Marques'Almeida

DESIGNER NAMES: Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida

BACKGROUND: Marta and Paulo met at CITEX Fashion School in Portugal, from which they both graduated with distinction in 2007. They moved to London in 2009 where they gained industry experience at Vivienne Westwood/ Anglomania (Marques) and Preen (Almeida). In 2009 they started the acclaimed Fashion MA at Central Saint Martins and began working as a duo. Their graduate collection reworked street-wear references, championing a relaxed, deconstructed, effortless aesthetic.

SIGNATURES: “Raw, young, effortless and lived-in.”

TRADEMARK PIECE: “The oversize, distressed denim T-shirt with heavily frayed edges.”

IDEAL CLIENT: “Quietly defiant women.”

THE COLLECTION: “Blue, red and white. Sportswear and suits.”

CULTURAL INFLUENCES: “It's very instinctive, it has to do with what we're surrounded by at the time.”

PLANS FOR 2013: “The AW13 collection, a new e-commerce platform on our website and hopefully many more things still in the making!”