Slap bang in the middle of the new Claus Porto boutique in Lisbon sits a large, shiny brass cube with beautiful rounded corners, a contemporary sculpture that doubles as the shop’s counter. In sharp contrast with the traditional Portuguese tiled floor, it serves as more than just the centrepiece of the 129-year-old soap maker’s flagship store — it’s a metaphor for its storied past and its bold steps towards expansion.
You probably know the brand already. Likely, you have a bar of its soap tucked away at the back of a drawer — the Art Deco paper packaging is far too pretty to tear open so invariably they remained unused — but thanks to a subtle transformation overseen by the Parisian-Dutch creative director Anne-Margreet Honing, it’s having a makeover. Its latest offerings? Delicious-smelling candles in creamy-white ceramic jars with scents by British perfumer Lyn Harris, matching hand-creams, chic gold-on-white packaging. A new pop-up store in Porto will be transformed into a permanent fixture, hot on the heels of the shiny new Lisbon flagship; global expansion won’t be far behind.
Claus Porto is one of several heritage brands that have been recently snapped up. It was bought last year by Menlo Capital, a small Portuguese private equity firm whose other investments include a hamburger chain and a bilingual school. For Menlo’s co-founder, Ricardo Cunha-Vaz, the brand’s history was its main attraction: “The uniqueness of 129 years was a key driver for us. It’s always been an iconic brand for Portugal, from generation to generation it has touched our lives.”