teinininininTHE oRIGIN oF PLA

Be comfortable with what we do and how we do it.

In the interior of Mallorca far from the tourist areas there is a wide flat area, small towns and fields full of charm, in which people lead a pleasant life, based on simple things.

This is where Irene Peukes is inspired and designs cutting-edge shoes and clothing with natural fibers and fabrics that she produces with artisans in Guatemala and Bangladesh, supporting women’s groups and contributing her grain of sand to the development of these communities.

Pla has its starting point in traditional craftsmanship techniques and gives these a new vision, creating quality designs which are produced in a respectful way with people and the environment. An innovative brand with a very personal and global style designed to be produced by hand, on a small scale and with natural materials in different parts of the world.

Both in the shoes and the textile collection, Irene´s inspiration draws from abstraction and color, staying true to maxims such as simplicity, use of natural materials and craftsmanship. Irene worked in Camper before for 8 years.

HOW iS A PLA mADE?

More hands, less machines

Irene Peukes’ designs are inspired by Mallorca, in the region known as the Pla, a place where the most deeply rooted traditions are mixed with diverse influences from its multiple international visitors.

That fusion is expressed in the collections that have a very modern and current design with an artisan way of working and the use of natural and sustainable materials. The union of these elements is what gives such a special style to each one of the pieces created by Irene Peukes.

The Illetes, Bonanova and Tramuntana shoes are handmade with jute fibers by artisans in Bangladesh. Jute is a resistant, sustainable material of vital economic importance for many small farmers in the country.

Each shoe is made with a single jute braid with which the artisans give shape to the last with incredible skill and delicacy. To do this, they sew each turn of braid with the previous one, joining them to a cotton lining that covers the inside of the shoe, guaranteeing its comfort.

Irene travels regularly to Bangladesh where she works as a team with the artisans, supervises each detail and the quality of the finish, in which comfort is as important as perfection. All this work is coordinated by Cáritas Bangladesh, according to the Code of Fair Trade Practices.

Then the shoes travel to Mallorca where their peculiar suau sole is made, consisting of a thick layer of natural textile and crepe, materials that make the tread very pleasant. Local artisan shoemakers are responsible for joining both pieces manually.

The Formentor and Llevant models are sandals with wooden soles and cotton ribbons, woven by Guatemalan artisans organized in cooperatives to ensure that they can combine their work as weavers with their family tasks.

In Mallorca, an expert carpenter manufactures the anatomical soles of depino wood, and artisans assemble by hand the woven ribbons to the sole. Finally, they finish by placing the base of natural crepe that provides flexibility and softness in the tread.

Guate va vest is the dress collection of PLA.

100% cotton, hand-woven and hand-sewn by women belonging to the guatemalan indigenous community and with the final finnish done in Mallorca. Designed in one piece that forms the whole garment: a design with no waste.

Each piece is numbered because craftsmanship is unique and very valuable.

Guate va vest is a project in which Irene Peukes has been working since 2008 with artisans from Guatemala, a country where she travels personally to ensure that the production process and garments reach the best quality.

Designed and handcrafted to create unique, beautiful and comfortable garments.