Blog
Matias Santos, Founder
"Sustainable" is one of the most overused words in the fashion industry, and nowhere is it more abused than in supply chain claims. This guide is for brand founders who want to make credible sustainability claims, not just marketing ones, and who need to understand what certifications, production practices, and sourcing decisions actually matter.
Apr 15, 2026
Matias Santos, Founder
Finding a clothing manufacturer in Europe is one of the most commonly searched topics among independent brand founders, and also one of the most poorly covered. Most advice online is either too generic ("attend trade shows! search Google!") or too focused on sourcing from Asia.
Apr 15, 2026
Matias Santos, Founder
Portugal makes roughly 80 million pairs of shoes a year and exports the vast majority of them. It's the fourth-largest shoe exporter in Europe by value, and the country's footwear industry, concentrated in a small triangle in the northwest, has been producing premium leather goods for over 150 years.
Apr 15, 2026
Matias Santos, Founder
Portugal has become the go-to sourcing destination for independent clothing brands that want European quality without Italian price tags. In the last decade, brands like A-Cold-Wall, Castore, and dozens of smaller DTC labels have shifted production to the north of Portugal, and the results have been strong enough that the word has spread quietly through the founder community.
Apr 15, 2026