Models and designers are not the only ones who come to Lisbon Fashion Week to flaunt their style. Many of the shows' attendees - from members of the public to fashion journalists - sport outfits almost as elaborate as those on the catwalk.
Reuters photographer Rafael Marchante spent time snapping portraits of some of fashion week's flamboyant visitors.
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"The fashionistas surprised me from the beginning: their codes, their gestures, their glasses…"
“I’ve just arrived on the Planet of the Apes.” That was my thought two years ago, the first time I worked at Lisbon Fashion Week.
To me, everything seemed to be from another planet; it was my first serious contact with the world of fashion and the atmosphere was entirely new to me.
The fashionistas surprised me from the beginning: their codes, their gestures, their glasses… Everything about their exaggerated existence caught my attention.
In general, I found their environment pretty frivolous. In fact, during the presentation of the Spring/Summer 2012 collection in Lisbon, I thought it might be interesting to ask people working there to explain the concept of frivolity to me. The conclusion I drew from my conversations was that, in the fashion world, the idea of frivolity is not as pejorative as it might be in other environments.
When you work backstage at a fashion show, you get an idea of the human ecosystem of the whole business. You can catch a glimpse of a model cutting her nails while she drinks coffee, fashion designers crying after their show, make-up artists running to give someone their final touch up.
But, without any doubt, one of the best things about the Lisbon Fashion Week is its attendees. When the event gets going, the models are not the only ones who parade; members of the public get involved too, as do journalists specialised in fashion, or staff who help to organise the events.
There are people who take advantage of these three days to dazzle with their outfits. Best of all, they love to be photographed.
(Writing by Rafael Marchante; Editing by Hannah Vinter)