FLORES TEXTILE STUDIO AT LISBON DESIGN WEEK
“The most beautiful part is the human relationship we have with the artisans”
At De La Espada, we have a particular affection for contemporary design that thoughtfully incorporates traditional Portuguese craft, and Flores Textile Studio, an interior design studio and textile showroom in Lisbon, does just this, bringing interior spaces alive with their collaborations with local artisans. Their showroom centres on textiles as well as a compact collection of furniture incorporating other craft mediums, and their interiors are a showcase for the life that generations-old skills can bring to modern spaces. During this year’s Lisbon Design Week, 22 - 26 May, a special exhibition at the Flores Textile Studio showroom will highlight recent work, welcoming visitors to experience the sensory delights of their creative vision.
Founded by Italian interior designer Valentina Pilia and Swiss-French architect Emma Pucci in 2020, Flores Textile Studio emerged from the founders’ shared lifelong passion for textiles. “Our love for crafts has always been part of our journey, and our interest in textiles has always been fed by immersive travelling and experiences living abroad,” explains Valentina. Those experiences include years Valentina and Emma spent living in Morocco and India, respectively, where textile craft is an important part of the culture.
Their paths eventually led them to Portugal, where they pursued textiles in earnest. “Seeking a slower life, slower design and accessible craft, Portugal, and what it has to offer, came across for both of us as a natural choice,” says Valentina.
Photo credit: Carole Peyrot
When the founders first moved to Lisbon in 2019, they were in search of craftspeople with whom to collaborate, and soon began a creative partnership with Mizette Nielsen who, at that time, was the owner of Fabrica Alentejana de Lanificios. Now known as Fabricaal, this workshop in Reguengos de Monsaraz specialises in mantas alentejanas, traditional merino wool blankets particular to the Alentejo region, with a history reaching back over 100 years. While the workshop has sensitively modernised the patterns and colours of this craft over time, they have preserved the traditional handcrafting methods.
“Spending a lot of time there with Mizette and exchanging ideas, Flores' own collection of cushions was developed, respecting traditional techniques. This was a starting point to many other collaborations and creations,” Valentina explains.
Flores has since established fruitful collaborations with a wide variety of artisans, creating their own brand of handwoven rugs and fabrics made in Portugal as well as a collection of “essential pieces” of furniture produced by Portuguese artisans working with materials including ceramic, reed, and wood. It is all part of the Flores vision of bringing traditional crafts into the modern home. “All these unique pieces have a core place in the studio's interior architecture projects,” says Valentina.
Their interiors combine open, pared back spaces with a sensory feast of textures, natural colours, and history, featuring their own products as well as many other local materials and crafts.
“Most of the Portuguese craft landscape is in some way or another explored through our projects. We work with stone, textile, ceramic, wood, reed, and more,” say Valentina.
Photo credit: Geraldine Bruneel
For their own-brand textiles, Flores works closely with artisans who use fully handmade techniques as well as weavers who use semi-mechanical techniques; this allows them to accommodate clients with different requirements, while staying true to their vision of made-to-order textiles incorporating handcraft. In addition to their own textiles, the Flores showroom offers an exclusive selection of handmade textile brands from different parts of the world.
Particularly emblematic of the Flores ethos is their special linen textile made using an entirely artisanal process, from the harvesting and processing of the flax to weaving on manual looms to hand-dyeing. This premium textile has an inviting tactility and great depth of colour and benefits from the close relationship Flores has with the craftspeople, where the mutual respect and open approach to collaboration brings meaning not only to the lives of the creators, but to the end product.
“The most beautiful part of our work is the human relationship we have with the artisans. And when we achieve a nice piece with the intervention of many artisans, that is a great satisfaction,” says Valentina.
Photo credit: Isabelle Ormieres
During this year’s Lisbon Design Week, 22 - 26 May, a special installation at the Flores Textile Studio showroom in Praça das Flores will feature a photography exhibition alongside several new additions to the Flores “essentials” furniture collection, exploring a variety of Portuguese materials and crafts.
Lisbon Design Week is an annual design hub that celebrates Portuguese craftsmanship, design, and innovation with a curated programme of product launches, open studios, exhibitions, workshops, masterclasses, presentations, talks, and more, taking place across the city. De La Espada proudly sponsors the event, as part of our ongoing mission to support Portuguese creativity. Visit to experience the work of Flores Textile Studio firsthand, as well as an inspiring mixture of creativity from established and emerging creators across the city.
Download the Lisbon Design Week event map here
Lisbon Design Week
22 - 26 May 2024
Learn more about Flores Textile Studio
Learn more about Lisbon Design Week
All photography by Emily Jean Vanweydeveld for Flores Textile Studio unless otherwise noted
