Somerset native's designs land in Vogue Portugal, spark interest in fashion industry
SOMERSET – Emerging fashion designer Lianne Almeida has been sketching her dreams since age five, while watching her vóvó (grandma) making clothes for the whole family, but it was only last year that she took the leap and made her creations a reality.
With just four designs in her portfolio, she immediately sparked interest in the fashion industry on both sides of the Atlantic after landing an editorial in Vogue Portugal and her gowns were featured in three different issues.
“Having my first editorial featured in Vogue is an honor beyond words,” said Almeida, who now divides her time between New York and her hometown of Somerset, Mass. “It’s not just about the international recognition; it’s a platform for stories like mine — of other first-generation creatives with big dreams.”
Fusing modern and timeless styles, the corseted silhouette gowns featured in the editorial titled ‘Homecoming, a Couture Love Story’ were inspired by her Portuguese heritage and artisanal craftsmanship.
“There are so many Portuguese people who sew things and make all this stuff for their family, but no one is really into making luxury stuff,” she said. “I thought it was kind of cool to morph them together. I did these dresses in blue and white specifically because I was inspired by the Portuguese tiles and things like that.”
Almeida’s Vogue editorial unveils personal journey of rediscovery
Captured by Pedro Moura Sim?o in the historic Alfama neighborhood of Lisbon, the images of her gowns being worn by a Portuguese model were aimed at unveiling a personal journey of rediscovery, honoring culture, resilience, and the courage to pursue dreams against all odds.
“The concept I wanted to come across was the magic and the beauty of being first generation and in love with your culture,” she said. “I have one shot of my model on a hotel trolley and my dad used to be a bellboy in that exact area. One of the shots with tiles was taken at an Azorean café. My mom is from the Azores, so I was trying to incorporate different pieces of the story into it.”
The magazine spread led to an outpour of inquiries about her designs. She said she never imagined that Vogue Portugal would have such a reach, including here in the United States.
“So many people flooded my inbox after Vogue,” she said.
Almeida is currently working with a luxury fashion pattern and sample making studio in New York to make her gowns. The studio’s clients include famous designers such as Oscar De La Renta.
“I can actually make the gowns in any size right now,” she said. “My gowns are being put to use.”
Almeida also revealed she is collaborating with stylists in Paris, New York and Los Angeles, and her designs have caught the attention of some celebrities. Although she declined to divulge their names, she noted that she has shipped one of her gowns to be worn by a celebrity at a red carpet of a movie premiere and another gown to be used at the BET Awards.
‘This has always been my calling’
Growing up, Almeida spent a lot of time with her grandmother so that her parents could tend to the daily operation of Crystal Palace Restaurant, which they owned on South Main Street in Fall River.
“I grew up seeing my parents be entrepreneurs. So, it made it easy to do my own thing,” she said. “Fashion design has always been the thing I always wanted to do. This has always been my calling. I remember being like five and telling my family, ‘I'm going to be famous one day. I’m going to be a designer.’ They always looked at me like I was crazy, but it’s happening.”
She said her grandmother was always her biggest cheerleader.
“She used to sew with me, and I started sketching every day at her house and sewing for my dolls. She saw something in me and pushed me to do it. I don’t know how many pieces of paper I went through as a kid,” she recalled.
Many of those sketches are now stored in a treasure chest her grandmother bought her.
“She said to keep everything, and she would write the date on the back,” Almeida said. “She always encouraged me to reach my dream. So, I always believed that I could.”
Almeida went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Communication and Promotion from Lasell University.
“I studied the business side of fashion because I knew I didn’t want to make my own clothes. I wanted to design them and pay for someone to do that,” she said.
From Somerset to New York: a journey of creativity and perseverance
As an 18-year-old intern, Almeida started going to New York Fashion Week and rubbing elbows with celebrity stylists.
After graduation, she became a senior fashion editor, then a creative director for clients around the world.
“I was networking with so many different people at the time, but I was scared to take the jump into fashion design because it’s so hard and competitive,” she said.
But that fear started to fade once she met Paul Sexton and Talita Zoe, former owners and buyers of London’s internationally acclaimed store Koh Samui who have sat on many prestigious judging panels such as the British Fashion Awards and The British Fashion Council’s advisory select committee.
Almeida became a fashion editor for We Select Dresses, an online luxury designer fashion and celebrity fashion publisher headed by Sexton and Zoe.
“They used to style Beyoncé and a bunch of different people,” Almeida said. “Working directly with people like that, I got a crazy view of what the industry is about and what’s possible.”
Now a designer of her own couture label, she still collaborates with We Select Dresses as a freelance fashion editor.
Almeida said the feature in Vogue Portugal not only signifies a milestone in her career, but a testament of her dedication and sheer perseverance.
“I don’t believe in luck; I think it’s all about hard work,” she said.
Specializing in bespoke couture
Almeida specializes in bespoke couture, which means custom-made or made to order. She enjoys crafting custom pieces that reflect the client’s unique vision, while embodying her signature artistry.
“A lot of my pieces are 100% silk,” she said. “One thing I don't play around with is quality. I don’t cut corners. I love the whole refinement of everything having kind of a perfect and luxurious feeling. I’m super inspired by vintage runways and designers like Dior. Classy can be very sexy. I guess that’s my style.”
After the Vogue Portugal editorial, she was contacted by a bride who is getting married in Italy about the possibility of designing her gown.
“It’s a super luxurious wedding,” she said. “This is crazy; it’s amazing. I didn’t do bridal, but it’s something I want to explore.”
Moving forward, she not only wants to work with celebrities but also with everyday people.
“Whether it’s for a gala or a wedding, I think everyone deserves to have couture, not just celebrities on the red carpet,” she said.
Her goal is to have a capsule collection by the end of the year.
“I like to do pieces here and there,” she said. “I don’t think I’m a designer that makes a bunch of pieces together. I like different concepts by themselves cause I’m so versatile. But that’s definitely in the plans for sure this year. Hopefully, I will be contacted again by Portugal for something else. I’m obsessed with Lisbon; I don’t know what it is about that city, but it’s magnetic.”
For more information about Almeida and her designs, visit her website at https://liannealmeida.com or send an email to [email protected]
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Somerset's Lianne Almeida designs featured in Vogue Portugal magazine