Fátima Lopes
Fátima Lopes, ComIH (born 8 March 1965) is a Portuguese fashion designer. Early life Fátima comes from the Portuguese island of Madeira. She was born and grew up in its capital city, Funchal. Since an early age she showed an interest in fashion and during her adolescence, unhappy with what the shops had to offer in terms of clothing, started to design her own clothes. Being fluent in English, French and German, she worked as a tourist guide for a local travel agency. In 1990 Fátima moved to Lisbon, where she believed she could better pursue a career as a fashion designer. With a friend she opened a boutique named "Versos", which sold mainly clothes from international designers. In 1992 the boutique changed its name to "Fátima Lopes" and in that year the Fátima Lopes brand was born. In September of the same year, she participated in a fashion show made in an old convent in Lisbon (Convento do Beato), where her work was widely applauded. In 1994 she exhibited her collection in Paris at the "Salon du Prêt-à-Porter Feminin". Two years later she opened her first international store in Paris, located in the famous rue de Grenelle. At the