BEST PORTUGAL BRANDS
Ana Águas article
Wewood: when Portuguese design is born from industry and thinks about the future
From family heritage to creating a global brand, Wewood asserts itself in European design through wood, of time and consistency.
There are brands that are born from an idea and others that are born from a story.. Wewood clearly belongs to the second group. Created in 2012, in the context of economic crisis, the Portuguese designer furniture brand is the result of decades of industrial experience, transformed into a contemporary language, authorial and oriented towards the international market.
Wewood's history begins long before its name existed. Em 1964, Carlos Alfredo founds a small furniture factory that, over the decades, grows sustainably and begins exports in the 70, for markets such as France and Spain. It is in this productive environment that the current founders of Wewood grow, literally inside the factory, learning the craft, the materials and rhythms of industry.
During the financial crisis between 2008 , 2012, with the significant drop in sales of the parent company, there is a need to rethink the path. While the traditional market shrank, the luxury segment remained relatively stable. It is in this context that the idea of creating a brand focused on design was born., added value and its own identity. After several years of conceptual and technical development, Wewood is officially registered in 2012.
Despite the strong connection to Móveis Carlos Alfredo,, Wewood asserts itself as an independent project, with its own structure and autonomous strategy, whilst maintaining in parallel the original industrial activity. This duality — industry and brand — is one of the keys to its consistency.
Design takes center stage at Wewood. The brand has an internal department that bridges the gap between creation and production., working with international designers like Dan Yeffet, Fabricio Ronca or Christophe de Sousa, between others. Collaborations are designed for the long term: The pieces are part of the collection as long as they make sense for the brand’s identity, and designers are compensated through royalties on sales.
Over the years, some pieces have become clear references to the Wewood universe, like the Metis desk or the Scarpa and Carousel sideboards. Recognition also came through design awards, such as the European Product Design Award or InovDesign, reinforcing the brand’s credibility in the European context.
Production remains entirely in Portugal, with a conscious approach to resources. Wood scraps resulting from the production process are reused to heat the factory during the winter, in a simple and effective system, without powering machines, but reducing energy waste. Raw materials vary between national and international origin, depending on the material, reflecting the technical and aesthetic requirements of the pieces.
In contact with the public, Wewood favors international fairs, agents, multi-brand stores and digital platforms. He regularly participates in the Salone del Mobile in Milan and had, over time, own temporary spaces in cities like London or Paris. In Portugal, opened its first store in Porto and, em 2024, concentrated physical presence in Lisbon, in a conscious relationship with a market that knows the brand, but where investment in designer furniture continues to be a cultural challenge.
Today, to Wewood sells all over the world, from Europe to the United States, from the Middle East to Asia, adapting to constantly changing economic contexts. Without the intention of being radically different, the brand stands out for its solidity, for coherence and the ability to transform a long Portuguese industrial tradition into a contemporary and global language.
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