Thank you India
I'm not gonna talk about how I found the true meaning of life, or about some spiritual retreat that changed my life forever. I didn't find "myself" in India. But the step I took when I decided to go there, changed the course of my life.
This post is slightly different from what I have been used to write around here, but I feel I have to write it because, this is my blog and, after all, it is about my journey through life. I'm not gonna talk about how I found the true meaning of life, or about some spiritual retreat that changed my life forever. I didn't find "myself" in India. But the step I took when I decided to go there, changed the course of my life.
O post em baixo é um bocadinho diferente daquilo a que estou habituada a escrever por aqui. Não obstante, sinto que tenho de escrever sobre isto porque, no fim de contas, este blog é sobre a viagem que é a minha vida. Não vou falar sobre como descobri o verdadeiro sentido da vida, nem sobre algum retiro espiritual. Não me "descobri" na Índia. No entanto, o passo que dei ao viajar até lá, mudou o rumo da minha vida.
Last Summer (2019) I went on a 2 month holiday that led me to India. Before my flight (and having already visited Greece, Turkey and Egypt), in Cairo, I sent all the clothes I had used until then, back home, to Portugal. All on the grounds of what was to happen. A few weeks before my trip, I made a research about sustainable fashion brands in India and got in touch with some of them, asking if they would be interested in sponsoring me. The idea was, as I had been doing on my last trips, to pose for shots Luís would take of me and subsequently post them on Instagram. That was, beyond shadow of a doubt, something that I really enjoyed doing so far. However, this time, I would wear clothes to promote brands that have as their focal point sustainability in fashion. Having managed to convince the brands, I arrived in Mumbai with an empty suitcase.
Este Verão fiz uma viagem de 2 meses que me levou até à Índia. Antes do meu voo (tendo já visitado a Grécia, Turquia, e Egipto), no Cairo, enviei todas as roupas que usara até à altura, de volta para Portugal. Tudo porque umas semanas antes, decidi procurar marcas de roupa sustentável que estivessem interessadas em patrocinar-me. A ideia era, como até ao momento tinha vindo a fazer nas minhas viagens, posar para as fotos que o Luís me tirava, e publicá-las no Instagram e aqui no meu site. Sem dúvida, algo que sempre me encantou e deu prazer. No entanto, desta vez, a roupa que usaria, seria com o intuito de promover marcas, tendo como ponto de destaque o conceito de moda sustentável. Posto isto, de mala vazia, cheguei a Mumbai.
Waiting for me, in my hotel room, were several packages that came from all over India, with magnificent clothes inside. I was astonished by how so many people/brands, who didn’t know me at all, were willing to participate in this project! Also, I was really psyched about doing this in a country that is, unfortunately, known for exploiting workers rights and that contributes greatly to environmental pollution through the garment related industries.
À minha espera, no hotel, estavam vários pacotes, provenientes de toda a Índia, com roupa magnífica, com tecidos orgânicos e/ou reciclados e artesanais, com bordados e técnicas muito interessantes. Fiquei espantada com a quantidade de pessoas que não me conhecia de lado nenhum e que alinharam neste projeto. Fiquei super motivada por poder fazer este trabalho num país infelizmente conhecido pela sua exploração das condições de trabalho e contributo para a poluição do meio ambiente através das indústrias relacionadas com a produção de vestuário.
I felt like I was standing up to the system, I got people staring at me everywhere I went, in the street, in temples, as if I were a rare bird. They would ask me where did my outfits come from. As we were on the hottest season, there were almost no foreign tourists at the time. Most of the tourists we encountered were Indian, so I was really glad to tell them that my beautiful clothes were actually designed and ethically produced in their own country.
Senti-me quase como se estivesse a desafiar o sistema, os olhares na rua, nos templos, invariavelmente caiam sobre mim, qual ave rara, e as pessoas, impressionadas, perguntavam-me de onde vinha aquela roupa que eu vestia. Na altura em que estávamos a viajar havia poucos turistas estrangeiros, por ser a época mais quente do ano, por isso, quem me abordava eram essencialmente pessoas Indianas. Com prazer, pude dizer inúmeras vezes, que era roupa criada no seu próprio país.
I spent 22 days in the North on India and the resulting photos weren’t at all disappointing. I was happy as can be with the job we’ve done (and with the great feedback I had from the brands that sponsored me). I was eager to repeat the experience, it was as if I got addicted to it, like I found something I didn’t really know I was looking for, for a long time, and now I would never let go of. Since I got back to Portugal, in June, until now, I’ve been photographed in other travels, wearing sustainable fashion and accessories from all over the world, I can only hope that the future will bring me more of it!
