“We’re bringing colour back in a big way – it’s always been part of our DNA,” Marta Marques, co-founder of Marques’Almeida, told PA Media ahead of their spring/summer 2026 collection show. The London-based brand, originally known for its grunge-inspired shredded denim and oversized shirts, has shifted its aesthetic to embrace a more vibrant, fluid, and romantic style influenced by Portuguese culture and a distinctive ‘Latin’ approach to colour and frills.

Backstage at the Marques’Almeida show, the racks featured bold butter-yellow denim, delicate blush ruffles, and striking indigo bustiers – a palette that many have likened to the trending TikTok style dubbed “How to dress like a Portuguese girlie.” This trend celebrates clashing patterns, bold prints, and vivid colour combinations, reflecting an instinctive romance that Marques acknowledges: “Someone once told us, ‘you’ve got something very Latin about how you do colour and frills’. We’d been in London for years thinking we were grunge kids, but it stuck with us.”

The brand’s evolution has been marked by a significant creative shift, sparked during the pandemic when Marques and her husband Paulo Almeida returned to their hometown of Porto, Portugal. Trading the urban surroundings of Dalston for the softer, Atlantic light, the couple found their creative process becoming more intuitive and hands-on. “This season felt like we had to go through the discomfort of growing pains to come out on the other side with something fresher,” Marques said. “We’ve been playing around with lots more eveningwear, it felt very serious the last few seasons. This time we wanted something lighter, fresher and more instinctive.”

This new approach to design has manifested in soft, fluid silhouettes, such as frothy pink organza that pools gracefully on the floor and crisp blue shirts printed with delicate botanical sketches. The brand’s signature boyfriend jeans have been reimagined in pastel shades describing the new hue as “an elevated energy of denim.” Collaborating with Dylon Detergent, Marques’Almeida also focused on sustainability, aiming to extend the lifespan and brightness of their garments, embodying their belief in clothes that “live and grow with you.”

The show itself was crafted to be a journey, opening with heavier, darker pieces with lengths dragging and pooling, evoking a sense of tension and gravity. This transitioned to lighter, floral prints before culminating in exuberant, celebratory looks – an arc that evokes the past few years' transition from pandemic heaviness to renewed joy and lightness. Marques framed this movement as a metaphor for their brand and perhaps the industry at large.

In a vivid sign of Marques’Almeida’s dedication to community and inclusivity, singer and presenter Rochelle Humes attended the show embodying the multi-generational spirit promoted by the brand. Humes revealed she planned to pass her outfit down to her daughter Alaia, who is already keen on raiding her wardrobe, echoing the brand’s well-known “family casting” ethos. This concept, initiated in 2015, rejects the traditional rigid modeling world, instead featuring sisters, mothers, daughters, and longtime collaborators walking the runway together. “British fashion has always been about community,” Marques said, crediting shared creative support from fellow designers like Simone Rocha in their early days in London.

Now with more teaching and mentorship roles in Portugal, Marques is working to bring this same spirit of community back home, particularly important in what she describes as a “volatile” world. “If you break through that there’s lightness in community – even in small units where people speak the same language and share resources,” she said. This sense of community and sustainability informs the collection’s emphasis on durability and timelessness: garments designed to outlast fleeting trends and algorithms, such as their signature butter-washed denim and airy dresses.

Far from simply following the ephemeral rhythm of internet trends, Marques’Almeida’s approach with their spring/summer 2026 collection is a declaration that fashion can be both timely and timeless, vibrant and enduring. Their joyful colours and free silhouettes capture the spirit of current cultural shifts while paying homage to a deeply personal and cultural heritage, making this collection a celebration of both Portuguese DNA and global style.

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Source: Noah Wire Services