Everything You Need To Know About Marques'Almeida

You might not know designers Marta Marques and Paolo Almeida as household names in the fashion world yet, but they (and their brilliant beyond-distressed denim pieces) are about to take over. Fader reported Marques and Almeida’s womenswear label, Marques’Almeida, won the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Fashion Prize. The LVMH prize is known for discovering hot, rising designers and giving them exclusive mentoring, as well as a grant for 300,000 euros. Not a bad prize, huh?

The London-based design duo beat out several well-known names, including Virgil Abloh's Off-White, Arthur Arbessar and Craig Green. Their signature look is infused with '90s bite and edge and bright colors, while still exuding a luxe runway glam vibe. A perfect example of this “dirty grunge glam” is their purple coat Rihanna was spotted strutting around in at Coachella this year. Since these designers are pretty much already the next big thing, I scouted out 5 facts you need to know about the duo and what we can possibly expect from them in the future.

1. Kurt Cobain Is Their Number One Muse

Marques told Fader “Kurt Cobain is someone [the two] always go back to,” and how they’re “inspired by ’90s denim all the way [and the] street style of that decade.”

2. They’re School Buddies

You know how that first new, close friend at school/work is like #OMGBestieSoulMate?! Yeah, that’s totally Marques and Almeida. The two met while enrolling for fashion school in Portugal (their home country), and graduated together in 2009 from Central Saint Martins with MAs in Fashion.

3. They Trained Under Vivienne Westwood

Suddenly the elegantly punky style makes sense, right? The designers clearly took Westwood’s advice to copy what works before branching off. I guess she really did know what she was saying.

4. LVMH Isn’t Their First Big Award

In 2013, the two won the Emerging Talent – Womenswear Award at the British Fashion Awards. #KillinIt

5. The Winter Collections Feature Cheesecloth

Forget cashmere, Marques and Almeida eyed wool cheesecloth as an ideal fabric for winterwear, telling Fader they “like fabric that feel more lived in … than something precious.”

If Marques’Almeida is already this hot and creative, I can’t even wait to see what a year under LV and a hunk of grant money will do for their designs.