Percorri o norte da Índia em 22 dias e as fotos resultantes desta jornada não decepcionaram. Não podia ter ficado mais feliz pelo sucesso do trabalho (e pelo feedback entusiasmado dos meus patrocinadores pelo conteúdo que lhes enviei). Fiquei desejosa por repetir, era quase como se tivesse ficado viciada, como se tivesse encontrado algo que não sabia que procurava. Desde a minha chegada a Portugal, em Junho, até ao presente, já fotografei, em outras viagens, com produtos de inúmeras marcas de moda e acessórios sustentáveis, oriundos de várias partes do mundo, e tudo indica que o caminho se estende aberto à minha frente.
Having studied fashion design and worked as an interior designer, I’ve never dreamt of making it on social media. And I guess that the thing I was least expecting was the natural shift on the way we (Me and Luis) travel. Now, we travel not only for the pleasure of exploring new places and cultures but also with a purpose of photographing me, wearing cool, sustainable garments in those places, which sometimes feels like a job. I know that there are a lot of people that made travel photography their job and are tremendously successful by posting pics on their instagram accounts. Although I’m extremely lucky to be able to travel a lot and that subject is actually pretty interesting, per se, I felt that there was a lack of depth in my content. It looks like I have found it in sustainable fashion! It is now, actually, a full time job, as I’m always on a quest for brands I can work with and locations that are not overly explored, and also there's editind and all kinds of other things.
Tendo estudado design de moda e trabalhado como designer de interiores, nunca sonhei em trabalhar com redes sociais, e muito menos que as minhas viagens ganhassem um propósito que dá tanto prazer quanto trabalho. Sei que há outros a fotografar as suas viagens e têm muito êxito ao publicarem fotos das mesmas nas suas redes sociais. Apesar de ser uma sortuda por poder viajar tanto e esse tema ser, por si só, interessante, senti, sem dúvida, que faltava alguma profundidade ao meu conteúdo. Parece que a encontrei na moda sustentável! A pesquisa torna-se mais intensa e trabalhosa, sempre em busca de locais menos explorados e de marcas interessantes, é na realidade um trabalho a tempo inteiro.
I’m so excited to know what the future holds for me. What will be my next big destination, what other wonderful projects will I be able to embrace! Is this a new way of traveling? I only know that, for me, it definitely is!
A sede por conhecer mais deixa-me ansiosa por saber qual será o meu próximo destino e que outros projetos maravilhosos poderei abraçar! Será esta uma nova forma de viajar? Sei apenas que para mim, sim, é a minha.
If you want to know what brand I'm wearing, just click on the images and you'll be directed to the brand's website!
Se clicares nas imagens, serás redirecionado para o site da marca do outfit que tenho vestido.
❤
Timeless Watches
Portugal is a small country and some people are still very judgmental. I think that mentalities have been changing slowly in the past few years since the tourism boom. But there are still a lot of people that question the quality of what is designed here, in this tiny piece of land facing the Atlantic Ocean. Since I was born I've always heard that foreign things were so much better than what we were doing in music, fashion, architecture, food, ...When I accepted to design a collection of classical/minimalistic watches here, in my own city, I was so glad to feel part of the change! To prove that we can do it as well! I have to thank my bosses for giving me the freedom and for being so cool about everything from the first moment until the last! Now I feel I've done my job and this project can move on without me. I'll always remember it because I've learned so much, not only about the process of designing accessories as complex as watches but also because I was able to do it in a super cool and fresh environment!Photos credits are mine for Timeless Watches and bloggers Joana Vaz and Double Trouble Blog.
Fashion Five
Fashion five is a show that happens every year. It's aim is to show the work of 5 of the best students' works from 5 universities in Portugal. This year it happened in Guimarães, Europe's Culture Capital.
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most
This is one of my projects from my MA in fashion, from 2013. Inspirational images are always my starting point, and I love making moodboards.
AcrobActic
I was the winner of the prize "THE" in the 2012's AcrobActic edition! My collection will be promoted and sold at "THE" stores in Lisbon and Oporto.
"THE" stores have a minimal environment and their concept is distinguished by "the versatility on the chosen pieces and by the challenge posed to those who buy to continue the work".
(I don't own the copyright to any of these photos)