Portobello At Expo Revestir: Innovation Built Through Teamwork

Over the years, Expo Revestir has established itself as an important platform for Portobello showcase its advancements in products, technology, and design.

More than just a showcase for new releases, the fair has become a space for experimenting with ideas, expanding the possibilities of ceramics, and fostering dialogue with professionals from different fields. It is within this environment of exchange that Portobello has been building a track record guided by innovation and co-creation.

Through the Portobello Group’s Innovation Cycle, architects, designers, artists, and professionals from various fields have brought diverse perspectives to the industry, while Portobello has put its technology, expertise, and production capacity to work in support of these new ideas. The result is a range of solutions that expand the possibilities of ceramics in the market.

In 2021, in light of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the “ Portobello ” brought its “Unlimited” booth to Expo Revestir in a virtual format. The initiative maintained connections with industry professionals and visitors and showcased new releases such as “Unlimited Experience,” which offers new possibilities in ceramic slabs, and “Horizontes,” curated by journalist and TV host Pedro Andrade. Inspired by five destinations from the journalist’s travel repertoire, the collection brought experiences and references from different places to ceramic design—an approach that is part of the brand’s creative DNA.

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With the return to in-person events in 2022, co-creation took center stage even more. The Unlimited Dreams collection brought together different generations and styles of architecture and design through partnerships with Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Nadezh da Mendes da Rochafor the Soma line; Ruy Ohtake for the Oh!take and Soul lines; and Italian designer Paola Navone for Shibori. The diversity of creators expanded the repertoire of “ Portobello ” and demonstrated that innovation can also arise from the dialogue between different creative visions.

In 2023, this dynamic reached new frontiers. The partnership with Oskar Metsavaht gave rise to the materia_prima collection, developed from the essential elements of ceramics and research that brought together material, nature, and sustainability. That same year, the collaboration with chef Alex Atala resulted in the A2to countertop, bringing issues such as material, texture, and functionality into the world of the kitchen. Although they operated in different fields, both partnerships were based on the same premise: incorporating new approaches into the industry to create original solutions with meaning and practical application in architecture.

The following year, architecture returned to center stage with Isay Weinfeld, in a collaboration that resulted in the Folia and Bordas lines. Colors, shapes, and proportions were crafted using a precise yet playful design language, translating the architect’s signature elements into ceramic pieces. The partnership reinforced Portobello ’s ability to transform the architect’s signature designs into products, preserving their identity while expanding their range of uses.

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In 2025, the collaboration strategy gained momentum with the launch of “Bossa On The Road,” the first global collection from Portobello, in line with the Portobello Group’s internationalization “ projeto ,” which opened a factory in the U.S. in October 2023. The collection brought together elements from different markets and cultures through a perspective that preserves Brazilian identity while also recognizing the diversity of influences shaping contemporary architecture.

The highlight was the Haptic line, developed in collaboration with artist Vik Muniz. His research into material, image, and perception found a new medium in ceramics, exploring textures and effects inspired by, among other references, watercolor paper. This edition also expanded the brand’s ecosystem of solutions with Kitchen & Bath, an exclusive curated collection of metal fixtures that broadens Portobello ’s portfolio of complete solutions.

“ Portobello ’s journey at Expo Revestir reflects a unique evolution in the market, one that goes far beyond a mere succession of product launches. By bridging the gap between industry and creativity, the brand is blazing new trails in the ceramics sector and expanding its dialogue with architecture, design, art, and other creative fields,” notes Cesar Gomes Junior, CEO of Portobello Grupo Portobello.

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This evolution was also reflected in the booth itself. Over the course of the event’s editions, the space came to be conceived as part of the brand experience, rather than merely as a platform for product launches. Fully furnished spaces give visitors a sense of the different ways the products can be used and help bring the concept behind each collection to life on a real-world scale. In 2025, a work by Vik Muniz was incorporated into the exhibit design and helped create an immersive experience, featuring spaces such as a balcony, bathroom, walk-in closet, living room, and kitchen.

Throughout its history at Expo Revestir, Portobello has also won the Best in Show award , presented by ANFACER, which highlights the importance of domestic products and selects the best collections in various categories unveiled annually at the trade show. Products such as the Neotropical Sunset line (Design Brasil category), The Edge, and Matter Amber ( tile , and Ceramic categories), among others, reinforce the company’s position as a leader in design and innovation in the surfaces sector, highlighting its ability to anticipate trends in contemporary architecture and translate them into solutions that combine aesthetics, technology, and sustainability.

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Sustainability That Endures

Sustainability has also become a more integral part of booth design. In recent editions, the “ Portobello ” has incorporated solutions that take into account not only the assembly of the space but also the life cycle of the materials used. One example was the adoption of Glued Laminated Timber (GLT), a structure made from certified wood that is durable and reusable. In addition to reducing the need for on-site work in the pavilion, the system arrives at the venue pre-fabricated, contributing to a cleaner and more efficient setup.

It is in this ability to transform encounters into new possibilities that one of the defining characteristics of the Portobello nafera lies. With each edition, new authors, repertoires, and technologies enter into a dialogue with the brand’s expertise, making co-creation not only a development strategy but also a way of thinking about the future of architecture and contemporary spaces.

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About the Portobello Group

Portobello The Group is a leader in innovation and design, one of Brazil’s leading flooring companies, and a global leader in the industry. The Group has three business units in Brazil and the United States.

The retail division, a strategic priority for the group, is the Portobello Shop, the largest network of flooring solutions in Brazil, with more than 160 company-owned and franchised stores across all regions of the country. The company is committed to a customer-centric approach, providing the best possible brand experience for architecture and design professionals, as well as end consumers.

Portobello . America is implementing the group’s internationalization strategy through a consolidated distribution operation and the construction of the brand’s first manufacturing complex, which opened in October 2023 in Baxter, Tennessee.

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Photos: Courtesy Portobello