who am i
I was born in Lisbon, with Alentejo roots. The white light of Lisbon and the whitewashed houses of Alentejo, the sea and the cereal fields, the urban coastline and the rural interior are imprinted on me. These are elements that are always present in my work, reflected in the tones and textures I work with, in the forms and concepts. I feel that there is always some reference to Portugal, be it a popular custom, a color or a musical theme as a starting point for the pieces I design and create.
I started drawing from a very young age and always with a special interest in the human figure. This is one of the first memories I keep. From drawing the human body I naturally moved to designing clothes. Draw the body and draw for the body.
My initial training in Industrial Styling, in Lisbon, brought me closer to the Design processes used in the clothing industry, although I have always felt passionate about Haute Couture techniques. My garments mix these two worlds, choosing high quality materials, industrial modeling, manual and artisanal finishes.
I'm Nuno Abelho
During my journey, I designed collections for both tailoring and sports and theater costumes. In my personal brand, I develop, above all, an identity of my own and a style that I intend to be timeless, averse to trends.
My work, essentially related to the Visual Arts, is developed in several areas such as fashion, illustration, engraving and photography. I define myself as a restless spirit interested in exploring new means of artistic expression. That’s why I entered the University of Évora, completing a degree in Plastic Arts and Multimedia. This multidisciplinarity allows me to develop projects in which my garments are also translated into sculptural objects with a strong scenic component.
I chose Alentejo...
…more specifically the city of Elvas, to live and found my atelier, where the Nuno Abelho brand is developed.
I work with a very close team of seamstresses, with their knowledge acquired over decades. Because I believe in the passing of knowledge between generations and in the preservation of ancient knowledge that can be transferred to the present, merged with modern concepts. In my atelier, together, as a team, we embody the pieces that make up the collections I design.
It is also in this space that I develop projects in the area of photography, serigraphy, engraving and cyanotype. Always open to interacting with artists and artisans from other areas, I give as an example the collections where I integrated the embroidery of the Arraiolos Rugs, applied to garments. I regularly collaborate with photographers, illustrators, film directors, musicians, singers and writers, demonstrating the variety of artistic projects in which I am involved.
The idea of temporal transversality is a reference in my work. With the History of Art, looking at the disciplines of Painting, Sculpture and Photography, I work on ideas related to identity, memory, reflection and repetition. Screen printing or cyanotype are techniques that reflect these different concepts.
This is my work...
…in fashion or clothing, which I design, the materials I use are fabrics with a strong and varied chromatic palette, favoring noble and natural fibers such as silk, wool or brocades with embossed textures, seeking to highlight the structure and volume of the fabric. piece and its relationship with the body.
I highlight the representation of my work in the collection of the National Museum of Costume, in Lisbon, where I presented my first collection in 1998.
This year, 2023, I celebrate 25 years of career.
Who am I
I started drawing from a very young age and always with a special interest in the human figure. This is one of the first memories I keep. From drawing the human body I naturally moved to designing clothes. Draw the body and draw for the body.
I'm Nuno Abelho
During my journey, I designed collections for both tailoring and sports and theater costumes. In my personal brand, I develop, above all, an identity of my own and a style that I intend to be timeless, averse to trends.
My work, essentially related to the Visual Arts, is developed in several areas such as fashion, illustration, engraving and photography. I define myself as a restless spirit interested in exploring new means of artistic expression. That’s why I entered the University of Évora, completing a degree in Plastic Arts and Multimedia. This multidisciplinarity allows me to develop projects in which my garments are also translated into sculptural objects with a strong scenic component.
I chose Alentejo...
I work with a very close team of seamstresses, with their knowledge acquired over decades. Because I believe in the passing of knowledge between generations and in the preservation of ancient knowledge that can be transferred to the present, merged with modern concepts. In my atelier, together, as a team, we embody the pieces that make up the collections I design.
The idea of temporal transversality is a reference in my work. With the History of Art, looking at the disciplines of Painting, Sculpture and Photography, I work on ideas related to identity, memory, reflection and repetition. Screen printing or cyanotype are techniques that reflect these different concepts.
This is my work...
…in fashion, or clothes, that I design, the materials I use are fabrics with a strong and varied chromatic palette, favoring noble and natural fibers such as silk and wool or brocades with embossed textures, seeking to highlight the structure and volumetry of the piece and its relationship with the body.
