Público Lifestyle - April 2017

The sculpture helps Marita Moreno to draw shoes

Marita Setas Ferro presents Spring/Summer collection of original and bold shoes.

The shoes and the suitcases are displayed as if they were pieces of jewelery, on top of columns and in keyed windows. They are exclusive because of each model are manufactured only 100 pairs and are sold in selected stores and concept stores - from Porto to Los Angeles.

"I sent two suitcases to two US clients and wrote their name, they were very happy, I'm the one who writes the name and makes them unique," says Marita Setas Ferro, who prefers to be treated by Marita Moreno, the name of its brand of fashion accessories."

The brand launched on Tuesday the Spring /Summer collection and reveals an original and bold footwear. The founder and creative director draws inspiration from her work in sculpture to mold shoes with shaped platforms, such as the shoes from the What About the Skin collection.

In Lisbon, Marita Moreno presents four lines - What about the Skin, Dali, Miramar and Summer Clouds. And it is with enthusiasm that the artist presents her work all done with local and natural materials, in national factories, she assures. "It's important for people to know who made their shoes," she continues.

The brand appeared in 2008, but now Marita is more focused on promoting it, although she does not resist counting when she will have other sculpture exhibitions or when she will give training in the area of ​​design, another of her activities. "Now I'm going to the Azores," confided the designer, who was also a teacher at Escola Árvore in Porto. Before, Marita Moreno was more focused on textiles, but now redirected to footwear and accessories like bags and shoes.

Marita begins by showing the collection What About Skin where the skin of the shoes is skin color but with colorful colors. Men's shoes have notes that look like crocodile skin and women's shoes are inspired by tiles, such as suitcases and wallets.

The collection Miramar, which went to get the name of the beach that Marita likes, is all  "vegan", says the creator, it's all made with natural materials. "I did not even use the beeswax that is usually worn on our laces," she says. It's called Miramar because the fabrics have the little awnings on the beach, "but very thin" and the soles are made of cork. "It's a relaxed summer shoe," says the author.

Thinking about the heat season, Summer Clouds is inspired by the clouds and how they take different forms.

Dali collection was born of a request from a friend who liked to have a more formal shoe, but original. Marita took inspiration from Dali's watches in the famous paiting "The persistence of Memory". "The whole shoe looks distorted," she laughs. The success has been so much that in the next collection will make models for woman, since at the moment it is selling the lower numbers to ladies. "The Americans have bigger feet," she says.

The US has been a good market, especially Los Angeles - "celebrities like original pieces," she says -; in Europe has bet on Germany and the United Kingdom, but also wants to enter the Scandinavian market. Around here, it's in The Feeting Room and some concept stores. "and you can buy online, as well"

The brand also bets on customization and challenges customers to develop their own product through a combination of different materials, colors and textures. "Customers are very thirsty of unique products," she concludes.

Roof Magazine - March 2017

Marita Moreno is a Portuguese accessories’ brand which now focus essentially on shoes and bags. Galerias Atelier Metamorfose, on Rua Miguel Bombarda, Porto, was the place where the Spring/Summer’17 collection was premiered.
This collection is based on design and exclusivity, and its ethical concerns, after the brand, that before focused on textiles, was repositioned. Read the full article here.