MARQUES is a luxury brand based between Lisbon and Dubai. Founded in 2020, the label focus on high-end fashion with a particular aesthetic blending subtle design with noble materials through exquisite craftsmanship. MARQUES does not abide by the traditional fashion calendar, releasing new designs throughout the year with a particular focus on bespoke creations.
John AC Marques is the man behind the house carrying his family’s surname. Based between Lisbon and Dubai, the brand’s founder aims to create a Maison that expresses his personal aesthetic through timeless designs and refined quality. Based between Dubai and Lisbon, Marques comes from a small town in the Portuguese countryside but over the years his will to achieve more along with a passion for luxury led him to study the field at the International University of Monaco.
This step ultimately led him to the United Arab Emirates and starting a career in the first Arab Hypercar manufacturer – W Motors, a boutique company dedicated to creating multi-million euro sportscars. It was in Dubai where his persona gathered significant attention across social media, leading to a nomination as one of the most promising content creators in the Middle East along with many projects and experiences over the years.
Over the years these experiences added up to the attendance of Men’s Fashion Week in Milan and Paris – ultimately leading to Marques’ decision to establish his namesake label. Currently the brand is expanding into new fields such as upcycling with unique pieces, a collection of unisex fragrances, and leather goods. Future plans for the label include its headquarters in Lisbon and a creative atelier in Dubai, locations where patrons can experience the MARQUES lifestyle and aesthetic to its full extent.
Our Lifestyle Editor, José Berrocoso, dives into The Universe of Marques.
CityPages Magazine: How did you get into fashion?
John A.C. Marques: It happened back in Monaco during my Master’s degree in luxury, it had a very strong component when it comes to high-end fashion and what surrounds it. From there it happened very organically when I later moved to Dubai and after a few months started working with brands such as Christian Louboutin, Ounass, and Corneliani on different projects given my exposure on social media – something that led me to be involved with people from the industry in the region.
CPM: What Inspired You To Be a Designer?
JM: I always had an interest in this field since I was a kid, particularly when it comes to the higher end of fashion where you can have a lot more freedom to create and explore the less conventional side. It took a while to embark on this project but the final push that led me to start was in 2019 when I had the opportunity to attend men’s fashion week in Paris and Milan for the first time and during that experience, something clicked and I thought to myself “This is fascinating, I want to be part of this world and create something even better myself”.
CPM: What does fashion mean to you?
JM: In a more abstract dimension, I believe fashion is one of the ultimate forms of personal expression, a reflection of who someone is and who they aspire to be. More tangibly, it is synonym with attention to detail and craftsmanship, a combination of time, talent, and resources to create something beautiful to the creator’s eyes.
CPM: What is your best and worst fashion moment?
JM: My best fashion moment has to be when, after months of work, I got my hands on the first final piece of my first collection and got to wear it out turning heads – more than the look itself, it was all the emotions attached to it. When it comes to worst I like to believe there are no bad fashion moments, just some looks that don’t age well …
CPM: What are your favourite trends in fashion, past and present?
JM: When I look to the past for inspiration a few trends pop up, like the strong structured silhouettes by Yves Saint Laurent in his prime or detailed graphic prints like the ones mastered by Gianni Versace with his baroque illustrations on silk. Looking into the future I see an abundance of metallic tones, a sportive aesthetic, and a warm feeling towards the past coming just around the corner – a combination of trends you might spot in our upcoming collection to be presented in Dubai towards the end of the year.
CPM: What is your first fashion memory?
JM: Definitely not the first, but the most memorable one dates back only a handful of years to 2019. This was when I first attended Men’s Fashion Week in Paris and was completely astonished after attending the first Kris Van Assche show for Berluti at Palais Garnier – the ambience, the collection, and the people attending made it truly otherworldly.
CPM: Have you always dreamed of having your own label? Please tell us more about MARQUES.
JM: It was something I always wanted to do, and after almost two years of work behind the scenes, we finally got the opportunity to bring this project to reality in 2020. The vision for MARQUES is to create a heritage brand across different fields. A label led by a luxurious yet subtle aesthetic that holds on attention to detail, fine materials, and exquisite craftsmanship as a foundation. Something for the contemporary gentleman in the know.
CPM: What was the first piece you ever designed?
JM: The Destination Jacket, a design that ended up becoming our best seller and a permanent brand staple across collections. Believe its success is due to the combination of a subtle design and bold materials, in its first iteration was crafted out of black Italian crocodile leather on the outside and lined with monogrammed silk on the inside. Since then several versions of it were created under our Bespoke Atelier for the most demanding patrons: from sportier versions in pastel blue Croco to bolder adaptations in pink pony fur.
CPM: Where do you draw inspiration from when creating a new collection?
JM: Travelling and art are the main sources of inspiration for me, this is one of the reasons why I love to travel and explore new destinations. Just getting lost in new cities, people watch on a busy street and visit interesting galleries and museums. You can even spot it on a few pieces named after streets or cities.
CPM: Your focus is so heavy on fabrics and their quality, which is very notable in fashion design. What’s the importance of fabrication?
JM: It is fundamental when you are creating a piece that is meant to last and make a statement. Nowadays seems like a lot of brands don’t go beyond stamping their logo on a garment to make it “luxury” but for us that is far from being enough and we go the extra mile. This is the reason why it took us over a year just to find the right suppliers and craftsmen, leading us to exclusively use leather and textiles from Italy and France while having tailors and seamstresses with decades of experience that worked for the most reputable stores in Lisbon over the years.
CPM: Fragrances, accessories, art… What’s next for MARQUES?
JM: Part of my vision is to expand MARQUES from just a menswear brand to several different fields while maintaining our aesthetic and commitment to quality. Until now we were able to explore more senses and create our growing scent collection, released a limited series of photography prints embodying the cosmopolitan component of our DNA, and experimented with accessories. But in the long term, there are two fields in particular that I would love to dive into: interior design and the automotive world.
CPM: What city in the world inspires you the most?
JM: I’ll have to pick two, the origin cities of MARQUES: Lisbon and Dubai. Lisbon is where I first lived by myself and feel like it became a hub for creatives with a vibrant crowd and exciting social life. Now Dubai is the place I have called home for a good part of the last decade, a cosmopolitan city filled with fascinating people and an incredible vision for the future – it is the place that showed me everything is possible if you put your mind to it.
CPM: How can we purchase your products?
JM: While we are working on bringing a few physical locations to reality, we currently hold a few trunk shows throughout the year where anyone can book a private appointment and discover our creations. These events usually take place in Dubai and we announce them ahead of time on our social media, but since the majority of our patrons are distributed throuhgout the GCC we consider expanding the concept into other cities where a significant number of clients are based such as Riyadh and Doha. When it comes to the digital side of things, you can always explore the latest pieces on our online store and even reach us on Instagram for any purchases or bespoke work.
Instagram: TheMarquesOfficial
