Portuguese labels Marques’Almeida and Miguel Vieira to make their debut at Milan Fashion Week

It is a highly prestigious honour to close Milan Fashion Week (MFW). Although there is no fixed rule for selecting the brand that stages the final physical show — a strategic decision by the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) that varies from edition to edition — it remains one of MFW’s most symbolic moments. Over the years, this slot has been occupied by some of the biggest names in Italian fashion, including Giorgio Armani, who has closed the calendar on several occasions, particularly during commemorative or strategically significant editions. At this year’s womenswear edition, the honour goes to a Portuguese designer: Miguel Vieira. He will bring part of his Spring/Summer 2027 collection to Milan — “ready since June” — which was recently shown at the Portugal Fashion Experience — a neat parallel, as he also closed the programme there. However, it will be a larger collection, comprising roughly 75 per cent womenswear and 25 per cent menswear, reversing the ratio he has typically shown at MFW’s menswear edition, where he has long been on the official schedule.

Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida, of Marques’Almeida will also make their debut on the catwalk at Milan Women’s Fashion Week, presenting their collection on Sunday, September 27, at 1 pm, following Giorgio Armani’s show at 11 am. Meanwhile, Miguel Vieira’s new collection will take to the catwalk at 5 pm, delivering the day’s final physical show and officially closing this edition’s physical schedule, ahead of the digital presentations. Portugal Fashion is responsible for submitting the application to the CNMI and organising the shows.

The presence of the eponymous brand at MFW’s final physical show thus represents an important milestone, not only for Miguel Vieira — whose career is strongly associated with menswear, though he also designs womenswear — but also for Portuguese fashion. Indeed, as he himself notes: “I believe I am one of the Portuguese designers with the greatest international profile,” he tells FashionNetwork.com. And the good news doesn’t stop there, although the challenge is even greater, as the designer is still recovering from surgery, which prevents him from being in the atelier full-time.

“In June, Milan Men’s Fashion Week took place, of which I am now an official part and where I usually present a collection comprising 75 per cent menswear and 25 per cent womenswear,” he explains in a call. “In the meantime, the opportunity also arose to join the Milan womenswear calendar, which is much busier and more competitive. Although it’s a particularly demanding period for me, being there is very important. For someone who has always envisaged the brand on an international scale, this participation holds a very special significance.”

“As the brand’s designer, my responsibilities and pressures have increased. Although designers aren’t obliged to attend the shows, I consider it essential to follow the entire process closely,” he emphasises. “My biggest fear was having to go through the whole process again, from the presentation of the collection to the show, but this time the reverse happened: I moved from a predominantly menswear collection to one comprising 75 per cent womenswear and 25 per cent menswear.”

Throughout his interview with FashionNetwork.com, the designer from São João da Madeira — a Commander of the Order of Infante D. Henrique since 2006 — stressed: “The fact that I’m closing the official fashion calendar makes me deeply happy. I am very grateful for everything that is happening. Although I have already been invited directly to some fashion weeks, in most cases it was Portugal Fashion that made this participation possible.” 

“The fashion calendar begins with men’s fashion week, and that is when international buyers make their selections, so everything happens very early on. At that stage, the more commercial aspect of the collection was already complete and the more conceptual part was practically finalised,” he adds. “I worked intensively during the two months prior to leave everything ready before my surgery. I now realise it was an excellent decision and I’m very happy to receive this recognition from the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. I’ve long aspired to show at Milan Women’s Fashion Week as well.”

“My aim has always been first to consolidate my presence in menswear and then take that step into womenswear. Financially, the brand was still too small to take on that challenge, but I’ve always been paving the way for this moment. Being able to present the collection now, in September, gives me particular satisfaction, not least because I also design collections for women’s haute couture, bridal wear, casual wear, jewellery and footwear.”

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to show the world this side of the brand. As well as the live presentation, the show will be broadcast on screens across cities in Italy and other international capitals,” he continues. “The CNMI is highly selective and privileges Italian brands. For a Portuguese brand to be included in this official calendar represents enormous recognition. Ultimately, it is the result of many years of work and a very significant reward for a journey that began in 1988. It’s been decades and many kilometres on the catwalk.”

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“I believe I am one of the Portuguese designers with the greatest international profile. As well as being an official participant in Milan Fashion Week, I have already presented collections at official fashion weeks in Poland, Uruguay, Madrid, Paris, São Paulo, Mozambique, New York and Serbia, amongst others.”

Regarding the new collection, he says it is “around 99.9 per cent black. Creating an almost entirely black collection is a huge challenge, because each piece has to assert its own identity, despite being based on the same colour palette,” he explains.

“The fabrics continue to come exclusively from Italian suppliers, a relationship that took me many years to build and which I have no intention of changing. I work with luxury raw materials from the most prestigious Italian textile houses and I will not compromise on that quality. The relationship between the suppliers and the brand is fundamental,” he adds. “Whenever I travel to Milano Unica, about a year in advance, I’m welcomed with open arms and often have access to exclusive fabrics. Without raw materials of the highest quality, it would be impossible to develop collections of this calibre.”

The collection presented for the coming autumn/winter season, as well as part of the spring/summer collection heading to Milan, forms part of the Portugal Fashion calendar, explains Vieira, noting: “In creative terms, it is a collection characterised by contemporary elegance. I’ve introduced subtle Swarovski crystal accents, which lend refinement to the pieces without compromising the brand’s understated identity. I sought to deconstruct shapes, create new designs and explore different volumes. The result fully met my expectations and I consider this to be one of the most beautiful collections I have developed to date.”

Marques’Almeida is also making its debut on MFW’s official calendar of physical shows, following a well-established track record in London, the city where the brand — founded in 2011 by Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida — gained international recognition. Its presence in Milan marks a new phase in the global rise of the British–Portuguese label and reinforces its internationalisation strategy. It is worth recalling that, in 2015, Marques’Almeida won the prestigious LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, one of the fashion industry’s most important awards for emerging talent.

FashionNetwork.com also sought to speak to Marta Marques about this debut on the Milan catwalk. However, by the time of going to press, it had not been possible to obtain a response.

The Portuguese duo are expected to present in Milan a version of their collection recently unveiled at the Portugal Fashion Experience, characterised by a sophisticated, contemporary and glamorous aesthetic. Like Miguel Vieira, Marques’Almeida is also expected to use the Milan catwalk to showcase a broader selection from the collection designed for the Spring/Summer 2027 season, thereby strengthening the brand’s international profile amongst buyers, the trade press and other industry professionals.