Introducing The Woman Behind The Dress: Sofia
Before we begin Sofia’s interview, I wanted to personally introduce her because this feature feels especially meaningful to me as I can relate to her answers so much.
Sofia is the founder of Flying Dress Portugal, and she is someone whose work I have admired for a long time. But what made this connection feel even more special was the heartfelt message she sent me after I first launched Female Founder Friday. Her words genuinely touched me because she understood exactly why this series matters.
Running a business like this can look beautiful from the outside, but behind the polished images and dreamy locations, there is so much that people do not always see. The long hours, the logistics, the client communication, the marketing, the creative pressure, the problem-solving, and the loneliness that can sometimes come with building something on your own.
Sofia’s message reminded me that we are such a niche group of women, spread across different parts of the world, yet we share so many of the same experiences. Our friends and family may love us and support us, but they do not always fully understand what it means to run a flying dress business. Another founder in this industry often does.
That is why I am so happy to feature Sofia this week. Not only because I admire the beautiful work she is creating in Portugal, but because she represents exactly what this series is about: connection, encouragement, honesty, and women genuinely cheering each other on.
Sofia, thank you for your kindness, your openness, and for reminding me why Female Founder Friday needed to exist. I am so happy to share your story.
What were you doing before you started your flying dress company?
I’ve been taking photographs since I was 16 — I’m 48 now — but for most of my life, photography was considered a hobby and a form of personal expression rather than a “serious” profession. I was often told that being a photographer wasn’t a secure career, so I followed a very different path. I worked for many years in administrative management, auditing and investment banking, in very corporate environments. Photography remained my creative escape, mostly reserved for weekends. Then Covid happened. During lockdown, I was browsing Pinterest when I came across photographs from Santorini of women wearing these incredible parachute dresses flying in the wind. Something in me just lit up. I remember thinking: “Wow. This would be a dream to photograph like that one day.” I had no idea where that thought would eventually lead me...
What first inspired you to start a flying dress photoshoot business?
At first, I didn’t think about it as a business at all — I wanted to be the woman inside one of those dresses! 😊 I’ve always loved fashion and photography, and the Flying Dress concept brought those two worlds together perfectly. I assumed something similar must already exist in Portugal, but when I searched, I couldn’t find it. Lisbon was booming as a tourist destination, so I thought: I HAVE to bring this here. I’m the kind of person who would rather try an idea than spend years wondering “what if?”, so I ordered my first dresses and asked some friends to model while I experimented. That was when everything clicked. It wasn’t just the photographs — it was seeing their excitement and confidence, especially when they looked at the photos and said, “Wow… is that really me?” I knew then that this was my thing.
What do you want women to feel when they book a session with you?
It may sound like a cliché, but I genuinely believe every woman is special — sometimes we just forget it or don’t see in ourselves what others can see. I want Flying Dress Portugal to feel like a safe space where women can let go, have fun and feel beautiful without judgement. That connection usually starts with our very first messages, and by the time we meet, it often feels as though we already know each other. The shy women are actually my favourites because I love watching them blossom in front of the camera. They may start nervous and self-conscious, but gradually their posture, expression and confidence change. Sometimes the woman who finishes the session is not quite the same woman who timidly started it. Ultimately, I want to give them more than beautiful photographs: a boost of self-esteem and a reminder of the woman who was already there all along.
What has been one of your proudest moments in business so far?
One of my proudest moments was giving a Flying Dress photography workshop at the Cultural Centre of Cascais. I still remember when my photography teacher, Paulo Roberto, invited me to present my brand-new Flying Dress Portugal project at the FNAC auditorium during the Jornadas de Fotografia. At the time, having this new idea recognised by someone from the photography world felt like incredible validation. Some time later, I found myself in front of a full auditorium again — but this time I was teaching and sharing what I had learned, followed by a practical session photographing three models in Flying Dresses. I remember thinking: “Wow… this started with a photograph I saw on Pinterest during lockdown, and now I’m teaching other photographers about it.” It reminded me how far a simple idea can go when you stop overthinking and actually decide to try.
