"Summer In Alentejo"
Portugal means a lot to us. It’s where the seeds of Futsol were sewn (on the beaches of Alentejo, with a ball at our feet, to be precise), and it’s where we make our clothing, in small exclusive runs, often from 100% recycled materials, in silkily special Rodier material.
Last Spring, our designer Tom and founder Nico went on a trip to Lisbon and the hazy coastal region of Alentejo - Comporta, Carvalhal, Melides - a leisurely 1.5 hours drive south down the Atlantic coast. We explored local markets, visited craftspeople, drank Sagres, ate fried mackerel and sardines, consumed local cheese, played football on the beach, drank more Sagres, and visited a local football club where we found Tiago, a kit man drying strips in the afternoon rays. He was very happy to see us.
All very pleasant indeed. And we have some lovely memories to prove it.
But more than that, we have a limited collection of clothing for summer, the fruits of a trip back to our roots, 5 pieces inspired by the colours, wildlife and culture of this languid, romantic area of Portugal that loves football, fresh food, painted tiles, and cherry liquer.
You can see it in Ginjinha Tiles, a long-sleeved shirt with a badge inspired by the digestif (that has quite the kick), and a design that riffs on the artisanal painted tile so associated with this part of the world. You might be more familiar with the blue Azulejo of Portugal. (Don’t worry, we’ve made a football in homage to that.) In Beja, a city in Alentejo, you’ll find different versions of the craft.
You can feel it in the Comporta Cegonha, a shirt with a ‘Parque Desportivo’ sponsor - a nod to the signs we encountered outside sun-baked football pitches. The badge: huge storks we saw nesting on thatched roofs. And there’s the colour of the thing, the vast, deep blue of the Atlantic sea.
Something we couldn’t do without on this trip was a nifty tote bag. So we’ve made one of those too. Deep, wide, 16oz canvas, this is substantial enough to store things you pick up on your travels, or for a bottle of wine or two for the beach.
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