Inês Costa has a particular way of looking at the world. While many people are drawn to the visual language of fashion, she is more interested in what sits beneath it: the strategy, the psychology and the reasoning behind why certain brands make us feel something. She describes herself as a strategist rather than a creative, but her interests sit firmly at the intersection of fashion, culture and human behavior.
Her fascination lies in understanding what makes people connect with a brand. Why do certain names become part of our identity? What makes one experience memorable while another is quickly forgotten? And how do brands create emotional connections that go beyond the products they sell? These are the questions that continue to shape her perspective.
Today, much of her attention is focused on creating new Brava experiences and ensuring members get the most out of a community she considers genuinely special. It is a role that brings together her interest in people, experiences and the dynamics of connection.
Fashion, naturally, remains a constant source of curiosity. With another Fashion Week season approaching, Inês is particularly interested in watching how Matthieu Blazy establishes his vision for Chanel and how it contrasts with Jonathan Anderson's direction at Dior. For her, these appointments represent more than creative changes. They are opportunities to observe how two of fashion's most influential houses reinterpret their identities and communicate with a new generation.
Closer to home, she has been following the intersection of Portuguese art and international fashion. Joana Vasconcelos' collaboration with Valentino caught her attention, particularly alongside the recent initiatives by the Gulbenkian Foundation around fashion. She sees these connections between independent Portuguese artists, cultural institutions and international couture houses as an encouraging sign of what Lisbon's creative scene could become.
She hopes this is only the beginning of something more ambitious. Lisbon has attracted an increasingly international mix of people and projects, and Inês is curious about what might emerge when local talent and international perspectives begin to influence one another more deliberately.
When it comes to designers, Elie Saab remains a constant favorite. She admires the consistency of his creative codes, the craftsmanship behind his couture and the timeless quality of his work. But it is his recent collaboration with H&M that has particularly intrigued her. Beyond the excitement surrounding the collection, she is interested in what it might do for the perception of the brand and how a collaboration of this scale can introduce a designer's work to a much wider audience.
Perhaps the most significant shift in Inês's thinking lately, however, has had less to do with fashion and more to do with the people we choose to surround ourselves with.
She has become increasingly convinced that community can fundamentally influence our ambitions, our perspectives and the opportunities we recognize. The right people can encourage us to think differently, take ourselves more seriously and pursue things we might otherwise have dismissed as unrealistic. Sometimes, she believes, the hardest part is simply beginning and having the courage to show up for what we envision.
It is also something she experienced firsthand at Brava.
When Inês first joined, she was still developing her knowledge of fashion and the creative industries. What she did not expect was how welcomed she would feel, or how willing people would be to listen to her opinions. That encouragement gave her the confidence to keep learning and become more involved.
She still remembers her first Brava dinner. Sitting beside Vitória and across from Catarina Carnaz, who was co-hosting the evening, she was introduced to a beautiful Dolce & Gabbana necklace so she could appreciate its craftsmanship up close. She was so nervous about touching it that she could barely bring herself to do so. But what stayed with her was not the necklace itself. It was the generosity of the people around the table, and how naturally they shared their knowledge, experiences and opportunities.
Outside of fashion and work, Inês is looking for more opportunities to feed her curiosity about art and discover the cultural spaces Lisbon has to offer. She even has a local recommendation she would rather keep to herself: a small spot behind Champalimaud in Belém, where a few sofas offer an unusually peaceful view of the sunset over the Tagus, away from the tourist crowds.
For now, she wants more exhibitions, more conversations, more interesting people and more things to discover. It is perhaps the simplest expression of what drives her: a belief that the best things often happen when we remain curious, open to new experiences and willing to put ourselves in the room.