Unlikely dialogues

Once the river turns into the ocean, there is a place, facing the Foz do Douro beaches, where we find one of the main creative establishments in the city of Porto. Born out of the need to create ripples through Portugal’s mainstream attitudes, The combines sensitivity and taste. It is painter Helena Santos’ and designer Teresa Pimenta’s unlikely conversation between pieces by about 50 designers from all over the world.

Helena Santos and Teresa Pimenta are mother and daughter-in-law, but the 30 years that separate their age hasn’t stopped them from sharing much more than just a close family relationship. Together, they’ve travelled the world several times in search of new designers, garments and accessories, which are bold enough to catch their demanding attention. Pieces meant for women who, like them, look for originality, quality and comfort, when it comes to deciding what to wear.

How did the idea to join forces and create this project come about?

Teresa Pimenta (TP) – Ever since Helena and I first met, we realised we have an affinity and very similar interests. It came naturally in that we were both interested in finding new talent and doing something different and at the same time, it felt familiar. By 2005, we were travelling throughout the world in search of different designers and unique garments and we were thinking about what this project should be. In the following year we opened our first The store in Foz do Porto.

Why did you choose Porto and specifically Foz, as the location for your first store?

TP –  In 2006 Porto was a very different city so at the time it was the option that made sense and besides I live in Foz. We opened the first store in a very beautiful 17th century building, which won the João de Almada Rehabilitation Prize. But because it is an almost entirely closed-door space (a concept that doesn’t resonate too well with the Portuguese audience), it was less interesting from a commercial perspective. Meanwhile, we moved to a second space, also in Foz, where we stayed for eight years. Six months ago, the opportunity came for us to move to a new store with better location and visibility. Living in Porto is still a good choice for its excellent quality of life. We can work facing the sea, have lunch with our sons and grandsons and quickly come back. It’s no coincidence that Porto is an emerging cultural and creative destination. There’s always an exhibition, a concert, some interesting show happening in town.

Would you say opening the The store contributed to the development of the city’s creative outlook?

Helena Santos (HS) – It’s funny, over the years we’ve had international clients from cities like New York or Madrid tell us that our shop is like no other. Sometimes, by chance, when we’re walking around other cities, we see stores with our designers’ work, but whose exhibition hasn’t got quite the same impact. We end up creating a collection, even though we didn’t design or build it. We synchronise different designers’ pieces as if to create a perfect conversation between them.

TP – When people enter the store, they have the sense that everything speaks the same language. No one would think that we have close to 50 designers on display. It’s this symbiosis that ends up surprising those who visit. That’s because all the pieces coordinate and live in harmony. In the beginning, when we travelled in search of new designers, some people didn’t even know where Portugal is. Now, they tell us Porto is next on their list of places to visit.

Who is The’s concept meant for?

HS: When we started developing the store’s concept, we thought it would be for people like us, who would share our way of life and clothing style. People without prejudice, who look for different garments. People who value comfort, quality and timelessness.

TP – The is indeed directed to that very specific market niche. They are people who, like us, have a bond with the artistic and intellectual world, who value design and quality.

What’s the starting point for the curatorship of pieces you exhibit in the store?

TP – All our pieces are unique and exclusive. They could come from Portuguese designers, like Carla Pontes, Isabel Quaresma and TM Collection. Or they might be created by designers and artists from Japan, Turkey, Germany, Israel, Croatia or Greece. Such as Moyoru, Manuelle Guibal, Barbara Alan, Issey Miyake, Elsa Esturgie and Simona Tagliaferri. But this list changes a lot. Some designers remain season after season whereas others come and go. We always look for pieces that stand out to us, since that is what our clients look for in our store.

HS: Brands aren’t important to us. Our target audience is confident people, who build their own self-image. They’re not people who look for brands to improve their status. We often end up bringing back wonderful things from designers who are still unknown.

The has always supported emerging Portuguese designers’ potential. How do these collaborations work?

TP – When we launched the project, we thought if we’d found so much talent on our travels, surely we would find it within our shores. And, as a matter of fact, there are Portuguese designers with fantastic work. The most interesting way for us to get these emerging designers’ work was to contact “new blood” directly. These were the designers fresh out of college and in need of a space to promote their brands. We started with a partnership with ESAD for art and jewellery. Afterwards, with students from Modatex’s fashion design courses. Our goal is to keep these partnerships.

HS – At the beginning, it was hard to persuade designers to sell only one piece, because they are used to sell several units and sizes. Today, it’s us who are sought after by designers, who’d like to have two or three pieces displayed at the store.

Portugal is a favoured producer for brands all around the world. When you contact international designers, can you tell there is recognition of the Portuguese industry’s quality and know-how?

TP – Our country is widely revered for producing high quality, not only relating to clothing but also footwear. As a matter of fact, at the store we have pieces from many international designers produced in Portugal. The designers themselves like to label their products as ‘Made in Portugal’.

In 2010 and 2012, you launched new stores in Lisboa and the Algarve. Why did you decide to expand?

TP – Considering our concept and target audience, we asked: ‘where is the music, the arts, the theatre?’ By 2010, Lisbon was a place to be. That’s why we decided to open a store at Rua Castilho, one of the city’s main shopping arteries. In 2012, in order to reach a broader international audience, with more purchasing power, we opened up the third shop at Quinta do Lago in the Algarve.

What can we expect from The in the future?

TP – Besides the development of our online store, we’re working to create our own brand. As of yet, we can only say that it will be the result of a partnership with Portuguese designers and it will be launched by the end of the year.

Etiquetas: Brands, Retail, The