Toino Abel is a brand of handmade reed baskets, made with an handcraft technique which remains unchanged since time immemorial. The dried reed is weaved on a loom to build a mat which is then hand-sewn, adorned with a wicker handle, a leather buckle and a shoulder strap and finally a handmade ceramic charm engraved with a reed blossom.

Born in 2010 in a village in the interior of Portugal, Toino Abel now presents another collection which has two highlighted features: exclusive patterns and the pioneer use of colours to tint the reed.

Along with these new features, the brand remains unchanged in its rigorous observance of the reed work tradition, its concern with being a sustainable company, both environmentally and economically, and its constant search for innovation.

Designed to be functional and beautiful anywhere, Toino Abel bags can be bought on the company’s own online shop and at selected shops around the world.

Nature does. The same nature that makes the reed grow wild in clear waters, to then be picked, once a year only, when it blossoms. A care which allows its seeds to spread and renewal to happen, year after year.

This respect for this life cycle gives this art of working the reed its sustainable character, attentive to all which surrounds it. A Toino Abel bag is not only sustainable as it concerns the reed, the leather from vegetable tanning, and the lead and nickel-free metal pieces. And whichever size is chosen, each bag will reach you protected inside an eco- logical cotton bag.

Family legacy and tradition do. The art of making reed baskets has been in Nuno Henriques’ family forever. The core manufacturing is still the same since the first day: the artisans’ hands. They pick, cut, dye, operate the handloom and finally weave the reed. Throughout the entire process, there is nothing more valuable than the relationship which is established between human knowledge and nature.

Design and research do. Nowadays, it’s not enough to do things as in the old days, reinven- tion is needed. At Toino Abel, the concern with innovation is a daily occurrence, and leads to researching new raw materials, new approaches, new ways to weave the reed, innovative colouring and colour fixation techniques. Many of these processes are exclusive to the brand and are the result of the entire team’s hard work in developing new solutions, together with the artisans.

The world does. Toino Abel carries Portugal’s name beyond its borders with a modern, innovative and unique image. A Toino Abel bag carries the memories of a region, its people and its cultural heritage, but it also carries new ideas, new designs and new functions. It unites its practical and useful spirit with its playful and fashionable side.

Toino Abel is not inward looking, it’s open to the world and lets its beauty and its stories to be been. This is what’s already happened in magazines such as Vogue UK, Cut Magazine, Frankie Australia or even at the Madrid Fashion Week in a partnership with brand Ailanto.

For more info visit www.toinoabel.com