Fátima Lopes
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Fátima Lopes, ComIH (born March 8, 1965) is a Portuguese fashion designer.
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 on 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 selled 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 exposed her collection in Paris at the "Salon du Prêt-à-Porter Feminin". Two years later she opens her first international store in Paris, located in the famous rue de Grenelle. At the same time she begins to diversify her collections by creating bags ans shoes for both men and women.
In the year 2000 she caused a media sensation by appearing herself on a catwalk in Paris wearing the world's most expensive bikini, made out of gold and diamonds, having its value estimated in one million dollars. In 2003 she opened her first brand store in the United States, located in Melrose Avenue in the city of Los Angeles.
