Product design
Product design and development is one of the areas where I feel most comfortable working on. Colour, material, and volume are the basic elements of my designs that are always created with functionality and quality in mind.
All my design work always takes into account profitability, as this is an essential part of a good product.
Materials
Material sourcing and development is an important part of my work experience, especially when it comes to colour.
In the last six years I worked close with suppliers to develop unique and exclusive raw materials with bespoke colours and finishes, designed by myself. These materials included natural leather, recycled leather, vegan leather, recycled PVC, natural and synthetic fabrics.
Handbags
Handbags are one of my passions. As a designer, a handbag can tell you a lot for such a small object, that can be equally pretty, as functional.
After running my own handbag factory, I know well all the development, designing and manufacturing process that goes into creating handbags, and I have experience working with different shapes and materials.
Every single handbag you can see in this portfolio was designed, created by me and manufactured in my own factory.
Wallets
I also designed, developed and produced a series of small leather pieces such as wallet, card holders and pencil cases.
Shoes
Making shoes is in many ways very similar to making handbags, but also very different. The machinery required is completely different even if you are working with the same material.
I developed my first shoe collection with the help of my amazing Portuguese suppliers (and friends), who helped me to materialize my ideas and concepts into final, sellable products.
Clothing
Clothing design is the epitome of product design because clothing is the only product in direct contact with the customer’s skin.
I started designing and producing leather skirts in my handbag factory, before I developed a full women’s collection. I have a decent understanding of how to create and read clothing patterns. My sewing ability of leather and heavy materials is good although I have less experience sewing fabrics.
This women’s collection was designed by myself using Clo 3d software to develop the patterns before the seamstress I collaborated with closely, helped me with the final samples and production of the line.
I designed all patterns in close collaborations with fabric suppliers based in Spain and Asia.
Tubes
Leather tubes for architect’s plans were the first products I ever designed from my parent’s garage. My sister, who was studying architecture in London at the time, complained one day about how ugly the black plastic tubes were, she had to carry.
I had nothing else to do (apart from not loving my job as a lawyer) so I decided to make a cool tube for her. This is how Arquitube was born and how I started designing products.
The first leather tube was badly handmade but I quickly improved the process as I worked closely with the material and I ended up making and selling super high quality carbon fiber tubes.
