Menswear MA student Gabriel Silva Barros was recently awarded the ModaLisboa x RDD Textiles Award on 8 March during the Sangue Novo competition at Lisbon Fashion Week 2025. This award recognises emerging designers who demonstrate innovation in textile development, sustainability and technical excellence.
Lisbon Fashion Week, also known as ModaLisboa, took place from 6 to 9 March 2025. This 64th edition was themed ModaLisboa Capital, provoking and challenging the value of capital from a geographic, creative, cultural and economic point of view, showcasing the growing business of fashion within Portugal, as well as offering subjects of capital importance such as responsibility, technology and digital transformation, discussing the sustainability of the sector. This edition featured a series of fashion shows, workshops and cultural activities across various venues in Lisbon. The event included collaborations with institutions like the Gulbenkian Modern Art Centre and Museu do Design (MUDE), emphasising the intersection of fashion and art, as well as fashion shows at Pátio da Galé, showcasing collections from both emerging and established designers.
The Sangue Novo competition is a prestigious platform dedicated to discovering and nurturing emerging fashion designers. It serves as a launchpad for young talent, giving them the opportunity to showcase their collections, gain industry exposure and receive mentorship from established fashion professionals. Finalists presented their collections in front of a panel of experts, competing for various awards. Key experts included Miguel Flor, Creative Director and Editor-in-chief of the Prinçipal ModaPortugal magazine, Joana Jorge, Project Manager at ModaLisboa, fashion designer João Magalhães, Ana Tavares, CEO of RDD Textiles, and Olivia Spinelli, Artistic Director at IED Moda Milano.
The ModaLisboa x RDD Textiles Award was presented to Gabriel Silva Barros for placing sustainability at the heart of his collection by repurposing second-hand garments and deconstructing them into new textiles and designs.
By receiving this award, Gabriel now has the opportunity for a three-month internship at RDD Textiles, a Portuguese company developing and supplying sustainable textile innovations for global brands, to create a collection with innovative materials/processes from RDD, as well as a 1,750-euro scholarship.
About this Award, Gabriel said: “Masculinity has been deeply ingrained in us and rarely questioned. The definition of a man remains largely uniform, with little room for diversity. I want to challenge these societal constructs and dress a man in a way that feels authentic to me.
“Devolta Ao Mar draws inspiration from fishermen’s uniforms, reimagined after a night at the masquerade crossdressing. I imagined the fishermen waking up at the beach shore, unsure if the masquerade happened or if it was just a dream.”
Designed from the leftovers of the Masquerade, the collection repurposes flannel shirts from Gabriel’s family, along with knits and fabric scraps crossed-over from the SS25 Graduate Collection at the Masquerade At The Gentlemen’s Club. Gabriel deconstructed, retextured and printed on these materials, transforming them and giving a new meaning. Soft fabrics were treated with wax to resemble the toughness of leather, representing a metaphor for masculinity itself.
Anthony Rawson-Campbell, Course Leader of Menswear MA, added: “We are incredibly proud of Gabriel's achievement in winning this prestigious award. Menswear MA graduates consistently innovate on international platforms, defining the future of fashion through responsible design. Gabriel's upcoming three-month internship at RDD Textiles is an excellent opportunity to advance his practice and further push creative boundaries in menswear.”
Gabriel’s achievements directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education and 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Learn more about the Menswear MA course at Westminster.
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