The brand of our happy days
Our know-how
We work mainly with two core manufacturing countries.
Portugal
From the very beginning, our first steps led us to Portugal. First because it allows us to work as closely as possible with our partners, with a real human connection. Then because the country has preserved and developed remarkable know-how, particularly in knitwear.
Our partner workshops are located around Barcelos and Guimarães, in a still very agricultural region, lined with lemon trees (organic!), crossed by the Camino de Santiago, and — cherry on the cake — the food is excellent too!
You meet as many hikers as tractors and, in between, numerous textile workshops.
Around each workshop there is a whole ecosystem of trades: embroiderers, printers, dyers…
Most are family partners, certified GOTS, Oeko-Tex, SMETA, and committed to a responsible approach, from material recycling to GOTS-certified organic cotton, as well as water recycling.
They have been with us for more than ten or fifteen years.
India
It all began in 2012, when we met Vikram, who today runs our main workshop in Delhi. A meeting that opened a new chapter for us.
We went to India looking for exceptional textile know-how. We found much more: forgotten ancestral techniques, a culture of detail, beauty of gesture, unique artisanal richness and human connections.
Block print, khadi, hand embroidery, smocking, mukesh, buttons embroidered with little cherries, scalloped edges… so many techniques that bring to life pieces that are sensitive, unique and full of character. And, it must be said, with an almost unmatched sense of detail.
Our Delhi workshop is certified and audited, notably through “worker voice” approaches that give teams a say. But beyond certifications, it is above all a relationship of trust and affection that has been built over the years with those who bring these exceptional skills to life every day.
We couldn't talk about India without mentioning Nil and Shruti, two Franco-Indians we have worked with for 5 years. They complemented Vikram's work, enriched our adventure with their know-how, created precious links with the SEWA embroiderers' cooperative, and brought a great deal of fluidity and kindness…
Other manufacturing countries
We work on a few styles in a workshop in Turkey (fewer than 10) and make a few knits (4-5 styles) in China because they have machines and certain yarns that we cannot find in Portugal. These countries account for less than 5% of production.
Craftsmanship and embellishment techniques
What excites us most in creation is discovering ancient know-how, keeping these precious gestures alive and integrating them into our clothes to give them a soul and make them unique.
Softness
At the origin of the brand, and because we were addressing children, we were determined to make very, very soft clothes. Sweatshirts and T-shirts like cuddly toys, of unrivalled softness, plush, ones you could snuggle into. So, with the help of one of our workshops, we developed a secret recipe so that our sweatshirts and T-shirts are the softest!
Hand embroidery
Smocking, embroidered buttons, daisies, fruit… a large part of our clothes is hand-embroidered with cotton thread.
Mukesh, a traditional Indian embroidery technique, done by hand with very fine metallic threads delicately inserted into the fabric to create tiny sparkles of light, almost like touches of light placed on the garment, is also a technique we cherish.
This meticulous work, done stitch by stitch, gives each piece real sensitivity and unique richness. Every detail tells something and makes our clothes original and unique.
We work with workshops of women with magic fingers, often organised in cooperatives, to support their autonomy and independence in India, notably through initiatives such as SEWA.
Khadi
“Khadi is more than a fabric, it is a way of seeing the world”. ©Metaphorracha
Khadi is a traditional Indian fabric, hand-spun and hand-woven, embodying a cultural heritage, ancestral know-how and more responsible fashion.
Its production relies on artisanal gestures passed down from generation to generation. The small irregularities of the weave give each piece its charm and a unique character.
Beyond its history, Khadi has several assets:
– Precious know-how: each fabric is the result of the work and mastery of artisans.
– Natural uniqueness: variations in texture and weave make each piece different.
– Natural comfort: natural fibres, notably cotton, offer lightness and breathability.
– Sustainable fashion: Khadi encourages more thoughtful consumption, favouring quality and longevity over mass production.
– Human commitment: its production supports local communities, preserves traditional crafts and contributes in particular to women's financial autonomy.
– A more environmentally respectful approach: its artisanal production and use of natural fibres can reduce certain environmental impacts, depending on the processes used.
In short: Khadi is much more than a material. It is the meeting of a cultural heritage, artisanal gestures and a vision of fashion that favours authenticity, uniqueness and the long term. Wearing Khadi means valuing the hand that shapes the fabric and the story it tells.
Prints
Our prints are unique, created by our designers or freelance graphic artists. Many are made in watercolour or pencil and then digitised.
They are printed in different ways:
On sweatshirts and T-shirts, most are digitally printed, which preserves the richness and gradients of colour, especially the watercolour effects.
On dresses and blouses, they are sometimes block-printed, this manual Indian craft technique where each colour is printed with a wooden stamp and which has the advantage of giving a sensitive, unique pattern.
Others are rotary-printed, using large cylinders where each colour is engraved.
Key partners
Some have trusted us since the creation of the brand, and we are deeply grateful to them. Without them, none of this would exist today.
Laurinda, our production manager on site, has also been with us from the beginning. She carefully ensures our standards are met, as well as quality and people's well-being.
André’s family
One of the most emblematic companies in Portugal's Barcelos region. A certified company, it makes part of our sweatshirts, T-shirts and corduroy trousers.
Helena’s family
In this workshop south of Porto, we knit a large part of our unique sweaters using techniques such as jacquard or intarsia.
Nil’s family
Nil is French, and his wife Shruti is Indian. Together, they opened a workshop in Delhi a few years ago that won us over. It enabled us to develop dresses that are both poetic and refined, hand-embroidered dresses in partnership with the SEWA association. It is currently being audited.
Sameira & America’s family
In this SMETA-certified workshop, near Famalicão, we make a good share of our GOTS-certified organic cotton sweatshirts and T-shirts, generally digitally printed.
Sergio’s family
The partner of our very first collection, it is one of our oldest workshops and we are also its oldest customer. This is where we made our famous cat parkas, our corduroy trousers with buttons, and many other iconic products.
Sofia’s family
One of the workshops we have worked with since the beginning, which has the particularity of knitting GOTS-certified knitwear.
Vikram’s family
This is where the charm of the handmade works its magic. In this audited and certified workshop, we make our smocked dresses, our blouses in block-print patterns, khadi fabrics, dobbys… our trousers, shorts and skirts with flower pockets and many other products that delight us season after season.
