Back to the Drawing Board

When he was 15 years old, Gonçalo Esteves started making his own boat-race themed t-shirts to sell his friends at the Cascais Naval Club, to save money for his holidays. The year was 1986 and back then, the young entrepreneur couldn’t have imagined that moment would become the origin story of one of the most renowned clothing brands in Portugal, Quebramar.

«Quebramar was born from my genuine love for the sea», confesses Gonçalo, clarifying that the brand was only baptised and officially launched in 1989.

Quebramar started working by catalogue, and contrary to what had happened with the t-shirts in his initial venture, he introduced a very diversified product, ranging from men to women to children and babies, the businessman recalls.

When shopping malls and the consumption boom started popping up all over Portugal in the later half of the nineties, the founder decided to invest in opening brand stores, using this opportunity to take his company back to the drawing board and reclaim its original positioning.

The strategic readjustment resulted in the Quebramar statement of “an aspirational, nautical inspired brand, for men and women,” a concept that continues to define the brand to this day.

Aimed at the casual sportswear sector, Quebramar sets itself apart by the quality, comfort and functional design of its garments.

Dark blue and white colours show up all throughout every collection, a constant reminder of its nautical ethos, as well as reinterpreted basics for every season, from which the founder highlights t-shirts, knitwear and chino pants — a brand icon which has been produced for the last 20 years in the same Lousada factory, in the north of Portugal.

Faithfulness, know-how and quality are the brand’s defining values, now sailing to dock at new shores. This year, joining the existing brand presence in Spain, Mozambique and Qatar, the businessmen unveils that the brand will open a second shop in Qatar and its first in Saudi Arabia.

Going global, modernising its stores, expanding its online presence and pursuing ambitious answers to the ever-changing reality of new generations are the challenges Gonçalo Esteves aims to conquer in the coming future.