A Vida Portuguesa launches the campaign “One for all” to support Portuguese brands and artisans

A Vida Portuguesa has over 400 suppliers, the vast majority of which experiencing the harmful consequences of this crisis: both rare artisans, independent publishers or small companies whose excellency we recognise and larger companies that were finally straightening things out and starting to thrive.

“One for all” is a series of campaigns designed for our online store, which once every two weeks shall present two brands with a broad listing of its most special products found exclusively online. These companies are friends of ours, projects we admire with products we love and wish to make known, point out, help.

Between May 2017 and January 2018, RTP broadcasted a documentary series comprising 16 episodes and presented by Catarina Portas, the mind behind A Vida Portuguesa. In each of those 25-minute episodes the doors to factories where the best Portuguese products are made would open for the audience to learn about the physical structures, technologies, practices, but above all the people (and families) who are committed to them and who make up their fundamental core.

A Vida Portuguesa / Sarah Affonso

During July, August and September of 2019, we will disclose the artist's works (from illustration to painting, embroidery or ceramics), tell some of her personal stories that intersect with the history of Portugal in the 20th century and reveal the details of the passionate research that lead us to the objects that we created from this enormous inspiration. In Portuguese Life, the summer of 2019 is the summer of Sarah Affonso, our inspiring muse.

Reap what you sow

Perfect for Spring, and why not in preparation of Summer? This way you won't be missing any of the warm weather essentials: oxheart tomatoes, say, or Ribatejo white melon. “Sementes com História” (“seeds with a history”), with or without the tote bag and crop calendar kit, have arrived in A Vida Portuguesa stores. Biological and biodynamic, “a treasury of the life and knowledge of generations upon generations who strove to preserve and enhance them.”

They fly off the shelves, not the walls

So that's settled! To prevent our ceramic swallows from falling off the walls, we devised a cork stand. Lots of customers asked us how to hold them steady in a particular position, or complained about them falling down. Thus the solution for this problem was greeted with real enthusiasm.  Specifically developed for the Bordalo Pinheiro swallows, the stands are available in four sizes: Small, Medium, Big and Largest. An A Vida Portuguesa exclusive.

One of the best shops in the world

What great, great joy! The Shopkeepers website asked users from all over the world to pick the best shops of 2018. A Vida Portuguesa was among the top vote-getters. It is proudly in the Lifestyle Shops category, in some fine company

Cabby coin purse

Money went from “escudos” to euros, but the coin purse where so many Portuguese like to keep their change remains. It is especially popular among cabdrivers, from whom it got its name. This purse resists the passage of trends and electronic payments. Handcrafted from natural skin, a A Vida Portuguesa product.

Gift guide

What do we all want? To feel special. Let's start there, then. This Christmas, let's offer special gifts: original, genuine, surprising, good for all ages. A Vida Portuguesa helps you choose. Waste no more time!

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Making the most of it

Every Tomaz product is handmade and employs Portuguese materials. One of those is burel, a cloth made from 100% wool. And they all have names that weren't picked at random.

Salting at the table

Salting is not just something you do on the pot while cooking food or preparing to serve it. At the table you can enhance flavour with a pinch of the delicate, exquisite "fleur de sel". Salt may even be added on the plate, according to one's preferences or palate. This delicate ash wood salt shaker is devised to serve Fleur de Sel at the table. The spoon doubles as a lid. The product was developed by Kathi Stertzig and Álbio Nascimento's The Home Project; they are the designers who, in 2015, created A Vida Portuguesa's Design Bureau.

Now ISTO is a permanent collection

“Goodbye, old world. Here is a new way to look at fashion." Summer, Winter? Who cares? Here you will find neither "trends" nor seasons. This is clothes for men, but also for women. In a word, this is ISTO.

From Segura and agriculture

It smells really, really good here. It smells like rockrose, rosemary, lemon grass, cypress, eucalyptus, woods... It is easier to just say it smells like Aromas do Valado.