All about the home

Catarina Portas, the founder of A Vida Portuguesa, is a former journalist. She has always believed objects can tell extraordinary and revealing stories about a people and their particular taste, about a society and its context, and about history – which is, after all, a common identity. The shops were born out of her desire to create an inventory of industrial brands and extraordinary craftspeople whose know-how has survived the passage of time, to highlight the quality of Portuguese manufacturing and to showcase Portugal in a surprising light. The brand's newest shop in Lisbon opened in October 2016. It specialises in homeware, including embroidery, crockery, blankets, and offers a personalised, affable, relaxed service.