There was a lot going on from the waist down at the Marques’ Almeida spring show on Sunday, marking a major milestone for the brand as it staged its first-ever runway presentation in Milan. Long celebrated as London darlings, designers Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida have spent years toying with various cities, presentation formats, and schedules. Bringing their distinct creative vision to the Italian fashion capital signals a fresh chapter for a label that has long defined a specific brand of East London cool.
From the opening look, the lower half of the silhouette commanded attention through an intricate interplay of volume, structure, and unexpected textures. Peplums sharply emphasized the waistline of lean taffeta tops paired with exaggerated barrel-leg pants, while dramatic panels jutted aggressively from both sides of asymmetric handkerchief dresses. The collection played continuously with contrasts, pairing cargo cotton miniskirts with billowing, theatrical trains crafted in velvety silk. Elsewhere, maxi ruffles generously edged shantung sundresses, and both maxi and mini silver sequins decked out snazzy evening pants that glittered under the venue lights.
Behind the dazzling array of textiles and proportions lies a deliberate stylistic shift for the design duo. Speaking to a clutch of reporters ahead of the show, Marta Marques offered insight into the creative direction driving the spring collection.
“We’re exploring this kind of occasion wear and this more dressy approach, always with that grungy undertone,” Marques explained.
The transition into evening and formal silhouettes has forced the designers to reconsider the very nature of their craft and customer base. The evolution is not merely aesthetic; it stems from a practical understanding of what contemporary consumers actually require from their wardrobes.
“What’s occasion wear for, what customers need it for, and that definitely changes the way we’re approaching design maybe in a more grown-up way,” she said reluctantly, hesitating to fully embrace a label that might distance the brand from its youthful roots.
Although they actively refute the idea that Marques’ Almeida has simply grown up in a conventional sense, Marques acknowledged that the Milan display serves as a deliberate test and try. For now, it clearly reflects the brand’s ongoing evolution within the contemporary fashion landscape. “I think it suits where we are,” she offered, capturing the pragmatic yet forward-looking attitude of the label.
Navigating This New Dressy Space While Honoring the Past
In the dressier space the designers have been experimenting with lately, they are also working hard to find a delicate balance with their underground past. That past dates back to 2011, when Marques and Almeida first launched the brand out of a humble East London studio, quickly capturing the imagination of the industry with their raw, unpolished denim and fierce DIY ethos.
The spring collection felt tailor-made for a wardrobe belonging to a DIY-minded, club-savvy type who has since outgrown their strictly rebellious spirit, yet still craves a sense of edge in their daily dressing. Rather than abandoning their roots entirely, the designers have translated that foundational energy into a more refined vocabulary suitable for a broader international stage.
Echoes of the brand’s seminal proposition were scattered throughout the runway presentation. There were offbeat plaid checks incorporated into the asymmetric dresses, evoking a nostalgic nod to nineties counterculture. A handsome black silk bias frock carried a distinct Goth undertone, while a military green bustier paired with baggy pants captured the enduring grunge spirit that first put the label on the map.
Even when the designers played strictly by the rulebook of composure and polite dressing, subtle elements injected a tougher, more rebellious story into the ensembles. A base layer-like Lycra bodysuit paired effortlessly with a balloon skirt created an intriguing tension between athletic utility and classic volume. Club-ready, high-platform, chunky sneakers peeked out from underneath floor-sweeping slipdresses, grounding the otherwise fluid garments with an unmistakable attitude. In another look, a scarf-like top was wrapped dynamically around the torso with a flowing silk frock underneath, demonstrating the kind of effortless styling ingenuity that has always been central to the Marques’ Almeida identity.
Summing up the intentional lack of rigid perfection that keeps the brand tethered to its rebellious origins, Marques noted simply, “It is not so put together.”
