Sorema story begins one Spring Monday in 1974 when Manuel Relvas and his son Duarte Relvas decided to open a company to produce textile coating products for cars. Duarte had just graduated in Economics and full of ideas got the help of his father that had already some experience in the textile segment.

One year later, due to the Portuguese revolution and the loss of the biggest costumer a big shift took place and started the production of bath textiles, since the machinery used was the same.

Money was tight so Duarte asks his wife Maria to help him in the company. With a very small team but with a huge passion to the company that still can be found today, the first Sorema Bath Rug was born, and they were delighted with the result.

Manuel were also painter and art teacher, so he had strong design competencies that used to create the first unique products of the company, that soon started to be noticed in the market.

Product development and design was since then the moto of our company, which is the oldest existing in Europe producing Bath Rugs.

Today Sorema is a third generation family business.

Duarte having three children that spent most of the childhood free times and holidays helping their parents in the company cannot bear to see their father and grandfather work come to nothing, and therefore decide to join the team.

At this time, Sorema consists of little more than 20 employees, and were selling only to the internal Portuguese market. They were sure they have a unique product that could be sold to design bath textile enthusiasts around the world – in this way started the export market in sorema that represents about 95% of the business by now.

With Sorema bath rugs under his arm, Duarte visits the finest furniture and design shops around the world and soon people started to recognize our products potential. More and more people fall in love with Sorema bath rugs, and started to sell our products in the most prestige stores around the world like The Conran Shop (in London), Shelfridges (UK), ABC Carpet (NY), El Corte Ingles (Spain) among others. Duarte and their sons knew they were on the right track.

Today, Duarte one of the founders had the help of three of his children Duarte, Andre and Ricardo, who together with a committed team of employees and a growing range of products continue adding chapters to the Sorema story.

Since 1974, Sorema collection has grown into a large family with a wide range of products. The original bath rugs has been supplemented by other textile products for the bathroom, specially our premium bath towels. The Sorema DNA arising from the first products is today continued by our chief designer and her team. “Functionality and distinctive idiom based on high quality materials and special manufacturing process are the pillars of the Sorema DNA and represent the common thread between the past, present and future of our collections”.

The principle that the material and workmanship define the product is consistent across all collection whether a bath rug, bath towel or a bath mat is.

When we design a new product, we consider it before, during and after the development process as a too, that must stand the daily wear. We always aim to develop something that is better than what is already on the market.

On 1 May of 2006 Graccioza flagship corner store open its doors in Madrid – El Corte Inglês. Here the complete Graccioza collection is presented on 25 square meters – from the classic bath rugs to innovative bath towels and bathroom accessories.

Our ambition has been to create a retail concept that reflects our tradition. Therefore we decided to develop the store concept on the same principle as if it was a Sorema product – unique through its function, materials and with a simple design.

Others followed the first store and by 2008 we were already in more than 50 locations like Copenhagen – Magasin du Nord, Shanghai, Toronto, Lisbon among others.