An interview with the man behind the new Portuguese footwear and accessories label senhor PRUDÊNCIO

The Upcoming discovered the crafts of João Pedro Filipe, the man behind Portuguese footwear and accessories brand senhor PRUDÊNCIO, at London Fashion Week during Blow PR’s Fashion Hub Plataforma Moda. The quality and craftsmanship of his ergonomic designs is truly exceptional; he has taken classically traditional shapes and formed them into something truly unique and modern. His installation at LFW attracted many admiring eyes, including our own. We spoke to João about his highly impressive and first ever collection:

Tell us about senhor PRUDÊNCIO and the concept behind the line?

The senhor PRUDÊNCIO label can be defined as a personification of the craft of a traditional Portuguese shoemaker from the 50s that is achieved through the communication and branding of the era. Associated is my inspiration and study of both the technical and craft know-how of past times. 

You are from Portugal and reference your line as 100% Portuguese. How is this achieved?

Portugal is a country where the shoe production has particular characteristics of quality and style. Through adherence to these traditions, so the brand assumes itself as a 100% Portuguese product. 

What kind of man is the senhor PRUDÊNCIO consumer?

All the shoes and accessories are designed for a consumer who is sensitive to the contemporaneous nature of fashion and also cultural panorama, yet also appreciative of the heritage of the product he is purchasing.

The collection is beautifully designed and crafted. What was the concept in your mind when you set out?

TURBINE, the 2013 summer collection, establishes the brand’s values. Being the first, it is assumed as a “manifest” and puts forth roots for the next seasons and projects as well as brand identity. The creative process had its origins in my research on the relation between man and body: the body-builder and the machines to which are given similar characteristics, and also muscle cars. People’s aesthetic awareness of the body has changed male consumer behaviour, assuming the idea of the machine-man. TURBINE gets references in the 70s muscle cars – machines developed for a high performance, with aggressive lines and from the mechanisms generation. Another reference from this collection is the futuristic poetry of Álvaro de Campos, a Fernando Pessoa heteronym that praises the discovery of the machine and the triumph of industrial post-revolution era. Álvaro de Campos is the unison of the man/machine relation.

What do you feel it is about your line that marks senhor PRUDÊNCIO from other brands?

Senhor PRUDÊNCIO presents footwear, bags, gloves and belts that are structured, to give mobility and performance to the consumer. The collection explores the graphic side of muscle cars, the palette, textures and workmanship. The polish leathers are the main material in balance with the natural leather aspect. The graphic patterns characterise the collection giving it the notion of movement.

About João

João graduated in fashion design at CITEX, Oporto. João Pedro Filipe has complemented his education in 2008 on the Fashion Design International Program at the Institute François de la Mode (IFM), Paris. The designer founded the João Pedro Filipe Studio in 2010 and is one of five designers selected and supported by Fashion Hub 2012, the fashion platform created within the European capital of Culture Guimarães 2012.

He received the British Council Young Creative Fashion Entrepreneur Award 2012 that will allow him contact with the fashion industry in England.

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Ian Michael Turner
Photos: Courtesy of PRUDÊNCIO