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Lisbon´s Creative Revolution
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF ISTO
By breaking the mold in their respective industries, these brands are pioneers of innovation. Their successful stories are shaping Lisbon streets with a vibrancy and creativity never seen before.
Text by Leda Letra
When Alessandro Radloff decided to open his first store in Lisbon, at the end of 2017, some people were not very confident that it would work. The shop was at Rua das Janelas Verdes, in Santos-o-Velho neighborhood, where not much was happening at the time. Back then, its concept was extremely innovative for the city: all items for sale, from high quality clothes to home goods, were only available in black, white, gray, and light brown.
Soon, the shop caught the attention of its newest neighbor: Madonna, who had just moved to Palácio Ramalhete, a classical building in the same block (where the singer lived from 2017 until 2019): “With its bold concept of four colors and no patterns, the shop was a success from day one. Madonna was my client, and the feedback from other customers showed that I was in the right direction.”
The store eventually closed during the pandemic, and now, Radloff warmly welcomes his customers at AR, in Estrela, a traditional residential neighborhood that in the past years have become home to many foreigners that decided to invest in properties and move to Lisbon with their families.
FRESH AIR
PHOTO: LUCIANA PINTO
“This wave of new residents from so many different cultures paved the way for a transformation in the street shops. Suddenly, it was a natural process: these people wanted something new, modern. My new shop, AR, which means “air” in Portuguese, is not only a reference to my initials, but also a homage to a breath of fresh air, something that after the difficult past years we all had, it's more essential than ever”, explains the entrepreneur.
AR was meticulously created and designed by Radloff himself, in a cozy and artistic space where every piece is in its right place. That, combined with the friendly personality of its owner, makes everyone feel at home.
The focus of the shop are ceramics, books, and unique clothes made with high quality materials, including linen and pure cotton, mostly made in Portugal. According to him, foreigners that now live in the neighborhood are most of his clients.
In the same year that Radloff started his career as entrepreneur, in 2017, another brand that would create waves in the Portuguese fashion industry was being launched: ISTO, focused on producing “superb quality” and timeless menswear pieces that are made to last.
Transparency is at the core of the brand, so much so that the innovative concept of “Factourism” was launched in 2022, with one main goal: “to show how and where we make our products”, according to a statement from ISTO. The brand goes even further, by making available at their website a price breakdown of each piece, so customers know exactly how much is spent in fabrics, labor, transportation, logistics and labels.
COOL AND CHIC
PHOTO: LUCIANA PINTO
ISTO opened its first store in Príncipe Real, a cool and trendy neighborhood that is vibrant from day to night.
Not far from there, in Santos/São Bento, where the monumental building of the Portuguese Parliament is located, the transformation that started in 2015 is still in full force.
The area is home to a dozen specialty coffee shops that opened their doors in the past years, including The Mill, Hello Kristoff, Buna Coffee & People, The Folks, and Fábrica Coffee Roasters. If specialty coffee was not a concept seen in town a decade ago, neither was the culture of brunch, but both are very solid now, helping to attract those who are interested in finding a nice neighborhood to live in Lisbon.
A new subway line that will connect Estrela, Santos and Cais do Sodré is under construction, and so many centenary buildings are going through renovations or have been renovated in recent years, another proof of the process of modernization that Lisbon has been through.
CERAMICS AND FINE PASTRIES
When French artist Cécile Mestelan moved to Lisbon, in 2014, and decided to open her first ceramic studio and shop in São Bento,she was a pioneer. The window, showcasing her colorful creations, would get the attention of anyone passing by. For Cécile, born and raised in Biarritz, the choice of building her family in Lisbon, a city with a “sweet chaos” in her definition, was obvious: “The coastal air, beautiful skies, colorful buildings and poetic garden of the city inspire me in a similar way to my childhood landscape.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CECILE MESTELAN
Her ceramics are elegant and discreet, yet they have a “strong attitude” in Cécile's own words. Her business grew so much that she needed a bigger space, especially because her customers were looking for something extra: ceramic workshops. She moved her business a few blocks up, to Rua Poiais de São Bento, where she now has a dedicated space “for the ceramics to shine”, as well as an adjacent shop just for the workshops.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JULIANA PENTEADO
Cécile´s decision to move her shop´s location paved the way for another aspiring artist to be a neighborhood sensation: the talented pastry chef Juliana Penteado, with her shop at Calçada da Estrela, 5, where Cecile´s first studio was previously located.