There’s a buzz in the usually quiet Largo Ostende, Monte Estoril. Where a discreet corner shop once stood for many years, you’ll now find the new Favorite People store – lively, playful and unapologetically bold. Inside, artist Joana Astolfi’s design showcases the overalls that made this 100% Portuguese brand famous, available in dozens of colours, patterns, sizes, shapes and styles. The iconic piece remains the bestseller, but there’s plenty more to discover throughout the new space – which also houses the atelier and office – including shorts, skirts, trousers, jumpsuits, socks, waist bags and hats, all crafted to be passed down through generations.
Joana Astolfi nailed the “perfect fit” in embodying the brand’s values – creativity and attitude – in a physical space, says Rita Rugeroni, one of Favorite People’s founders, at the store’s opening event on Tuesday, June 24th. True to form, the Lisbon-based designer wasn’t shy with the interior project: the L-shaped counter instantly catches the eye with its mosaic pattern in purple, yellow, green and red. The walls and window frames vary from light to deep orange; the racks displaying the clothes have wave-patterned bases; and the fitting rooms, draped in deep blue velvet curtains, feature mirrors with braided frames and red-and-blue checkered stools.
Also impossible to miss is the bathtub filled with Gorila sweets (banana, strawberry, mint and other flavours), resting on a red and purple striped rug, alongside Diana Meneses Cunha’s installation of XXL lilac overalls made from clothes pegs and woollen fringes.
“More than just a retail space, the store offers an immersive experience, where the brand comes to life through a play of plinths and stairs, with striking geometries that give the space dynamism and invite exploration”, Joana Astolfi explains in a statement. “One of the project’s key elements was integrating the counter with the existing pillar, transforming it into a standout sculptural piece. This feature is clad in tiles with bold colour combinations, celebrating Portuguese heritage through the ceramic tradition, reinvented with a contemporary gaze”, concludes the artist.
Two sisters, one (big) idea
At the end of 2022, Rita and Madalena Rugeroni launched Favorite People, initially focusing exclusively on children’s overalls like the ones they wore as little girls. The older sister was a presenter at Rádio Comercial; the younger worked at Google – and together, in just three years, they turned a small brand into a major success. The numbers are impressive. “We grew 200% between 2023 and 2024”, says Madalena, the entrepreneurial half of the duo. “We went from a thousand to 20,000 pieces, now have six people on the team, and are stocked in over 80 retailers across five continents, in more than 25 countries including Europe, the United States, and Asia”, she adds. Materials, craftsmanship, and production remain entirely Portuguese.
“Having your own business comes with many growing pains, but I fell in love with the creative freedom it offers,” says Rita, the family’s creative soul, who left radio to dedicate herself fully to the brand. “I adore the storytelling and the community we’ve built around Favorite People – we have ladies in their 80s telling us they feel younger and happier wearing our overalls; women who dream of becoming mothers and buy our pieces for their future children even before they have them”, she explains proudly, holding up a red and pink jumpsuit, one of the latest collection’s highlights – WOW (mom, mãe, upside down), inspired by the playful 1990s.
Looking ahead, the plan is simple: to keep growing. Digitally, physically, in Portugal and abroad. Or, as Madalena puts it, “in B2B [business to business] and B2C [business to consumer]”. There may be candy floss, bubblegum, gummy bear skewers, roller skates doubling as flower vases, and overalls in every colour imaginable, but Favorite People is seriously no joke.
Largo Ostende, Monte Estoril. Mon-Fri 09.00–17.00