Burel Factory

Burel Factory is a Portuguese brand born in the Serra da Estrela mountains that weaves burel, a traditional felted wool, in a restored mill in Manteigas. It makes bags, accessories, clothing, blankets and interior and architectural products.

What is Burel Factory?

Burel Factory is a Portuguese wool brand based in Manteigas in the Serra da Estrela range. It produces burel, a dense felted wool fabric traditionally made in the region, and turns it into fashion, accessories and interior products.

History

The founders came across the Lanifícios Império mill while developing the hotel Casa das Penhas Douradas. The factory was facing insolvency, so they restored and bought it, keeping its 19th-century machines and reusing patterns from old design books. They introduced colour to a fabric that had previously existed only in natural wool shades, and master weavers train younger staff. In 2021 the company acquired A Transformadora, a wool factory in Covilhã, bringing dyeing and finishing in-house.

Products and positioning

• Bags and accessories, scarves and shawls
• Knitwear, outerwear and footwear
• Blankets, cushions, rugs and home textiles
• Fabrics by the metre, wall panels and acoustic cladding

Distribution

Burel Factory runs stores in Lisbon's Chiado district and in Porto, alongside an architecture showroom in Lisbon and an online shop.

Why it matters

The brand is a case study in reviving a regional textile craft and an industrial heritage site through design, sustainability and diversification into interiors.

Frequently asked questions

What is burel?

Burel is a traditional dense, felted wool fabric from Portugal's Serra da Estrela region, which Burel Factory weaves in its Manteigas mill.

Where is Burel Factory from?

Burel Factory is based in Manteigas in the Serra da Estrela mountains of Portugal, with stores in Lisbon and Porto.

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