In Porto, Portugal, a Men's Wear Scene Blossoms

T Magazine: In Porto, Portugal, a Men’s Wear Scene Blossoms

“I think Porto always had a strong aesthetic identity, ” says Jose Miguel de Abreu, a native of Portugal’s second-largest city and one of the creators of the local clothing brand La Paz, which he launched in this. “Since I was a young kid, I’ve always noticed a tendency for people to liven up and try different things around here. ” Now, a spate of new labeling - many in the men’s wear realm - is springing up over the region. And as the fashion industry grows increasingly aware of the value of local production, Porto is actually well-positioned for a resurgence, thanks to northern Portugal’s extensive network of textile as well as leather factories.

Until recently, these resources were utilized mostly by bigger international companies. “Ninety percent of the production is to export, ” says the Savile Row-trained, Porto-based tailor Ayres Gonçalo. His own business takes a more hands-on strategy: In his downtown Porto atelier, which is opened every day by his grandfather, customers are given the royal treatment as they get fitted for suits and t-shirts made of Italian and English fabrics. Other local lines target a global target audience. For La Paz - which sells to boutiques like Personnel of recent York in the West Village and Mohawk General Store in Los Angeles - hun Abreu and his business partner André Bastos Teixeira collaborate with seasoned experts in San Tirso, Guimarães and Barcelos to make their colorblocked wool knitted garments, heavy-duty hooded raincoats and soft cotton T-shirts.

Portugal is also known for the leather manufacturing; Versace and Isabel Marant have moved their leather creation here, and the country’s shoemaking industry is the second most expensive in the world behind Italy’s. Lately, some homegrown upstarts have entered the fray. Senhor Prudêncio, created by João Pedro Filipe, is a new line of cutting-edge shoes, bags, and mitts boasting eye-catching shapes and prints. Another designer, Hugo Costa, has created -- among a collection that includes ready-to-wear and futuristic-looking sneakers - a standout three-compartment leather backpack. And the two-year-old brand Ideal & Co offers vegetable-tanned add-ons for just about any purpose, from wine holders to messenger bags to mouse patches - all of it made in Portugal. The project is the evolution of its co-founder Rute Vieira’s family business: Her grandfather sold and bought Portuguese leather-based back in the ’30s. According to Vieira, who designs Ideal & Co alongside the girl partner Jose Lima, the line reflects “Portuguese culture - and the richness of our own natural resources. ”
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