The portuguese brand Artelusa is the king of cork: a rich collection of products, from bags to wallets, all made in cork is ready to conquer new markets.
You have to look at them closely to understand that it’s not leather: Artelusa’s products really deceive the eye and even when you touch them you find it hard to understand what material it is. Portugal produces nearly half of the world’s cork production and can count on 190 thousand tons of harvested cork, thinking of new ways to use this material is therefore natural. But what Italtempo did with the brand Artelusa is very innovative: applying the technical knowledge of cork processing to the fashion sector, especially to the production of bags, backpacks and wallets.
The result is a very pleasant and simple collection: everyday items characterized by sober lines and simple decorative motifs. What these bags want to showcase is the delicate but resistant cork texture, which embellishes every object with a powerful reference to naturalness. Artelusa’s working process aims to obtain a material as pure and natural as possible. The raw material is turned into sophisticated paper cork, thin sheets of material that are used to make wallets, backpacks and bags and that can be further processed to obtain different finishes. It’s 100% natural portuguese cork and the brand was also awarded the Peta’s “approved vegan” seal that certifies that the majority of their products are totally vegan.
Cork is natural, recyclable, durable and biodegradable: the perfect material for bags and backpacks designed for an everyday use. Together with bags with a very natural look, where it’s easy to glimpse the texture of the material, other proposals of the brand stand out for their bright colors and a fresh and young look. Artelusa’s catalogue, however, contains a large quantity of products: travel bags, briefcases, cosmetic purses and also footwear, hats, umbrellas and necklaces, just to name a few; a demonstration of its designers and artisans’ expertise and creativity. www.artelusa.pt