The story of Modarte began with founder Manuel Duarte, but today it is the second generation that now ensures the continuity of the empire. Luggage is part of the company’s DNA, a passion that has proliferated throughout the Duarte family.
He was torn between being an electrician and a bagmaker. But when he was 12, he had the opportunity to work for a luggage manufacturer, and that was when fate hastened his choice. It was there that Manuel had his first contact with the world of suitcases. The years went by and the work rewarded him with experience and wisdom in the sector, until military service got in the way for three years. He ended being called up for the Portuguese Colonial War, where he acquired a different kind of experience, perhaps the kind that made him the man of character we know today. When he returned to Portugal, his priorities had changed, in particular to build something he could call his own. He recounts that one day, in Apúlia, he was lying down, gazing at the stars, when it occurred to him, like an eureka moment of illumination, «Modarte». «Modarte comes from my name, Manuel Duarte, and from the fusion of fashion and art,» he explains. With the name now decided and the product well thought out, the entrepreneur embarked on a new chapter in his life, in a 200 square metre space in Braga, focused on making suitcases with the help of his initial 12 employees. The business grew in a short space of time and Samsonite® entered into the life of Modarte, as a client. At the time, the luggage manufacturing market was beginning to show signs of saturation and Manuel decided that it no longer made sense economically to continue with the manufacturing process. In actual fact, at the time, the American brand was looking for a distributor in Portugal and no other company had met its expectations. It was then that Modarte presented itself as a good match, as it was already known for leading the Portuguese market in the sector.
