"Originally from Alcobaça and living in Porto, we officially founded SOBRI in 2018, with our own funds and the support of the start-up voucher program – entrepreneurship support program – promoted by IAPMEI.
We created SOBRI to support the growth of sustainable solutions, in a society of unsustainable actions, through one of the most extraordinary natural raw materials – cork.
The values, origin and unique characteristics of cork are the basis of what we are as a brand and we intend to contribute to the transformation of its worldwide perception, as well as to the evolution of its use in areas of design, art and fashion.
We have four areas of action that are interconnected in order to make the SOBRI project more resilient.
1 – SOBRI.Porto – Premium quality, genderless and minimalist fashion and design products, made with B.Cork, which is being developed and tested in partnership with the textile factory in Vila Nova de Cerveira – Tintex. We believe it has the capacity to become the future of use of cork in technical textiles considered 100% organic and biodegradable;
2 – SOBRI Cork House – a new type of guesthouse, which can be transformed into a gallery or showroom as needed;
3 – SOBRI Experiences – events that include wine tastings to the sound of electronic music and combine installations, exchange of ideas and discovery, always with cork in the background;
4 – CORK Hunter – our center for the dissemination of cork creations, which we consider interesting, innovative and original.” (Cristiana & David)
Purpose & Mission
"Our vision is to become the benchmark brand for finding and experiencing unique cork products.
Our main objective in the first phase of development is to show the world a new perspective on this raw material, through unique products and experiences, which interconnect cork with our aesthetic and cultural perception, in order to value the entire value chain and create a truly sustainable business.
What motivates us on a daily basis is to co-develop products with our textile partners based on sustainable, resistant, recyclable and biodegradable materials that incorporate cork waste.
All the products we have created so far use textile materials with the least possible impact available on the market. It also motivates us to continue to explore and understand the versatility of cork in its natural state, such as expanded cork agglomerate and the infinite potential for the everyday application of this raw material. Our primary objective and where we intend to go with our motivation is to be at the forefront of the creation and development of products and experiences with cork and impact the notion of what it means to be sustainable in a society full of unsustainable actions, through design and from Portugal .” (Cristiana & David)
Location of Creation or Assembly
Barcelos, Santa Maria da Feira e Benedita
Materials
“All our products are made from natural and responsible raw materials - organic cotton, cork skin and natural cork. Our apparel manufacturing partner based in Barcelos is GOTS certified for the organic cotton we use, and is committed to reducing textile waste, energy consumption and environmental impact. Sedacor - our black cork skin supplier is one of the great national cork companies in Portugal and the only one we found that uses an organic cotton backing to produce black cork skin. It is a company with high values and environmental care, in which for example 80% of the energy used is produced in the factory through cork waste.” (Cristiana & David)
Packaging
“Recyclable cardboard packaging or recycled paper. The tape we use is also made of paper and recyclable. We still sometimes reuse boxes from other orders.” (Cristiana & David)
Method of Creation
"At SOBRI we create timeless, genderless and minimalist products from responsible materials and with 100% Portuguese production.
While we were testing our “dream” of producing the first coat in black cork skin, we were developing other products and creating our value chain, always based on the design of timeless pieces, with natural, ecological fabrics, with greater durability, applying the black cork skin only in small details. We have always been producing small scale batches, with limited editions and unique products, all produced in family factories in the north of Portugal, which are sold directly to the final consumer from our website or at SOBRI Cork House and shipped through CTT. After several tests and attempts to use cork skin for a garment in its entirety, we discovered a new material - B.CORK® - a technological fabric that uses cork stopper waste. This new material, focused on the circular economy, uses an exclusive technology, making use of waste from pre-consumed cork stoppers, from the certified producer SEDACOR. This cork waste is then applied to the fabric, giving it advanced technical properties – in addition to the very characteristic aesthetics and texture, the elasticity and flexibility of the product are the great assets of this fabric.
In recent months, we have been testing and developing more products from expanded cork agglomerate. This is a 100% natural, ecological and recyclable product, made from a renewable raw material, as cork oak bark extraction is part of its life cycle. We have already developed two pieces of furniture from this material, two decorative wall panels and, more recently, we designed the “re-styling” with this material for the Beer Garden of the Catraio brewery in the center of Porto.
Therefore, our value chain, development and design of products is based on two materials that are derived from cork and a 100% natural cork material. The process of creating new products from these three materials is directly related to their intrinsic characteristics, their durability and resistance" (Cristiana & David)
Use & Maintenance
"SOBRI products are designed to last over time. However, we can take some additional precautions, such as: washing at a warm or cold cycle (never above 30 ºC), using mild detergents that are environmentally friendly. Do not tumble dry and do not use bleach. Do not iron over the cork details." (Cristiana & David)
