La Portegna

La Portegna is a Madrid-based brand of handmade leather goods, founded in 2009.

The brand's story began with a family photo album. The founder's grandmother showed him pictures from her sea voyage from Plymouth to Bombay in 1933. Among them was a photograph signed by Hemingway — the writer kneeling beside his hunting trophy on an African plain. That image of an era when travel was a genuine adventure became the philosophy of the brand: objects that accompany you through life and become part of your story.

Every La Portegna piece is made in Ubrique — an Andalusian town with centuries of leatherworking tradition, where each generation of craftsmen passes its skills to the next.

All leather is vegetable-tanned and carries an ecological certification. It is dyed with natural pigments derived from flowers and tree bark, then treated with olive oil for softness and durability. This kind of leather develops a patina over time and only grows more beautiful with age.

The range includes bags, briefcases, travel bags, wallets, purses, belts, shoes and accessories for men and women. Among the more distinctive pieces: leather aprons for those who like to work with their hands, and substantial photo albums in leather covers — the kind that will keep your archive safe for generations. And on any item, a monogram can be added free of charge.

The brand has boutiques in Madrid and Palma de Mallorca. If you happen to be nearby, do stop in. Holding a piece of vegetable-tanned leather from Ubrique is an entirely different experience from looking at it on a screen.