More than 6,700 companies located within a 50-square-kilometre radius, responsible for 160,000 jobs, make Porto one of the main epicentres of fashion on a European scale. The city is home to companies involved in textile and clothing, footwear and fashion accessories, jewellery and watchmaking. The fashion industry in Portugal is being consolidated. Step by step.
Local production
This is one of the key elements of the Portuguese textile, clothing, footwear, leather goods and even jewellery industries. Local production, associated with significant investment in R&D, allows Portuguese companies to be highly capable of providing an excellent service, combining a rapid response capacity with the production of smaller series.
Knowledge centres
There are several knowledge centres, technology centres and even universities on the outskirts of Porto, in Gondomar, Famalicão, Guimarães, Felgueiras, Oliveira de Azemeís, Santo Tirso and São João da Madeira, that enable Portuguese fashion to be at the forefront of Europe. The know-how in Portugal, accumulated over generations, is the nation’s historical heritage, but the creation of technical skills has been indispensable for highly export-orientated sectors.
Excellent geographical location
By land, air or sea, Portugal’s geographical location means that its companies are heavily focused on exporting from the outset. Porto, in particular, has one of the most modern seaports in Europe, a world-class sea port, and excellent land connections that allow Portuguese products to reach their final destination very quickly.
From Portugal to the world
Portuguese fashion reaches practically the entire world. Take footwear, for example: 95% of production is exported to 163 countries on five continents. The situation is identical in other sectors of the fashion industry. Not only are exclusive items for international luxury brands sent out from Portugal to the world, but also original Portuguese products, capable of surprising the most demanding consumers.
