Companies

New Portuguese leather goods brand enters the market

Nov 25, 2025 Portugal

The Portuguese slow luxury brand Via Essenza creates timeless bags in limited editions of 25 per collection. The first creation, the VIA backpack, is available to pre-order from the brand’s official website

Crafted from calfskin, the items blend minimalist lines with poetic details, combining the traditional craftsmanship of Portugal with a contemporary vision of luxury. Launched by Catarina Marques this year, the brand is distinguished by its slow luxury approach, in which true luxury lies in purpose, rarity and timelessness.

The founder told APICCAPS that when she became a mother, she left the corporate world behind to discover “the beauty of living slowly”. After spending 15 years in Los Angeles, she decided to return to Portugal so that her son could be born there.

By producing in “small volumes, each detail can be appreciated, resulting in not just an accessory, but a collectable piece with soul and history”. With its “slow luxury” approach, Via Essenza celebrates the idea of owning something unique and redefines the concept of luxury by embracing rarity, craftsmanship, and purpose.

For the designer, “Via Essenza is not just about volumes or trends; it’s about creating soulful, long-lasting items that hold meaning”. In pursuit of this goal, the new leather goods brand creates timeless bags in limited editions of 25 pieces, each featuring a golden collector’s plaque on the inside.

Catarina Marques reveals that the biggest challenge has been “balancing the demand for craftsmanship with that for small-scale production due to the high costs involved in the luxury sector, especially at such an early stage”. She also highlights the challenges of establishing a brand in such a competitive market, but ultimately, she believes that “authenticity and transparency are the foundation of trust”.

Despite all these challenges, the brand’s founder argues that creation can be accessible to all; it just requires one to “find their voice and a clear purpose”. She believes that what matters is "having patience”, “not following trends”, and “listening to and valuing vision and personal essence”, because nowadays, "luxury isn’t about the product, but history, values, and authenticity”.

For more information about Via Essenza, visit the brand’s website.

Source and Image Credits: portugueseshoes.pt

Portugal Accessories Brands Luxury Portuguese Leather Goods