Where to find the most creative handbags in Lisbon

Coisas.de.Maria

One of my favorite handbag designers is the lady who founded Coisas de Maria.

I met her when I was walking around the Principe Real Park and she had set up her stall full of gorgeous Pasticcino handmade bags.

Her handbags have fun patterns and colors and will make any outfit look great! I bought this purple bag with the neon green designs. It looks fantastic with a black dress for an evening out in Lisbon!

She also sells different handbag designs like the one above – which is a lovely day bag. I am coveting her round shaped handbags- go to her Instagram to see it.

How to find Coisas.de.Maria

Visit her Instagram account to see where she is setting up her stall in the city of Lisbon.

The most famous straw bags in Portugal are the Toino Abel bags.

Nuno Henriques founded the Portuguese label Toino Abel, which is known for its beautiful handwoven straw bags.

The designer researched traditional artisan techniques from across Portugal and began making his bags to preserve this specific method of making straw bags.

I fell in love with the Toino Abel bags when I first saw them at the São Lourenço do Barrocal Hotel’s store. The style is simple, the designs on the bags are so elegant, and I love the handles!

Where to find Toino Abel bags

Leiria: Rua de Leiria, 16 Directions to their store in Leiria

Go to Leiria, get your bag, have lunch in Alcobaça, and spend the night in Nazaré! What an excellent excuse for a road trip!

Purchase your bag online: Toino Abel 

Hotel São Lourenço do Barrocal is another excellent excuse for a road trip for a handbag, but this one will be in a different direction: The Alentejo.

Cestaria CesArt

A few months ago, I went to the huge artisan exhibit in Lisbon called Fia.  This was my second year to the artisan fair and if you are around when it’s on, go! You will love it.

I had a fantastic time chatting with the artisans and learned  so much about how they make their crafts.

I talked to a lady who weaves her linen fabric for the clothes she sells and to a  ceramist who paints his ceramic using  the Portuguese traditional techniques. Craft is such an essential part of culture

One of my favorite visits this year was to  the CesArt wicker basket weaving stall.

The artisan sitting in the corner of the stall, weaving a wicker basket caught my attention. I watched him for a few minutes, finding it both meditative and enjoyable.

Making wicker bags isn’t easy—it takes a lot of time to prepare and shape the wicker properly. 

The artisan had so many beautiful bag designs as well as other items and I couldn’t resist picking up a large  wicker bag, thinking it would be perfect for the beach. Surprisingly, I’ve ended up using it a lot in the city—it fits everything, even my sketchbook! I absolutely love it.

How to find CesArt

CesArt is located in Bucelas, Lisboa.
The address is Rua do Mirante, 12.

Directions to CesArt

You can also contact the CesArt artisan on Instagram. to see where they are setting up a stall. 

Avenida Liberdade

When you visit Lisbon, you’ll definitely find yourself strolling down Avenida da Liberdade. It’s one of the city’s most beautiful avenues, lined with trees on both sides that offer much-needed shade during the summer.

The avenue is also home to fantastic stores like Dior, Longchamp, Cartier, Mango, Adolfo Dominguez, Cos, and many more.

But my absolute favorite part of Avenida da Liberdade is browsing the artisan stalls that pop up along the way!

I’ve come across stunning dresses made by Angolan artisans, locally crafted Lisbon outfits, quirky knickknacks, and cozy knitted goods. But, I’m always on the hunt for stalls selling straw or wicker handbags!

So when you visit, be sure to check out the stalls on Avenida Liberdade—and with any luck, one of those handbag stalls will be there!

After you’ve finished exploring Avenida da Liberdade, make your way down to Praça dos Restauradores and check out Forms, a fun shop full of unique handbags and accessories. 

Forms Bags and Design

Forms has a fantastic selection of artisanal, colorful crochet handbags ;it’s like walking into a candy store! There are so many colors and so many shapes.

I loved their triangular bags  with the beautiful round strap, and their small rectangular handbags are  are classics, perfect for both daytime and evening wear.

Where to Find Forms Bags and Designs

The Forms store is on the Praça dos Restauradores, 6 near Mango and Ecco.

You can find them on Instagram

*I am not affiliated with any of these stores and designers.