On December 11, the Palácio da Bolsa, in Porto, will host a new edition of MODAPORTUGAL LINKS, an initiative organised by CENIT – the Centre of Textile Intelligence – in partnership with ANIVEC – the National Association of Clothing and Apparel Industries. The event brings together young European Fashion Designers, the national Textile and Clothing Industry, and international specialists for a meeting dedicated to creativity, innovation and sustainability.

The event once again asserts itself as a strategic platform connecting education, design and production, highlighting the relevance of the Portuguese Textile and Clothing Industry and its role in shaping a more responsible and technologically advanced Fashion sector.

MODAPORTUGAL LINKS includes a European Fashion Design Competition, which this year features eighteen promising talents from eight leading fashion schools: Aalto University (Finland), Institut Français de la Mode (France), Polimoda (Italy), ESAD, the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon and Modatex Porto (Portugal), London College of Fashion (United Kingdom) and HEAD Genève (Switzerland).

Before the final presentation of their collections, the young Designers will visit, on 9th and 10th of December, five Portuguese textile companies and technological centres — CITEVE, INOVAFIL, IRMÃOS RODRIGUES, PEDROSA RODRIGUES and VALÉRIUS 360 — gaining insight into state-of-the-art production processes, sustainable models and industrial practices that reinforce Portugal’s position as an international reference in textile innovation.

On December 11, the eighteen creatives will gather at the Palácio da Bolsa, in Porto, to present their collections to an international jury. The competition’s final will be a catwalk show and will culminate with the announcement of the winners from each country, as well as the award for Best Collection of the MODAPORTUGAL LINKS Fashion Design Competition.

During the ceremony, the MODAPORTUGAL Business Excellence Awards will also be presented, recognising Portuguese companies that distinguished themselves over the past year in key categories for the future of the industry: Brand, Export, Industry 4.0, Investment, Sustainability and Turnover.

MODAPORTUGAL LINKS is part of the Lusitano Project, funded by the PRR – Recovery and Resilience Plan and by the European Union’s Next Generation EU Funds, reinforcing the ongoing commitment to a more sustainable, competitive and innovative Fashion sector.