Arrival
Not far from Porto, we are warmly welcomed by our production partner for coats. Miguel runs the family business, which his father founded in 1986, in the second generation together with his mother and sister. Today, 75 employees work in the company.
We highly value our cooperation. Miguel specializes in smaller quantities and works with renowned fashion brands. The entire atmosphere in the company is positive and familial.
Our family business with a passion for clothing
On average, the employees here have been working for thirty years. They come from the local area and are very attached to the family and the company. We are particularly pleased when we see a pair of brothers, already retired, stopping by to steam some coats and chat with former colleagues.
On this occasion, Paula, who is giving us the tour, tells us that the production facility also suffered from staff shortages at times. However, cooperation with a capable agent has led to several experienced employees from Ukraine and one employee from Bangladesh now enriching the company.
We are very happy about the positivity and tangible energy with which the craft of fashion is celebrated in this company. It's no coincidence that we secretly call our partner: Our family business with a passion for ready-to-wear.
Visit to the second production facility
Also in the vicinity of the city of Porto, we meet Ricardo. Ricardo manages the family business, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022.
We still remember our last visit well – and Ricardo's mother, a woman who still personally inspects the finished parts, is the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave in the evening.
We have been working together since 2015, and it is a great joy to see them both again for the first time since the pandemic. And Goreti is back too, a mother of two, fully employed and incredibly charismatic.
An inspiring tour
As with our last visit, we are impressed by the brightness, the atmosphere, the machinery, the brand portfolio, and, of course, the high-end apparel produced by the 150-strong team.
During our tour of the GOTS-certified company, we come up with many new ideas for our high-end apparel, and the topic of "leftovers" – the utilization of leftover fabric rolls to create fashionable individual pieces – also captivates us.
