Yako&Co creates quietly powerful pieces that elevate the everyday. Designed and made in Portugal, this artisan brand redefines ritual through honest design and care.
Some ideas don’t need expanding — only refining. At Yako&Co, the focus is narrow by design: the apron as a tool of everyday use, made with precision and intention. Based in Portugal, the brand works with durable materials and local artisanship to create pieces that quietly integrate into daily routines. In doing so, it reflects a broader shift in Portuguese design — one that values utility, care, and long-term thinking.
Yako&Co was founded by Bernardo Araújo, whose professional path began far from the atelier. After years working in industrial sectors, he felt the pull toward something more tactile, more enduring. A childhood surrounded by handmade things — where objects were crafted to last, not to be replaced — served as the seed of the brand. In 2018, that memory became a practice. He designed the first apron not as a product, but as a personal manifesto. A symbol of rhythm, of work shaped by the hands. From this intention, Yako&Co emerged as an artisan brand grounded in Portuguese craft and meaningful simplicity.
Yako&Co works at the intersection of minimalism and tradition. Every piece is designed and produced entirely in Portugal, with close attention paid to durability, texture, and ethical sourcing. The brand’s workshop favours natural materials — leather that softens over time, eco-conscious fabrics, and vegan leather alternatives — all selected for both function and integrity.
The design language is deliberate: muted tones, clean silhouettes, and a deep appreciation for how a form interacts with the body. Aprons are created not for display, but for wear — in kitchens, studios, gardens, and lives. Each strap, seam, and fold exists for a reason, drawing from a design philosophy where beauty emerges through use. Sustainability is built into every layer, not only through materials, but through practices that honour longevity and avoid excess.
Though rooted in the apron, Yako&Co’s work transcends categories. The brand’s leather and vegan aprons — crafted with resilience and elegance — have become its signature. Yet it is the thoughtful intention behind each one that makes them culturally resonant. The addition of Original Fabric Aprons, available in inclusive sizing and versatile for many uses, extends the brand’s ethos to a broader audience — inviting families, makers, and children alike into its story.
Even the packaging reflects this ethic: a soft carrying bag, designed not for disposal but for second life — often repurposed as a bread bag. This act of reuse, small and quiet, is central to Yako&Co’s values. It is Portuguese design in its most grounded form — functional, humble, and deeply human. The brand honours the role of craft in everyday life, anchoring it in contemporary Portuguese identity while allowing space for individual ritual.
Yako&Co doesn’t chase attention. It invites presence. Through the language of material, rhythm, and restraint, the brand brings us closer to the things we touch, wear, and use with intention. It celebrates Portuguese artisanship not as heritage alone, but as living, breathing practice. On THE PORTUGUESE LIST, Yako&Co earns its place not for what it makes, but for what it quietly reminds us: that design, when thoughtful, can turn the everyday into something meaningful.