From Tradition to Innovation: The Trajectory of Damaceno&Antunes and the expansion of Evo Fabrics

Damaceno & Antunes is a Portuguese textile brand specialising in the creation and development of decorative fabrics and wallpapers. It was founded in 2002 as a result of the growth and evolution of the company Jorge Antunes Tecidos de Decoração in 1996. It is currently one of the most respected brands on the Portuguese market. MN spoke to CEO Jorge Antunes and his children, Fábio Antunes and Diana Antunes.

How did Damaceno and Antunes come about?

Jorge: Jorge Antunes started as a salesman in a decorative fabric company, right after his military service. I worked at Roque Têxteis, where I went all the way, from warehouse to commercial support. I tried to be a salesperson, but initially I was unsuccessful. I then decided to work for another company as a commercial and, subsequently, I was invited by a Spanish company to be a representative in Portugal.
In 1996, I launched the company Jorge Antunes, which quickly grew. In 2002, at the suggestion of my accountant, I transformed it into Damaceno & Antunes, which I founded with my wife. Since then, the company has evolved, maintaining principles and an ongoing focus on growth. Today, we have a team of 15 employees, 10 representatives in Spain, 3 in France, 3 showroom in Portugal and about 800 m2 of stock.

What are the core values that guide company culture?

Jorge: The main value of our company is service. We are not an industry and we do not manufacture products. Our focus is on offering excellent services, especially in the area of decoration, with an emphasis on fabrics and wallpapers, which are our core business.

How is Evo Fabrics born?

Jorge: Initially, we exclusively represented reputable foreign brands in Portugal. However, some of these brands had products suitable for our market, while others did not. We often received requests from customers for whom we had no response. That’s when I started buying some products and selling them unbranded. The choices proved to be right, the business began to grow and, thus, we created the first brand, called “Ambientex”. Subsequently, the idea of expanding to the international market arose, but we realized that this name would not be appropriate. We then opted for ‘Evo’, inspired by the word ‘evolution’, as Evo represented an evolution of previous brands, filling in gaps and complementing them. Currently, Evo Fabrics is an independent collection, offering a full range of products.

Export was something they bet on. What are the goals in this regard?
Fábio: Exportation already existed when I came here, but when I started was limited to participation in an international fair (Maison et Object), we had a person who helped customers, but there was no close contact with our export customers. With my coming, I have gradually tried to have more direct contact with participation in more fairs (Maison et Object in Paris. Heimtextil in Germany, Intergifte and Textilhogar in Spain, Singapore and Dubai), as the local visit for the benefit of business and create a closer relationship with our customers. We work markets from Japan, China, Mexico, Canada, USA, which we continue to work for this close relationship created at fairs, on the internet and in the visit to these customers.

What are the emerging markets or segments with the greatest growth potential?

Fábio: The emerging markets in our area are the same ones that stand out in the global economy. As we are not a basic need, decoration is mainly used in markets that are growing economically and that have greater financial power. Markets such as Dubai, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, in addition to Japan and China, perform well in our area. Mexico and the United States will continue to be market icons, and Canada also stands out strongly. Therefore, our area is closely linked to the global economy. Spain and France are also relevant, due to their proximity.
Jorge: We work directly in the French and Spanish markets, holding two fairs in Spain and one in France. The French market is very important to us so our strong investment in participating in the next Paris Déco Off, while the Spanish stands out for its tastes and proximity.

How has Damaceno & Antunes observed the evolution of the sector over the last few years, especially with regard to market requirements?

Jorge: Markets have changed over the years. When I started, there were no fairs; we went directly to the customer to sell the pieces. Then we moved on to the stage where we presented samples to customers, and the difficulty was no longer the sale of parts, but the sale of footage. Customers started to request less and less stock, and we are the ones who need to absorb this stock and offer a footage service. Currently, the market is similar, but the samples were transformed into cuttings and there was a significant increase in online sales, something that did not exist previously. Speed is now crucial; before, processes took a month or two, while today we work in real time, 24 hours a day. Today, as important as having a collection is to offer excellent service, and this part is fundamental.

Currently Damaceno & Antunes is a family business. How did the arrival of Fábio and Diana boost Damaceno & Antunes? And what does it also mean as a father to have children working and collaborating?

Jorge: A company is to its creator almost like a child. One of the biggest fears of any company is the lack of successors, and I am fortunate to already have my children working here. I believe they want to continue with the company, which is already worth a lot. With their input, we have gained a new soul and want to deliver this legacy properly. On the other hand, it is new blood that brings changes and awakens us to new perspectives that, in our daily lives, we often do not notice. Our commercial director, who is not part of the family, has also helped us a lot.
With their input, Diana woke me up to something I had never taken for granted: marketing. For me, the business has always been just selling well, but nowadays that is no longer enough. In the decorative area, I failed a lot, and with their input, especially Diana, with her feminine sensibility, we were able to bridge this gap. Currently, they are the ones who choose and deal with the fabric options.

Where do you see Damaceno& Antunes in 10 years?

Fábio: Regarding exports, I see Damaceno & Antunes more present in markets where we have not yet been able to enter. I want to create an even stronger presence so that the Evo brand is better known, is in more countries and has more representatives of our brand, which would be prestigious and would increase the notoriety of our company. In the domestic market, we will continue to carry out our work, always evolving, giving greater notoriety to the brand, in addition to what we have already achieved. We have adopted a policy of always giving a national theme to our collections, and we intend to continue to follow that motto.
Diana: I believe that, increasingly, we should have our own collection, totally designed by us, and bet even more on the Evo brand and its image abroad.
Jorge: We want to be proud of the brands we represent in Portugal. We maintain some long-standing partnerships; for example, we have a Dutch company with which we have worked for more than 20 years, and we continue to be representatives of the Sanderson group for Portugal. We want to maintain these partnerships, honor our brand, preserve it, and continually grow. At the same time, in the domestic market, we intend to maintain the brands we already have and explore new opportunities that may arise.