The national brand wants, at the end of the year, to look to 2023 as its best commercial year ever.
After hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and coats, with various cuts, and following ponchos, beach towels, bucket hats, key rings, windbreakers, and tote bags, Portuguese surfwear Palu is preparing to launch a line of swimming trunks. An objective that, within the horizon of a year, will be part of others, such as the development of three complete collections and some capsule collections in between. Always thinking of all those who keep a young and adventurous spirit, and who like to dress accordingly.
The focus on exclusivity will, in fact, lead the brand to produce fewer pieces of each model created.
João Velhinho, the brand’s young creator, CEO, and designer, intends to “reinforce Palu’s commercial strategy” and “gradually leverage its notoriety”. Goals that will lead you to bet on a mobile store across the country, and to be present at major events (sports and beyond).
Always faithful to the motto that has guided the brand since its inception, “Inspired by the sea, designed for you”, Palu appeals not only to young people and adults who are passionate about the tides and surfing, but also to sportsmen (such as the Olympic rowers Afonso and Dinis Costa, who wear the brand) and supporters of other radical physical activities and, in the past, to the most creative minds, those who pay attention to the design details that mirror the identity of each creation.
It was this quest for distinction that allowed creating, for example, one of Palu’s signature pieces: the wave hoodie, a hooded sweatshirt with a wave-shaped pocket on the front, and an additional hidden opening.
It is with this and other value propositions that the company hopes that by the end of 2023 will be able to point it out commercially as the best ever. In the case of Palu, a small Portuguese brand that was born from the vision and entrepreneurship of a young man, this milestone means reaching 100 thousand euros in sales. That “is no small thing” for a company that, recalls João Velhinho, started by “making good quality clothes with a differentiating design, at a good price, for me and my friends”. He still does, but the “friends” are different now. They grew in number and are reflected in the environmental sustainability concerns that also guide Palu’s activity (whose name was inspired by the Indonesian destination known for its perfect waves and paradisiacal natural settings).
Some of the products in the collections, such as tote bags, windbreakers, beach towels, and ponchos, are made with leftover stock from various Portuguese textile factories. In addition, the brand uses water-based inks for printing and opts for careful packaging that is 100% recyclable.
“Both the paints and the fabrics of the ponchos – where recycled threads are used -, for example, are OEKO-TEX certified”, points out the designer, referring to the guarantee seal that attests to the exclusion of substances that may be harmful to health in the product composition.
Additionally, Palu terry cloths use the so-called “ketten mesh”, which in addition to having greater resistance, durability, permeability, absorption, and softness, requires less water during washing and a much shorter drying time, saving resources.
And so that the purchase of a Palu piece is more than a simple commercial transaction and provides an additional “experience”, the clothing is shipped with an information flyer that contains seeds of different plants inside. “So that the brand’s concept and history germinate inside each customer’s home…”, stresses João Velhinho.
The production of the collections is subcontracted nationally. “We value our country and, therefore, we chose to produce the articles in Portugal, where we get the quality we so desire”, stresses the designer.
Internationalization, “in an economically sustainable way”, is also on the brand’s horizon. To which will be added the opening of physical points of sale, given that Palu operates almost exclusively online (at palubrand.com), having, for now, partnerships with Santoloco, in Lisbon (Chiado), Bana Praia, in Cascais (Carcavelos) and Hangfive Surf Club, in Matosinhos.
About Palu:
The concept of the brand was created in 2012, emerging from the paradisiacal vision of an Indonesian island, known for its perfect waves, and from the dreams of a 17-year-old boy, whose passion for the tides led to other professional destinations, in addition to surfing. The arts of design and illustration are the means that Palu’s creator, João Velhinho, uses to reach an end. With the certainty that behind a wave always comes another. Better. And that those who run for pleasure – to the sea, to nature, to the country… – never get tired.
So that the brand’s inspiration does not stop growing with each purchase, the brochure that reflects Palu’s identity transports mint seeds to customers’ homes. Just a detail that signals the brand’s concerns with environmental sustainability factors. Palu, “Inspired by the sea, designed for you”.
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