Marques’Almeida Pre-Fall 2025
By Riaan Kleyan
April 18, 2025
In a bold yet compelling shift, Marques’Almeida’s Pre-Fall 2025 collection sees the Portuguese design duo stepping into unfamiliar yet exciting terrain—glamour. Known for their raw-edged denim, deconstructed tailoring, and youthful rebellion, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida surprise us this season with a lineup that embraces elegance, maturity, and yes, even leopard print.
Presented virtually from their studio in Portugal, the collection signals an evolution in the Marques’Almeida story—a deepening rather than a departure. “We wanted to forge into new, more grown-up, perhaps more elegant territory,” Marta Marques explained, “while still owning what makes us us.” True to their word, the designers didn’t abandon their DNA; they reimagined it through a new, sophisticated lens.
Leopard Prints and 1950s Drama
Leopard spots slink across long, slim evening dresses and trailing skirts, offering a sensual new language for Marques’Almeida. It’s a daring move for a brand historically reserved with prints, but one that pays off brilliantly. There’s a clear dialogue with 1950s haute couture too, as seen in the voluminous pouf-back taffeta dresses—a knowing wink to old-world glamour, filtered through the duo’s edgy perspective.
Paulo Almeida summed it up best: “It’s event dressing—but to us there’s always an element of grunge in it.” That tension—between polished surface and undone soul—defines the collection’s magnetism.
Distressed Beauty and Witchy Romance
The designers lean heavily into fil coupé, a luxurious weaving technique typically reserved for couture houses. Here, however, it’s purposefully used to shred textures and create distressed beauty. Pajama sets shimmer with a rough elegance, while a black halter dress, captured mid-flight with its flowing train, embodies a modern, witchy romanticism.
This slight gothic undercurrent feels timely, resonating with the darker, dystopian moods emerging across global fashion runways. It’s not simply a trend adoption; it’s a natural extension of Marques’Almeida’s long-standing love for the beautifully imperfect.
Denim Reinvented – Corsets and Boyfriend Jeans
Despite the new direction, Marques’Almeida wouldn’t be themselves without their iconic denim. Pre-Fall 2025 reintroduces the fabric in corsets, bras worn as outerwear, and signature boyfriend jeans. Layered together, these pieces blur the lines between casual and elevated, crafting looks that feel intimate, rebellious, and forward-thinking.
The tension between refinement and subversion is ever-present—soft tailoring offset by rough edges, glamour punctuated with grit. It’s this carefully orchestrated contrast that keeps the collection firmly rooted in the brand’s unmistakable ethos.
Conclusion – Glamour on Their Own Terms
With Pre-Fall 2025, Marques’Almeida invites us into a new chapter—where glamour isn’t clean or perfect, but raw, personal, and alive. They demonstrate that true luxury lies not in gloss, but in authenticity. Leopard prints, shredded fil coupé, and denim corsets come together in a collection that is seductive, gritty, and entirely their own.
In a fashion world constantly swinging between maximalism and minimalism, Marques’Almeida offers a third way: grunge glamour, unapologetically undone.
Their Pre-Fall 2025 collection proves that embracing elegance doesn’t mean sacrificing edge—it means redefining it.
