“This is a love story,” she says. “When I first came to live in Portugal in 2013, I was overwhelmed by its beauty. I was absolutely fascinated by the wonderful cork oak forest we had on the land, a type of tree that not only produces leaves and fruits but also a splendid regenerative bark, perfect for countless uses.

I started to delve deeply into this ancient local tradition and craft: curious about its history, the qualities of the material, the ways in which it is harvested and processed, the people who made it their livelihood, and its impact on the local economy. My curiosity led me to a life-changing encounter with Antonio, a local craftsman with a small workshop in his backyard who has been working with cork for over 30 years and has a lot of experience. We started a collaboration between designer and craftsman.

I began experimenting with cork out of pure attraction, fun, and playful discovery, but my friends’ reactions to our early creations made me realize that I wanted to make them available for everyone to appreciate, use, and enjoy.

In 2016, ReBOTTLE was born, a high-quality stainless steel reusable water bottle covered with cork. The cork coating is handcrafted by local artisans using a natural and eco-friendly local resource, re-embracing tradition and quality with a beautiful and practical design that is fashionable and trendy.

“As for ReBOTTLE, I made it my mission to encourage the reduction of using toxic, single-use plastic articles and offer instead durable reusable alternatives that leave minimal ecological footprint while helping encourage local economy here in Portugal. I design and create useful, practical, functional, unique, and original designs for a better, healthier, and cleaner planet while improving our own lifestyle.”

ReBOTTLE is at Milano Home for the first time.