In Conversation with Fashion Designer Silvia Teixeira
Silvia is a talented dress designer with a passion for fashion, historic costumes, horses and the arts. I met her in the summer and instantly knew we could work together. Coupled with her warm, enthusiastic and friendly approach to life she has a highly creative eye for design and clothing. What´s more she lives with her family in one of the most beautiful places in the world……. Terceira Island in the Azores, although she works from home she is regularly in Lisbon. Her creative designs have led her to work with film companies as the fashion coordinator and stylish, producing her own collections, private commissions and now fabulous Portuguese riding costumes for ladies.
When she showed me her creations I was immediately captivated. Her fabulous hand made Portuguese riding costumes are stylish feminine and most importantly super flattering. She has added features from history and touches of traditional laces that makes them very special. These days many of the costumes available in the shops are actually just an adaptation of the men´s costume, they lack the feminine touches and correct shaping for the female curves. Silvia is determined to give women riders the opportunity to have something that really looking stunning, that fits in all the right places and is comfortable. Each costume she creates is totally personalised to you. She prefers to work with you to creating your look with fabrics, colours, shape and a perfect fit.
Silvia achieved her fashion degree in the Architecture College of Technical University of Lisbon. She told me “I finished my studies in 1999, and started working in Maria Gonzaga’s Costume Design Workshop in Lisbon, which, at the time, was the largest Costume Design Workshop in Portugal. She designed and made costumes for films, theatre productions and television. I think that it was there, during my training I discovered my passion for period costumes, mainly 18th and 19th century. Howver it was only recently I began to combine both, costumes and horse riding.
Although she continued riding with various instructors throughout Portugal, it wasn't until moving to the Azores that she finally fulfilled a childhood dream—owning her own horse.
There, surrounded by landscapes where life moves at a gentler pace, her connection with horses deepened beyond riding.
"Here I really learned to enjoy horses for what they are—beautiful, generous and wonderfully simple creatures."
A Childhood Passion
Silvia's relationship with horses began at the age of eight during riding lessons at the Campo Grande Riding School in Lisbon.
At that time, the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art was also based there, and watching the magnificent Lusitanos training each day left a lasting impression.
"I've had horses in my life ever since that first introduction."
Although she continued riding with various instructors throughout Portugal, it wasn't until moving to the Azores that she finally fulfilled a childhood dream—owning her own horse.
There, surrounded by landscapes where life moves at a gentler pace, her connection with horses deepened beyond riding.
"Here I really learned to enjoy horses for what they are—beautiful, generous and wonderfully simple creatures."
Rediscovering the Portuguese Amazona
Silvia's fascination with historical costume naturally led her towards researching the evolution of the traditional Portuguese riding dress.
The Portuguese Amazona costume finds its roots in the final decades of the nineteenth century during the Belle Époque. Unlike many modern interpretations, these original garments celebrated feminine elegance, graceful tailoring and refined proportions.
Over time, however, many riding costumes gradually evolved into adaptations of the traditional men's attire, losing much of their distinctive feminine character.
Drawing upon years of historical research, Silvia has carefully revisited the original Amazona silhouette.
Rather than creating historical reproductions, she combines authentic design principles with modern tailoring, producing garments that remain true to Portuguese tradition while offering greater comfort, practicality and elegance for today's riders.
Her collection includes two jacket styles, beautifully tailored blouses finished with delicate lace or embroidered jabots, elegantly shaped riding skirts and modern riding trousers inspired by traditional designs.
One particularly distinctive feature is her use of an underbust corset rather than the traditional gentleman’s waistcoat.
Not only does it create a beautifully feminine silhouette, it also offers gentle support for the rider’s posture in the saddle.
As Dr. Gorjão Clara, author of The Portuguese Riding Costume, explains:
“The costume of the Amazona cannot be reduced to a single model. Nevertheless, there are common features that distinguish Portuguese horsewomen from their foreign counterparts.”
Silvia’s work beautifully captures that uniquely Portuguese identity.
Preserving Azorean Craftsmanship
One of the most distinctive elements of Silvia’s work is her use of traditional handmade Azorean lace and embroidery.
These remarkable crafts have formed part of Azorean culture for generations and are traditionally found in household linens, collars and decorative textiles.
Following an invitation from the Regional Centre for Handicrafts of the Azores, Silvia began incorporating these intricate handmade laces into contemporary fashion collections.
Bringing them into Portuguese riding costume was a natural evolution.
The result is something truly unique—garments that celebrate not only Portugal’s equestrian heritage but also the extraordinary craftsmanship of Azorean artisans.
Every piece becomes both a riding costume and a work of wearable Portuguese heritage.
Designed Around You
Perhaps the greatest luxury Silvia offers is individuality.
Every costume is created specifically for its owner.
Rather than purchasing an off-the-peg garment, clients work closely with Silvia to choose fabrics, colours, details and finishing touches before every piece is individually tailored to achieve a flawless fit.
When Silvia first showed me her collection, I was captivated.
These are not simply riding clothes.
They are elegant, beautifully flattering garments designed to celebrate women, respect tradition and allow every rider to feel both comfortable and confident in the saddle.
Fashion, Film and Historical Costume
Silvia graduated in Fashion Design from the Architecture Faculty of the Technical University of Lisbon before beginning her career with the renowned Maria Gonzaga Costume Workshop, one of Portugal’s leading costume ateliers.
There she designed costumes for film, theatre and television productions, developing a lifelong fascination with eighteenth and nineteenth-century dress.
Today her work continues to span fashion, theatre, costume design and bespoke commissions, yet it is within Portuguese riding costume that all of her passions come together.
“My favourite work is creating riding outfits because I can combine my love of horses with everything I’ve learned from historical costume.”
Inspired by the Azores
Silvia draws inspiration from antiques, films, photography, music, art, nature, her family—and, naturally, from riding her own horse through the extraordinary landscapes of Terceira Island.
In fact, clients commissioning a made-to-measure costume have the opportunity to visit the island for their fitting and enjoy riding through one of Portugal’s most spectacular landscapes.
What better excuse for combining a bespoke Portuguese riding costume with an unforgettable holiday in the Azores?
Our Collaboration
At Lusitano Heritage we are incredibly proud to be working alongside Silvia.
Together we hope to celebrate and preserve one of Portugal’s most elegant equestrian traditions while creating timeless pieces that honour both the past and the women who continue to ride today.
Every costume tells a story.
Every stitch carries heritage.
And every rider becomes part of that continuing tradition.
Photography by Lena Saugen Photography and Hugo Duarte.
Terceira (Portuguese pronunciation: [tɨɾˈsɐjɾɐ]) is an island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 56,000 inhabitants in an area of approximately 396.75 square kilometres (153.19 square miles). It is the location of the Azores’ oldest city, Angra do Heroísmo, the historical capital of the archipelago and UNESCO World Heritage Site
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