Sustainability & Materials
Less but better things
Ideal & Co pieces are made to last, age and evolve throughout life’s journeys.
Sustainability
From the beginning, Ideal & Co's purpose was to create a collection of bags and backpacks that would stand the test of time, pieces that people could pass from generation to generation.
As we believe everyone should have less but better things, we designed a collection with longevity in mind. Ideal & Co unites natural materials with simple yet refined details to create authentic and lasting products.
In addition to preserving endangered craft techniques, Ideal & Co's objective is to develop a unique relationship between consumption, production and the environment. By taking a sustainable view on consumption, in which our bags always have outstanding durability (and offering lifetime repair for damaged pieces), Ideal & Co promotes an attitude of respect for the environment and against waste.
Using workshops and small factories in Portugal, we achieved greater logistical and environmental efficiency, while also encouraging the local economy, an essential part of Ideal & Co's social conscience.
We believe that the future lies in consuming beautiful and durable pieces, produced locally without harming people and the environment, objects that we pride ourselves on owning and caring for because some things stay with you forever!
Vegetable-tanned Leather
Vegetable-tanned, full-grain leather constitutes the backbone of the Ideal & Co collection, a material that develops a rich patina over time
Materials
We handcraft our collection with the best Portuguese leathers dyed locally with vegetable tannins, obtained from tree bark. Chromium salts based chemicals are not used by the tannery in this process. Vegetable-tanned leathers develop a rich patina over time, conveying a distinct character and beauty to each piece.
Besides leather, we also use selvedge canvas to produce our bags and backpacks. Created exclusively for Ideal & Co by the last factory in the Iberian Peninsula that manufactures this material, our sturdy 100% cotton fabric is especially appealing for the texture, beauty, natural appearance, as well as the original vertical stripes.
We also use the best brass hardware, produced in Italy and finished in Portugal, and zippers made by Japanese manufacturer YKK.