DARE TO BE BOLD

Vogue Portugal · December 2025 Issue

This project was born from a desire to bring contemporary painting into direct dialogue with the editorial universe of fashion, honoring eight of the most influential designers in history through oil portraiture. It emerged at a moment when artificial intelligence is rapidly permeating spaces traditionally shaped by human hands — the visual arts, image-making, and even the printed fashion magazine — prompting a fundamental question: what is the place of the human gesture in today’s creative landscape?

In close collaboration with the editorial team at Vogue Portugal, we developed a singular concept: to reinterpret eight iconic fashion designers through my personal painting language, in a series of oil portraits executed alla prima on linen, each measuring 50 × 40 cm. More than likeness, each portrait seeks to capture spirit, legacy, and the emotional force that defined each creator.

The brushstrokes carry intimate references to their lives and obsessions: Karl Lagerfeld’s almost monastic devotion to books; the parallels between Yves Saint Laurent and Van Gogh; the bold reinvention of Harris Tweed patterns by Vivienne Westwood; the sculptural, architectural tension that defined Balenciaga; the dramatic intensity of Alexander McQueen; the timeless elegance of Christian Dior; Coco Chanel’s disruptive courage in a world ruled by men; and Issey Miyake’s revolutionary exploration of materiality.

The most experimental dimension of the project appears where painting meets the magazine itself. Four unique editions of Vogue Portugal were created as hybrid art objects — each one hand-painted directly onto the cover, transforming the magazine into a singular artwork. These 1/1 editions blur boundaries: are they magazines? Are they paintings? Could they be both? In a time when print is increasingly overshadowed by screens, this gesture becomes a subtle manifesto — a reminder of the value of materiality, imperfection, and human intention.

As the project unfolded, it revealed itself not only in the works but in the process — and in the weight and vulnerability behind each piece. Throughout the journey, I documented these moments in a series of personal letters, offering a rawer self-portrait of the experience.

• In Seven Faces, One Chance

  I wrote about the pressure of portraying figures whose legacies tower over contemporary fashion.

• In The Project That Took Everything

  I shared the exhaustion, fear, and emotional cost of working at the edge of my abilities.

• And in The Glass Just Broke

  I reflected on the moment the project shifted from challenge to transformation.

These letters form an invisible layer beneath the paintings — a parallel narrative of doubt, discipline, and devotion.

This project also marks an important position taken by Vogue Portugal: inviting a Portuguese artist to reinterpret, through contemporary painting, some of the most influential figures in global fashion. Each 1/1 issue becomes a rare collectible piece, designed to exist only once, carrying not only the portrait but the energy of research, process, and homage.

Only afterwards does it become impossible not to return to where this all began. I grew up in a household where fashion was part of daily life — my parents, both international models and founders of Central Models, lived deeply inside this world. Magazines, editorials, conversations and stories scattered across tables and shelves shaped my eyes long before I knew I would become a painter. This project is the first time I consciously bring that past into harmony with the present: painting, fashion, and my own artistic voice.

I am profoundly grateful to Sofia Lucas (Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Portugal and co-owner of Lighthouse Publishing), José Santana (co-owner of Lighthouse Publishing), and Sara Andrade (New Editorial Projects Director) for their trust, vision, and courage in pursuing such an audacious idea. This project grew from long, intentional conversations and shared passion, and represents one of the most significant milestones of my life as an artist.

Painting these portraits carried the weight of responsibility and the excitement of honoring each legacy. I painted as I always do not because I can fully explain the gesture, but because I cannot stop myself from making it. My hope is that this project celebrates not only the designers who transformed fashion into an art form, but also the boldness of Vogue Portugal in continuing to treat fashion with the depth it deserves.

The Paintings are going to be for sale, for more informations contact Vogue Portugal

https://www.vogue.pt/bold-issue-making-of-gus-romano