Culturally, the Portuguese are not ones to conform to the status quo. Whatever region of Portugal you visit, you will always find traces of a nation that tirelessly seeks new ways of doing, thinking and using things.
However, and despite this latent non-conformism, the Portuguese are very attached to traditions. As a result, their attitude towards the future does not neglect heritage and finds new ways of using resources of the past, daring to adopt new approaches to what is traditional.
Contemporary Portuguese design has dictated many of the trends found in today's creative industries. From sustainability to cultural revisionism, there are many examples of inspiration that only generate more inspiration.
Portugal is a country of landscapes and has many (and valuable) natural resources. This bond with nature is reflected in the various areas of design, which give preference to natural materials and make the most of their original properties. When visiting Portugal, you'll notice that there's a lot to see, but also a lot to do and even more to hold on to.
Cork
Cork is a typical Portuguese material, extracted from cork oaks. Lightweight and resistant, it has low electricity conduction, conserves temperature and has excellent sound insulation.
For Portuguese design, cork is a raw material with a thousand possible uses. It can be used to cover floors and walls, to create light and resistant furniture, and even to adorn garments and accessories.
Creativity in the use of cork has also fostered innovation in production processes. When the material came to be used for more than bottle corks, the industry started to develop new methods of waterproofing, moulding, cutting and colouring for this raw material.
Burel wool
Once used by shepherds to make cloaks for protection from the cold and rain in the mountains, burel wool has had much prominence in the Portuguese design scene.
This material is 100% natural, inherently waterproof and requires no further treatment. Because it is mouldable and very sturdy in form, it doesn't require seams or any other kind of processing.
In Portugal - outside the Serra da Estrela mountains, the birthplace of burel - you can find this one-of-a-kind material for sale at craft fairs and in some national product shops. Burel woll has had a significant influence on fashion design above all else, but it has also set trends in interior design.
If you're moving to Portugal, having a piece in burel is practically mandatory - and it's also a guarantee that you'll have something exclusive, which you won't find anywhere else in the world.
From marble to granite
From marble to granite, stone extraction is a very robust industry in Portugal and contemporary design is a reflection of just that. From furniture to architecture, the use of natural stone is widespread.
Besides being used as cladding and in furniture, stone has also been applied in combination with other materials. One example is cork. The combined composition of stone and cork was named Stork and has been successful as an insulating solution for the construction industry.
Calls for inclusion
Another area where Portuguese contemporary design has influenced the development of creative industries is in the promotion of social inclusion.
From an artistic and technical perspective, Portuguese designers have played an active role in design innovation. One concrete example is ColorADD, created by Miguel Neiva, which helps to improve colour interpretation for the colour-blind.
The strong connection of the Portuguese to the country's cultural heritage is reflected in contemporary design which, in turn, carries it over into creative industries.
The characteristics of popular Portuguese culture are reflected in various different areas, from interior design to fashion.
When traditionally inspired materials, colours and textures are revisited in design, the whole industry follows suit. If, on the one hand, the trend is reflected in other creations, on the other hand, there is also a revival of traditional Portuguese arts, which ends up stimulating even further the revision of old cultural processes.
Strongly linked to tourism, Portuguese creative industries are nurtured to reflect the country's positive external image. The growth in tourism, in turn, has helped fuel creative industries, by giving them a platform for international exposure and by attracting new investment.
In addition, there are some robust industries in Portugal - such as textiles, footwear or cork - which have grown even stronger by supporting the development of creative industries, especially in the area of fashion and urban regeneration.
