Rita Sá from Portugal

Rita Sá comes from a small village in Portugal, near Porto. Probably the fact that she lived in a small village made her appreciate nature in a different way, paying attention to every detail and therefore becoming very emotional. For her, emotions are the most important part of a fashion designer’s work. This is reflected in her collection 'Glass ceiling', which is centred around the idea that 'if you have a glass ceiling, don't throw rocks in the air'. The collection explores the world of hypocrisy of the individuals who believe that it is better to be a false somebody than a true nobody. In a gradational process, the collection exposes the vulnerabilities that we try to hide.

Rita Sá's new collection will be presented at the Show Program on the Saturday 16th of June. You can buy your tickets here.

What made you realize that you wanted to work in (fashion) design?
My family has a strong connection with art, which has always influenced my interests. I have no doubt that fashion was the best way for me to express my thoughts and feelings. From the beginning of the creative process, until the last retouch before the models enter the runway, I worry about every detail and live it in a very emotional and personal way. Each concept, sketch or detail - however insignificant it may be - are a very personal discovery.


What would you say are your main achievements in your career?
Being part of Sangue Novo for two consecutive seasons was a very important recognition of my work. In both events I was recognized with honorable mentions, which brought relevance to my collections. And, of course, winning the FASHIONCLASH prize was definitely the highlight of my participation in Sangue Novo with my last collection Glass Ceiling.

What are your sources of inspiration?
I like to inspire myself from very personal experiences, like things that I have experienced emotionally. And the truth is that I’ve realized this very recently. I used to tell stories in my collections about individuals that have nothing to do with me: things they had lived, commenting or criticizing their personalities. But in the end, I realized that in fact, I was telling a story about things that are representative of myself.

Why did you decide to participate in FASHIONCLASH Festival 2018?  I won the FASHIONCLASH prize at Sangue Novo, Moda Lisboa. It’s an amazing opportunity to share my work with people from other countries. Sharing knowledge and meeting people with other ways of thinking and creating is, for me, one of the most important ways for a designer to improve his work.

What do you love most about (fashion) design? What are the biggest struggles faced by young designers?
What I love most about fashion design is the fact that I’m allowed to create clothing that reflects my thoughts and my feelings. Metaphorically, each piece of clothing represents a piece of myself, and what is more special is the fact that people love them. I think the biggest struggle faced by young designers is the fact that the industry - I mean the production industry and the fabric retailers -has reached proportions that doesn’t provide space to young designers to produce small collections.

How would you define fashion?
My opinion about fashion is similar to many other fashion designer’s opinions. Fashion is an important vehicle to talk about who we are, our emotions and feelings. Not only for people who create fashion, but also for all who wake up in the morning and make choices about what they’re going to wear. Fashion allows us to make multiple choices, and we choose what defines us.

What do you think are the most important issues in fashion today?
As I said before, fashion allows each one to make their own choices about what defines them. Even someone who doesn’t care about his appearance is carrying a message about himself, which is as legitimate as others.

What challenges do you face in the design process? What are your favorite parts of the process? In my opinion the design process is not so easy as people may think. It’s usual for designers to get frustrated about their work, and that’s why I think emotions play an important role. My favorite parts of the process are the concept construction and, then, drawing the collection, telling my story, trying to transport all the conceptual ideas to a piece of clothing.

You have been awarded with the Sangue Novo Award at ModaLisboa/Lisboa Fashion Week. Did that achievement affect your career in some aspect? '
I was awarded with an Honorable Mention and with FASHIONCLASh prize at Sangue Novo. Of course, it gave my work more credibility, and as a young fashion designer with the goal to create an own brand this is a very important acknowledgement. Of course, it gave me a lot of visibility and people started being interested in my work.


How would you describe the concept behind your project (for FASHIONCLASH)? What inspired you?
My concept is very personal. The motto was the proverb “If you have a glass ceiling, don´t throw rocks in the air”, and that is a value that my father taught me, about not judging or criticizing. Censuring others for problems that are a reality in our lives is represented in each individual from the collection, who chose to believe that it is preferable to be a false somebody than a true nobody.

How would you describe your project in three words?
Contemporary, electric, storytelling.

What projects are you involved in at the moment? What are your next steps?
My next intentions are to take my work to another level, in order to establish my own brand.

What does your day look like during the design process?
You may expect two very different types of Rita during the design process: the 8 and the 80, with no in-between. It’s so unpredictable because you can try to design during the entire day and not find any solution and the day after, in less than an hour, you can have so many and beautiful ideas.

Who is your favorite designer?
I don’t have a favorite designer but I really like the storytelling of Jacquemus, the unusual beauty of Rick Owens and the vivacity of Marni.

Instagram: @ ritasa.brand