RENEWED TRADITION "FROM PORTUGAL"
Portugal’s 870 years rich history inspired the collections that 13 Portuguese companies show in Japan, from June 6th to 8th. From hemp’s bath linen to bamboo’s bed linen, without forgetting the pieces in cork, fine stoneware and burel, Portugal celebrates its traditions and, at the same time, reveals a modern and innovative country, whose home textiles and decoration pieces are desired by costumers all over the world.
Portugal’s 870 years rich history inspired the collections that 13 Portuguese companies show in Japan, from June 6th to 8th. From hemp’s bath linen to bamboo’s bed linen, without forgetting the pieces in cork, fine stoneware and burel, Portugal celebrates its traditions and, at the same time, reveals a modern and innovative country, whose home textiles and decoration pieces are desired by costumers all over the world.
In its fifth participation at Interior Lifestyle Tokyo, Portugal exhibits a range of products adapted to the most demanding tastes of the Japanese consumers – from home textiles to ceramics, with articles designed to decorate the homes of the Country of the Rising Sun or to offer in every special occasion – that also have been conquering clients all over the world, from Europe to USA and Asia.
In this edition, for the first time, are the brands Home Concept, Lona, Lordelo, Sofalca/Corque Design and TMcollection, which are joined by the already regular presence of Amorim Cork Composites, Bi-Silque, Burel Factory, Carvalho, Costa Nova, 3DCork, Mundotêxtil and Prince of Cotton by Ideia 2003.
Mundotêxtil reveals in this edition a collection where «terry towels in hemp – an ancient concept but reinvented by us in contemporary designs» are in the spotlight, as explains Filipe Rodrigues, sales manager.Carvalho brand, specialized in bath and beach linen, shows «a broad and bold collection in terms of design and some new weaving techniques, with a bet very focused on articles yarn dyed», unveils Tiago Lopes, sales manager.
For the little ones, Prince of Cotton by Ideia 2003 presents a «childcare line in bamboo viscose», as well as the concept «in organic cotton and some blends of materials that certainly will delight many babies and moms», says Américo Costa, company’s CEO. «Japan is a market that already consumes our product, but we want to project the name of our brand – Prince of Cotton – and our product further», explains the CEO of Ideia 2003, that is equally well implemented in markets such as France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, England and USA.
And for grownups, the brand Home Concept, of the company António Almeida e Filhos, proposes a bed linen collection in Egyptian cotton, complemented by modern and comfortable pajamas for men and women.
The brand Lordelo offers new collections of quilts, blankets and bedspreads «in cotton and lambswool with new designs and the latest fashion trends», indicates the administrator João Paulo Sampaio.
In the decoration articles, Burel Factory presents several novelties, standing out: the collection Pet Care – Ped Pads, with the Pet Pad-Bag&House from designer Sara Lamúrias; the Umbrella Stand from designer Sofia Machado; as well as innovative wall coverings with burel already used in the new Microsoft headquarters in Lisbon. The company’s administrator, Isabel Dias, says that «it is a collection exclusively developed for the Japanese market with the design of Burel and of the creative people that work with us».
At Brandão & Sequeira, canvas is used to create bags, poufs, pillows, carpets, chairs and sunbeds, as well as a collection of kitchen products. «Many of our products are made in a completely artisanal way and we also use some accessories in recycled rubber», underlines Filipe Rodrigues, general manager.
At TMcollection, lanterns, lamps and pillows are part of the proposals, as well as apparel and accessories, made with cotton, silk and flax fabrics, weaved, dyed, embroidered and printed with exclusive patterns, in a «symbiosis between oriental and occidental culture and reflet the history and identity of the brand», says managing partner, Teresa Martins.
Also in the decoration field, the fine stoneware pieces of Costa Nova are an excellent choice for a refined table, with a simple and elegant design, complemented by a range of products, from cutlery to napkins. The company, that has in Europe its main market, has been standing out in Japan and South Korea, where there is a big interest in its products. «We want to expand our presence in the Japanese market, through the disclosure of new collection and the support of our distributor. We hope to be more recognition and be in the largest number of shops and department stores possible», explains commercial director, Carlos Ruão. Bi-Silque’s frames in recycled, recyclable and ecologic materials, which ally «functionality with today’s design trends, in a way that its use in every work spaces becomes a pleasure for the consumer», as indicates Carlos Saraiva, market responsible of Bi-Silque, are another element to consider in home decoration.
Corque Design, in a partnership with Sofalca, makes its debut in this trade fair with the Lagarta by Corque, an interactive, modular, fun and multifunctional system of seats (resembling a caterpillar), produced from Sofalca’s black cork agglomerate. 3DCork proposes three new collections (AURORA, GODOS and SPA), essentially directed to home and bathroom utilities, with «concepts and designs very different, conceived and inspired in the forms of Nature and everyday life», unveils Sara Nunes, commercial director of 3DCork. Amorim Cork Composites presents Materia and Korko brands, with «products that reflect the concept of the new landscape that cork has been assuming in the last years», reveals Ana Lucas, company’s marketing and communication manager.
The Portuguese exportations to Japan increased almost 70% in 2011, to a total of 367 million Euros, 6.43 million Euros (plus 22.9% than in 2010) of which corresponding to the Textile and Apparel Industry’s exportations. The Portuguese Textile and Apparel Industry is one of the most important of Europe, with a turnover of 6.52 billion Euros last year, being responsible, in 2010, by 2.1% of all the textile exportations of the European Union.
These 13 Portuguese companies are at Interior Lifestyle Tokyo with the support of Associação Selectiva Moda, under the project From Portugal with the support of EU funds (QREN). This trade fair is one of the 68 international actions in 25 different markets, directed to areas such as yarns, fabrics and accessories, fashion, home textiles and decoration and technical textiles, that the Portuguese association will hold in 2012, in a total investment of 8.85 million Euros.
