Portuguese footwear brand Carlos Santos worn by celebs at the MET Gala

Portuguese footwear brand Carlos Santos worn by celebs at the MET Gala - Portugal Business News

Fashion News Europe - Portuguese footwear brand Carlos Santos was worn by celebrities Willy Chavarria and Maluma at the MET Gala, one of the most important fashion events in the world held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

American fashion designer Willy Chavarria, who has recently collaborated with Adidas Originals, and Colombian singer Maluma made a fashion statement walking the red carpet at the MET Gala wearing shoes from Portuguese footwear brand Carlos Santos.

"We’ve been working hard to show North American clients that Portugal is a valuable and versatile business partner, combining craftsmanship with contemporary design," stated Paulo Gonçalves, communication director at Portugal’s footwear association APICCAPS. 

The US is a strategic market for Portugal, currently ranking as the 6th largest destination for its exports. In the last decade, Portuguese footwear sales to the US have doubled, reaching nearly 100 million euros by the end of 2024.

The US is the world’s largest footwear market, since it imports more than 1.98 billion pairs of shoes annually, totaling nearly 26 billion dollars in value, according to the World Footwear Yearbook.