Soft, rustic materials on stylish products that only get better with time and patina

La Portegna aims to reintroduce the romance of travel, but in a way that doesn't feel overly nostalgic. Jose Urrutia, the company's founder, came up with the idea when he was abroad in Argentina. Being a frequent traveler and having come from a family of travelers (his grandmother once sailed to Africa with Ernest Hemingway), the project seemed all too natural for him.

The company specializes in slippers, small leather goods, and bags, and although each has been designed with travel in mind, they're also quite practical for everyday use. Their laptop briefcases, for example, are excellent for bringing things to the cafe, and their leather travel slippers can protect feet from cold floors at home.

Each product is made in a small village in Spain's Andalucia region, which is famed for their craftsmanship in leather goods. Machines are used when they best aid the process - such as cutting and skiving the leather - but otherwise, assembly and stitching is all done by hand. Leathers come from a tannery in Spain, who vegetable tans them with olive oil and tree bark tannins. This gives them a soft, resilient, natural feel that will develop a beautiful and rich patina over time.