Charming Carlos Gil, the Portuguese designer spoke to Fashion Heroines in “Litoral Fashion” held the last weekend in Aveiro, a beautiful city crossed by the estuary of the same name. Carlos Gil unveiled us his inspirations behind the design of his latest collection Fall / Winter 2010-11 and the fashion show which he brought to Aveiro. He spoked us about the Portuguese fashion, the desired union among all those who are able to help the Portuguese fashion sign up on the international circuit, his creative style and the strong and independent women who Carlos Gil likes wearing, which includes the Portuguese First Lady Maria Cavaco Silva.
Tell us about your latest collection Fall / Winter 2010-2011? What were their sources of inspiration for the collection, and for the fashion show?
This collection as the concept for the runway were inspired by the fusion between East and Africa that you can see in the choice of the materials, colors, the details such as the use of feathers in the hair, even in the music itself. It’s a Winter collection with a mix of different kind of materials such as silk blend with wool and fur, a perfect combination of materials or what I want it will be perfect. It is a collection that conveys a lot of peace, tranquility but at the same time it is a collection that takes us to distant and unforgettable places. I think it is a collection that people will like because of the rich colors, the cut, and all the emotion it conveys. It was not easy to mix two cultures so wrinkled as the African and Eastern and make this a balance fusion, namely the East pageantry and the peace of mind and tranquility of Africa.
I think that all collections have to take their flair but I really dislike the “too much” glow… in a certain way it bothers me . Clearly runways must have a shinny and glow side to make the collections scored. But even in catwalk I like everything to be really smooth with great attention to details. Some discretion in luxury it’s what defines me, the air must be at the same time chic and austere.
What kind of woman is that Carlos Gil likes to wear?
I like to dress the strong worker women with a very stark personality, and very assertive. It is obvious that image today is perhaps the most important thing but we cannot take it to the extreme, we must always combine the image with the personality, not disfiguring what the person really is but helping to highlight the feminine strengths to convey sophistication.
When you are creating a collection what is the most important for you: fashion or style?
Style, no doubt! Fashion is something very fleeting. The style of a person is a very strong thing and very own. Style is something that a person has or has not. It isn’t the designer who joins style and class to someone, there’s no such thing as to give style. On contrary it’s the personality that adds style to what someone wears. It is not the dress that makes the woman is the woman who makes the dress. I so agree with this sentence! I like to dress stylish women like Priscilla Presley, Vicky Fernandes and Yolanda to give some examples. These are women that add charm and class to any piece they wear.
How do you measure the temperature of Portuguese fashion? Is it cold, warm or hot?
It's very hard to tell because today we are limited in many ways, but I think that fashion in Portugal is in a very good mood, at least we have good prospects, but there is still a long way towards being a center of fashion. But I think we all have a good shoe, and a good foot into that shoe for walking all the way…
Despite the great Portuguese tradition in textiles and shoes industry with quality long been recognized, what is missing to our designers get well-known aboard?
I think that before we leave for the foreign markets we have to conquer the Portuguese market. Sometimes what's missing in Portugal is the union. If each pull just for himself we cannot get anything, the union instead generates a large force and leads to great things. I think when this is done, first in the Portuguese market and then externally it is all much easier.
When you refer to the union you are talking about the designers?
I'm talking about the designers, producers… and everyone who are involved in fashion. People sometimes think that fashion is only the designers but it is not. There is a great team that is behind the designer: the make-up artists, hairdressers, a good DJ, who works the runway, one that ensures the financial part, producers, event organizers… all that staff will be very united on the same goals in order to make a big fashion show and are this glowness that I like and for which I live.
How do you see that Portuguese fashion magazines (or Portuguese editions of international magazines) use few pieces of Portuguese designers in their fashion editorials?
I think people like the unachievable. They think they have much more value to show a piece which is only accessible to a few. Wearing a piece of Carlos Gil is much easier than a piece of Chanel or YSL. In my opinion the failure of Portuguese editorials, in what this matter is concern, is once again the lack of the union that I already spoke above. But this whole situation is very behind and everything depends of the magazines’ guidelines. People are open to support Portuguese designers or not. Fortunately, today there are people with a certain status who are keen to wear Portuguese brands. This is the case of our First Lady Maria Cavaco Silva, who prefers to wear pieces from a Portuguese designer. She is a good example in the use of principles which promoted Portuguese fashion that everyone should follow.
Carlos Gil became responsible for the wardrobe of the First Lady. How did it happen?
In my life everything happened very spontaneous! I'm the designer of the Portuguese singer Katia Guerreiro and one day Katia weared a Carlos Gil's suit that the First Lady Maria Cavaco Silva liked a lot and she asked who was the designer of Katia. So I popped on the scene.
It is a challenge to wear the First Lady of Portugal?
Everything in my life is a challenge, life is a constant challenge… Today to be here and talking to you is a challenge, why? Because it could go wrong. Dressing the First Lady is a challenge that brings additional difficulties for the position she plays, I have to be very insightful ... As for style is concern I can’t change the style of a person but I must respect each personality, and it is important for the designer to make bloom the personal style of his clients. So dressing the First Lady it has been a very interesting work and a challenge over the past five years and it requires much effort but I managed to achieve the goals I had set.
If you had to sum up your work as designer in a few words what would they be?
The main thing is comfort. I have to assure that all the pieces are comfortable either by touching the fabrics, the silhouette… if the piece is wearable. Then the elegance because there isn't comfort without elegance and vice versa. If the person does not feel well she or he cannot be stylish. Then there is the glamour but with discretion and sophistication, all seasoned with lots of chic simplicity.
Photography by Joao Lamares (http://www.joaolamares.com/ )
Text by Paula Lamares to Fashion Heroines
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