German artist and fashion enthusiast Christina Putz began her career in fashion while studying fashion design and fashion illustration in Munich. However, Christina’s “turning point”, in terms of knowing exactly that fashion was what she wanted to do for life, only occurred when she won a design competition during her final year of education which took her to London. Her experience in London’s bustling fashion scene-designing, creating patterns, tailoring garments, and adding final touches – brought her closer to the world of costume design, which she reveals was where she “wanted to go”. Working for large productions like ‘The Lion King’, sparked her passion for combining fashion and art.
Whilst living and working in England Christina met her husband, who is Portuguese. After visiting Lisbon on vacation and falling in love with “the buildings, the sky, the art, and the vibe of the city,” Christina and her husband, decided to relocate to Portugal approximately four years ago, right before COVID-19. Christina was then driven by the urge to create something for herself during the pandemic. “I asked myself: if I could do anything what would it be? And I realised it was creating my own brand”, she tells. Not being impressed by many aspects of the fashion industry, the chance to carve out her niche was her inspiration. As Christina went on saying, “I wanted to express everything I love about fashion without being held back by how the fashion industry operates.” And that’s how ALÉM slowly started to emerge.
Inspiration
The ‘poetry’ of the Portuguese language was a major inspiration for ALÉM, the brand. As Christina shared, “I adore the Portuguese language, and I started studying it during COVID-19, mainly to be able to communicate with my husband’s family, which I love so dearly. It is also very important to me to grasp the richness of Portuguese culture, including its music and the essence of its identity”. The designer believes that the concept of “beyond”, in the context of the brand, is probably the best way to understand the word ‘Além’, which as she mentioned, is a complicated word for a foreigner to fully understand due to the many meanings attached to it. “Just to go beyond fashion – to go beyond the stereotype of what a fashion brand should be.”
As a conscientious artisan company, Atelier ALÉM, which officially opened its doors in 2023, creates unique, handcrafted clothing from sustainably certified, premium fabrics. ALÉM skilfully combines the domains of fashion and art, drawing inspiration from poetry, art, and nature. Identifying Atelier ALÉM as a sustainable slow fashion brand, to Christina it means being fully transparent and working solely with responsibly produced and traceable non-toxic and non-harmful materials of the highest quality. “Sustainability has become such a buzzword that even the largest fashion brands use it carelessly, without genuinely committing to sustainable practices”, she noted.
Quality
Ensuring honest craftsmanship and prioritising quality over quantity, each piece is meticulously designed from scratch and handcrafted in ALÉM’s Lisbon Atelier. As the designer shared, “My aim is to craft exquisite pieces from high-quality fabrics that make my customers feel uniquely special and incredible, all while embracing a sustainable ethos throughout the entire process. I focus on releasing, specific pieces or exclusive capsule collections over frequent, large-scale launches”. As she further explained, “Each order is made specifically for the customer, preventing the accumulation of unsold clothing and reducing the risk of items ending up in landfills, thus addressing one of the fashion industry’s major flaws”.
Adjustability
One of ALÉM’s key distinguishing features is the adjustability of its garments, designed to fit a variety of women through wrap or tie-up styles. ALÉM places more emphasis on the sensation of comfort and sophistication that a garment conveys to its wearer than on fitting into a specific size chart. As she emphasised, “I want women to feel good in their skin, the size label shouldn’t be important. Coming from a made-to-measure background, offering a custom-made design service with an artistic twist, is definitely something I want to offer in the near future”.
ALÉM’s pieces are already available at two stores. Etikway, a design community uniting sustainable brands with a cause, is available at three locations in and around Lisbon: Etikway in Embaixada, Principe Real, Etikway Castilho Shopping, near Marques de Pombal, and Etikway Cascais Shopping. Furthermore, ALÉM’s designs can also be found at Cobblestone Avenue, a small sustainable boutique located in Lagos, Algarve. As Christina went on to share, “While ALÉM’s visual appeal is evident in pictures, the true experience is in the touch and feel of our luxurious, handmade garments. ALÉM is all about making you feel exceptional”.
As Christina finishes expressing herself, “I’m passionate about this because I believe the future of fashion must be sustainable. It lies with small brands that have strong intentions and the confidence to stay true to themselves”. Embracing the maxim ‘less is more’, ALÉM strives to provide sustainable, versatile designs, that can be styled without limitations, embodying the essence of, elegant, timeless minimalism. ALÉM’s latest release is the capsule collection “Licht ist Poesie”, a monochrome and dreamy interpretation of the Bauhaus art movement. The collection is available directly from the brand as well as in all three Etikway stores.
After studying Journalism for five years in the UK and Malta, Sara Durães moved back to Portugal to pursue her passion for writing and connecting with people. A ‘wanderluster’, Sara loves the beach, long walks, and sports.
Sara J. Durães
