heading to Versace, a brand for whom he has already expressed a great admiration.
During his time in Givenchy, he challenged the boundaries and made remarkable changes.
Take a look at the images bellow to see some of Riccardo Tisci's most memorable Givenchy campaigns:
