Production in Northern Portugal — Small Workshops, Small Runs

I spent time working with small workshops in the rural north of Portugal — each one specialised in a single product group. One makes only trousers. Another only shirts. Another only knitwear. It is a region with a long textile tradition, and the craft knowledge in these places is deep.

Getting production done there as a small brand required being present. I was on the ground, without time pressure, and could slip my orders in during the windows between the big brand deliveries — the period after the large orders had gone out and the machines had space. That is how small minimum orders become possible. Not through negotiation, but through timing and trust built in person. I also sourced locally produced fabric in the area — directly from the knitting factories or from stock fabric vendors in the region.

On my last trip to Portugal I got the chance to visit a sock and a wool factory.

Albano Morgado specializes in wool fabrics since 1917. To see the whole process of the fabric making, from the packs of raw wool, to yarn spinning, weaving, processing and quality control, was amazing.

The Pedemeia sock factory operates since 1966 and it was cool to see the circular knitting machines in action and the hand operated sock steamer.