What has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced while building your business?
One of my biggest challenges has been something I never expected: location permissions. Lisbon is very different from many tropical Flying Dress destinations. People come here for the architecture, history and monuments, so those iconic backgrounds are an important part of the experience. I never imagined that photographing a woman on a public street with a monument in the background could be complicated. But Flying Dress sessions are sometimes classified as “commercial productions”, even when we use no tripods, block no public areas and remain outside the monument. Some locations require expensive fees, while others require permissions that can be impossible to obtain. So I’ve learned to carefully choose locations where we can work respectfully while still capturing that unmistakable Lisbon feeling. Weather is another challenge, especially rain, so we’re currently developing a more fashion-oriented studio experience for rainy days. Sometimes limitations simply push you to create something new.
Can you share one client moment that made you think, “Yes, this is exactly why I do what I do”?
One woman immediately comes to mind. Her name is Marilu, and I photographed her about two years ago while she was travelling through Portugal with her family. While getting ready, she casually shared her story with us. She had survived breast cancer once, only to discover later that it had returned more aggressively. During an already incredibly difficult time, she also suffered the devastating loss of her husband. And yet there she was — travelling, experiencing the world and putting on an enormous Flying Dress, determined to celebrate being alive. Marilu and I are still in touch. She continues to fight and is now part of an experimental treatment programme that, thankfully, is working better than expected. This August, she reached her 100th treatment. She is truly a force of nature and one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever met. She taught me that sometimes a photoshoot is not just a photoshoot. If, for a few hours, I can help someone forget everything else and simply celebrate being here, being herself and being alive, then this is exactly why I do what I do.
What is one question clients ask you all the time?
Well, technically the number one question is probably: “Can you send me your prices?” 😂 But surprisingly, one of the questions I get asked most often after a client books is: “Where should we eat in Lisbon?” Most of my clients are visiting Portugal from abroad, so our conversations somehow go from the photoshoot to restaurants, places to visit and little Lisbon tips. By the time they arrive, I sometimes feel like their photographer, stylist, local friend and unofficial Lisbon concierge all at once! 😂 I actually love that part of the relationship, so I’m currently creating a little guide with some of my favourite restaurants and recommendations to share with my clients. For me, the experience goes beyond the photoshoot itself — I want them to feel looked after while they’re here. 😊
What is one misconception or myth you would love to bust about flying dress photoshoots?
One of my favourite myths is that you need lots of wind for a Flying Dress photoshoot. You really don’t! 😂 Too much wind can actually be our worst enemy. These dresses have an enormous amount of fabric and can quite literally turn into parachutes, leaving the client trying to look elegant while also trying not to lose her balance! A gentle breeze creates beautiful movement, but strong wind can make a session extremely difficult or even impossible. The real secret behind those dramatic flying trains is far less glamorous: a very fit assistant prepared to run, jump and throw several metres of fabric into the air over and over again! 😂 So behind every effortless Flying Dress photograph, there is often an exhausted assistant just outside the frame!
What advice would you give to a woman who wants to book a flying dress photoshoot but feels nervous, self-conscious, or unsure?
Nervous and self-conscious clients are much more common than people imagine. I would say around 70% of my clients mention their age, weight, not feeling photogenic or simply having no idea how to pose. And I always tell them: the nervous and shy ones are my favourites! 😊 Most of my clients are over 40. My oldest client was 89 — and honestly, nobody would have guessed she was over 55. Age really is a state of mind. I’ve also photographed a beautiful 5XL client who looked like an absolute diva. So please don’t wait until you’re younger, thinner, more confident or somehow “better prepared”. And yes, at the risk of sounding like every Flying Dress photographer: you really don’t need to know how to model! 😂 We’re there to guide you through everything. You don’t need to arrive feeling confident. Sometimes the confidence is what you leave with.
