Bianca Saunders – the Jamaican-born, London-based menswear designer – is creating six avant-garde footwear designs to be manufactured entirely in Portugal, together with APICCAPS – the Portuguese Association of Footwear, Components, Leather Goods and Related Industries, and partner Valuni. 

” Our first full footwear collection organised by Portuguese Association of Footwear and Leather Goods (APICCAPS). We are working on a six-shoe capsule,” you can read on the designer’s Instagram accounts @biancasaunders and @biancarobyn.

“​We have teamed up with Portuguese heritage shoe company Valuni on a capsule collection for our upcoming SS25 menswear show, June 19th.”

“​The next phase sees an alignment that weds my design intentions, with Valuni’s emphasis on craft and tradition,” adds Bianca Saunders in the Instagram post.

The six distinct styles designed by Bianca Saunders range from loafers to mid-calf boots and high-top trainers. A spring-summer 2025 capsule to be launched at the show scheduled for Wednesday 19 in June, as part of the men’s Paris Fashion Week programme.

“​This footwear collection is an exciting new chapter for us as a brand. With my own fascination design and the mechanics of how tailoring works, you will see elements of my trademark techniques — manipulations of industrial components like pulls, pulleys and contours that have brought an angular perspective.”

For the award-winning designer of British-Jamaican origin, working with Valuni, based in Arrifana (Santa Maria da Feira), “was a natural choice for the designer known for her modern perspective on menswear,” APICCAPS said in a statement.

“Valuni’s extensive experience has been fundamental in bringing our vision to life. And because they do everything meticulously in-house, they are the best partner for footwear manufacturing,” Saunders stressed, as a result of the materialisation of Valuni’s prototypes in just a few weeks, starting from their sketches.

According to Bianca Saunders: “Valuni’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship aligns perfectly with our values. Collaborating on this inaugural footwear collection is an exciting new chapter for us as a brand,” she adds in the note.

It all began in late 2023, when APICCAPS introduced Bianca Saunders to Valuni as part of its mission to connect emerging British designers with Portuguese manufacturers. 

“The Portuguese footwear industry, which has companies committed to quality and social responsibility, will invest 600 million euros over the next decade to establish itself as a major international reference,” said Paulo Gonçalves, APICCAPS’ Communications Director.

“We are honoured to support Bianca Saunders in creating her dream footwear collection, showcasing her unique talent and contemporary aesthetic,” he concluded.