Our Story

A family story, created in Portugal.

RAFIBAGOAL began with Rafaela, our mother, and a passion for the arts that had always been part of her life. When she was younger, she painted several portraits and never let go of her creative side, always looking for ways to create and keep art present in her everyday life. It was this passion that led her, a few years ago, to start making and selling crochet wallets, without imagining that this small project would one day become a family business.

Everything changed when she discovered cork and realised the potential of a material so deeply connected to Portugal. Little by little, she began experimenting, learning and developing new ideas. Crochet gradually gave way to cork, new shapes, colours and patterns emerged, and what had started as a hobby slowly developed its own identity. It was not born from a perfect plan or built overnight. It grew with us, piece by piece, experience by experience, until it became the RAFIBAGOAL we know today.

We mainly work with cork textile, a material that combines the natural texture and character of cork with the flexibility needed to create bags and accessories. Cork has a deep connection to the Portuguese landscape and culture. It is harvested from the bark of the cork oak without cutting down the tree and, after going through the necessary processes, can be transformed into a lightweight, durable and versatile material, while retaining the unique characteristics that make every cork piece so special. It is precisely this combination of nature, tradition and creative possibility that made us fall in love with cork.

At RAFIBAGOAL, the process begins long before the sewing. Viviana, who studied Graphic Design, creates the patterns and develops the designs that are then adapted for printing onto cork. She is also responsible for the brand's digital presence, from the website and social media to the content we share. Flávia brings these ideas to life by printing our patterns onto cork using our own large-format UV printer. She is also closely involved in production, managing stock, planning the work, preparing for markets and representing RAFIBAGOAL when meeting our customers.

After printing, each material begins to take shape. Joaquim is responsible for cutting the different components and has developed our patterns and working methods to ensure that each piece fits together precisely while making the most of the available cork. Once the pieces have been cut, we start experimenting with different colours and combinations, creating bags and accessories with multiple colours and patterns and allowing each collection to continue evolving. There are also all the smaller components that go into each piece, from buckles to other accessories, an area where António is always involved, helping prepare materials, organise the work and take care of whatever needs to be done. Then come the hands of Rafaela and Flávia, who sew our wallets from beginning to end. This business began with Rafaela's hands, and it is through those same hands that it continues to take shape every day.

Each of us has our own role, but we all take part in what we do. We design, print, cut, combine, prepare, sew, organise and, finally, take our pieces to markets throughout Porto and Portugal, where we have the opportunity to meet the people who choose them and discover where they will go next.

The names of our pieces are also part of this story. From the beginning, we decided that each model should have a name, often inspired by people and stories close to us. Joaquina, for example, was created by Joaquim and is still made by him to this day. These small details mean that our products are never simply anonymous objects. Each one carries a part of the work, ideas and people involved in its creation.

For us, working with cork is about more than choosing a beautiful material. It is about working with something that belongs to the place we call home and finding new ways to transform it. We love its texture, lightness and durability, and above all, the subtle differences that make every piece unique. We are not simply trying to produce more. We want to create pieces with personality, designed to be functional and to accompany the people who choose them for many years to come.

Today, RAFIBAGOAL remains what it was at its beginning: a family with a desire to create. What started with a few crochet wallets has grown into a brand built around Portuguese cork, design, craftsmanship and, above all, the people behind every piece.

From our family, from our hands, and from Portugal, wherever you go.