Daniela Barros & Joao Melo Costa catwalk show report for LFW S/S 2015

This season, London Fashion Week brings us two current and talented fashion designers from Portuguese fashion, Daniela Barros and Joao Melo Costa who showcased their designs at the Fashion Scout catwalk.

Daniela Barros’s collection was first to take to the stage, her designs were smartly tailored utilizing her artistic vision and technique with garments cut higher up on one side revealing more skin with the other side covered up which gave the collection a special edge. It also reflected Daniela Barros’s experimentation and creativity.

Daniela Barros decided on a limited colour pallet as most of her creations were made from monochrome colours which suggested the mood of her collection, bold and vivid. However an accessory that Daniela Barros featured in her collection propped up towards the end of the show and foregrounded the entire collection. Over-sized bags, one model clutched onto a large black statement clutch bag which brought the outfit together. Two other models wore over-sized back packs in black and white that gave the outfit a school uniform look. Although her styles may seem minimalistic, the over-sized tailoring and over-sized accessories made every piece memorable, creative and innovative.

As the lights dimmed it was time for Joao Melo Costa’s collection to take center stage. He showcased designs that screamed bravery. Costa’s collection was inspired by paper like textures and fabrics and had a forest like feel to it. The music matched the vibe of the collection perfectly, the rhythm of the drums were in time for when the models strutted down the runway.

The collection also had a strong tie-die theme running through it and nature inspired floral prints, he added a mixture of vibrant colours consisting of bright purple, lime green and pink. Joao Melo Costa’s designs reflected a dreamlike garden with exciting shapes and prints, easy breezy beautiful.

All in all Daniela Barros brought us sharp lines and geometric patterns while Joao Melo Costa revealed colour and texture in his collection.

Humaa Mahmood
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina