The new look of tradition
Portugal is experiencing a slight economic recovery, and fresh inspiration has been coming from traditional sectors. A younger generation of Portuguese manufacturers is rebranding their grandparents' products.
Demand from Italy
A few years ago, Pedro Olaio gave a Milan-based shoe manufacturer a pair of traditional Portuguese work boots. The Italian businessman was delighted. This type of handmade leather boot was not known outside of Portugal, so Pedro Olaio set up his own brand.
New jobs
The leather boots are produced in a shoe factory in Benedita, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Lisbon. It has focused on work shoe production. 24 employees work in the factory. The production of Pedro Olaio’s boots has created six additional jobs here.
Long history
Factory owner Lino Serralheiro comes from a family of shoemakers. After Portugal joined the European Economic Community in 1985, international companies moved production into low-wage Portugal. At the time, Serralheiro had more than 100 employees.
The decline
After the EU’s eastern expansion and the boom in China, Portugal was hit by a crisis. Many companies were forced to shut down. A positive result was that, today, Portuguese are no longer just suppliers. Many design their own brands now – with success. Since 2009, the export of shoes ‘Made in Portugal’ has grown by 34 percent.
Top quality
Portuguese shoes are of good quality and even handmade shoes come at affordable prices. The rubber for the soles of the leather boots comes from old tires. The recycled material is part of the business concept. Pedro Olaio calls his handmade boots ‘Green Boots'.
New meets old
Tradition meets modernity – Following this motto, 'Green Boots’ earlier this year released a limited special edition of its boots with a design of Portugal’s current top concept artist, Joana Vasconcelos. The company made 399 pairs, selling them for a mere 350 euros (482 US dollars).
From the courtyards...
The village of Castanheira is famous for weaving. Baskets are still made in the barns and courtyards, just as they were 100 years ago. But the craft remains the secret of the old generation. 55-year-old Rosa is the youngest basket weaver in this region of Portugal.
...into online shops
Until a few years ago, the baskets from Castanheira were sold exclusively in Portugal. But during the economic crisis, hardly anybody spent their money on traditional picnic baskets. Nuno Henriques had an idea. He improved the baskets’ design and now sells them online.
Expensive raw materials
Producing the baskets is a laborious process. The rushes are harvested along the river Tejo which flows some 70 kilometers east of Castanheira. The rushes are then dried and bundled. The natural raw material comes at a high Price. Each bundle costs 8 euros.
Hold your breath
The rushes are trimmed to the same size and then sulfurated in a big wooden barrel. The chemical helps soften the wood, which makes working with it easier. But before you open the barrel – take a deep breath. If it enters your lung, sulfur can give you painful stings for hours.
Plain colors
The rushes then undergo quality control checks. Light-colored rushes with no stains are put to one side. The rest are dyed in different colors. The basket makers from Castanheira work mostly with green, red, blue and natural yellow shades.
Hard work
With a special weaving loom, the rushes are turned into a kind of a mat that can be sewn into the shape of a basket. "My hands don’t ache," says basket maker Rosa. "But after a few hours, your back hurts because you can’t stand up straight."
Granddad's name as a trade mark
Nuno Henriques embellishes the picnic baskets with a simple leather handle and his trade mark. The young entrepreneur calls his baskets ‘Toino Abel’, after his grandfather, who – more than twenty years ago – first introduced his grandson to the art of weaving baskets.