What inspires you to keep going on the hard days?
Honestly, I keep a folder filled with screenshots of my favourite messages from clients. Some are so heartfelt that I still get emotional reading them, no matter how much time has passed. On the hard days — because of course I have them too — when I’m exhausted, frustrated or having one of those “why am I doing this?” moments, I open that folder and read a few. They remind me that what I do has meant something to someone, and that somewhere in the world there is a woman who remembers how she felt that day. That is usually enough to remind me why I keep going. As Mel Robbins would say, every dream comes with its own “shit sandwich” — the difficult and unglamorous parts that come with everything you love. Well, Flying Dress Portugal is my shit sandwich. 😂 And I honestly wouldn’t choose another one. I really, truly love this project. ❤️
What is one life lesson running this business has taught you?
I’ve learned so much building Flying Dress Portugal, but there is one lesson nobody really teaches you and that I now share with my students and fellow photographers: Trust your intuition. Don’t overanalyse it. Listen to that little voice and act on it. Sometimes it says, “Don’t take this booking. This person will never be happy.” I’ve learned the hard way that when I ignore that feeling, I usually regret it. Other times it says, “This mother is booking a photoshoot for her daughter, but I think she’s actually the one who needs this experience. Bring an extra dress and surprise her too.” Some of those spontaneous decisions have created my most meaningful moments. Not every good decision comes from a spreadsheet, business plan or logic. Sometimes you already know the answer before you can explain why. You just have to learn to listen.
What does “women supporting women” mean to you in business?
Together we are stronger — and prettier! 😊 I’ve been saying that for years, so “women supporting women” could easily be my motto. I’ve never felt threatened by another female entrepreneur. I’ve felt inspired, admired what other women were doing and realised how much I could learn from them. My natural reaction is to reach out and connect — and almost every time, I’ve been welcomed with the same openness. I genuinely don’t believe another woman’s success takes anything away from mine. There is room for all of us to have our own style and voice, and we grow faster when we share our experiences instead of guarding everything as a secret. I try to offer that same support whenever another woman approaches me. For me, it means sharing what we’ve learned, celebrating each other’s successes and creating connections instead of competition. I truly believe we grow better when we grow together.
If you could give one piece of advice to another woman starting her own business, what would it be?
One of my most special clients once shared her life motto with me, and I eventually adopted it as my own: “Figure out what you want, and say no to everything else.” It sounds simple, but when building a business there are so many opportunities, opinions, distractions and things you feel you should be doing that it’s easy to become incredibly busy without actually moving towards what you really want. So get clear about what you want to build — and what kind of life you want that business to give you — and become comfortable saying no to everything that doesn’t take you there. And if I can sneak in a second piece of advice: “Done is better than perfect.” Perfectionism can be a very elegant form of procrastination. Do it anyway. You can improve something that exists; you can’t improve something you never started. Know what you want, say no to the rest, and don’t wait for perfect to begin.
If you were the model in your own flying dress photoshoot, which dress colour would you choose, which location would you choose, and why?
Believe it or not, after all these years photographing women in Flying Dresses, I’ve never actually had a proper Flying Dress photoshoot myself! 😂 So it’s still on my bucket list. I would have a hard time choosing between turquoise, one of my favourite colours, and red, because I love the power and confidence it conveys. But the location is easy: Santorini. That’s where this whole story began. During lockdown, I saw photographs of women in spectacular Flying Dresses in Santorini and thought, “Wow. I want to experience that one day." Somehow, that image eventually inspired this entire adventure. Years later, I’ve created that experience for so many other women, but still haven’t done the very thing that first inspired me. One day, I’d love to return to where it all started — this time on the other side of the camera. I think that would be the perfect full-circle moment.
P.S If you are a fellow flying dress founder and would like to be featured, please email us for more details.
P.P.S If this has inspired you to start your own flying dress business venture please tap here.
