Ivan Carvalho is walking me through a crowded room the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy, and pointing out everything from small-batch sunglasses by Poente to leather bags by Ideal & Co. “The grandfather had a tannery in central Portugal,” Carvalho explains. “It’s vegetable-tanned leather; there’s no chemical dyes in the tanning process. They can do a lot of personalization.” If someone asked you to rattle off a list of global fashion centers, Portugal probably wouldn’t immediately jump to mind. But maybe it should. Because while the country doesn’t boast the roster of labels enjoyed by the western world’s big four cities (Paris, Milan, London, and New York), it does enjoy a deep well of talent and heritage when it comes to craftsmanship. And now, a new breed of relatively young labels is rising up to bridge the gap between making for someone else and making a name for Portuguese fashion. Read more at Esquire.
