Stylishly slow

NESTLED IN THE COBBLED STREETS AT THE HEART OF OLHÃO IS AN INTRIGUING INTERIOR DECORATION SHOP. RUN BY PARTNERS OLIVIER AND STÉPHANE, ZÉ E MARIA IS HOME TO TIMELESS PIECES THAT BLEND TRADITION WITH LAID-BACK MODERN CHIC

Words: SALLY DIXON

STEPPING INTO ZÉ E MARIA in the beautiful town of Olhão you can’t help but fall in love with its wonderfully curated edit of homewares and clothing. It was a store I discovered during what felt like a forbidden escape to Portugal in August 2020. In the brief time window that we were allowed to travel after the first wave of the pandemic, the only place I wanted to be was the Algarve, with its endless stretches of glorious beaches and immune-boosting fresh sea air. A little day trip to Olhão and I was fascinated by its meandering streets and wonderfully traditional vibe. Among the winding calçada lanes of the old town was a treasure trove of an interiors shop featuring clothing from the iconic Lisbon brand Superbo*. It seemed somewhat fitting that I purchase the ‘Liberadade’ grey sweatshirt from Zé e Maria, and to this day it remains my favourite comfy yet stylish throw on.

Early beginnings

Born in Bordeaux to parents from Northern Portugal, Zé e

This is a store that is packed with original pieces, carefully selected from a small group of suppliers from Portugal and elsewhere is Europe to whom creativity is a top priority

Maria founder Olivier has lived in Olhão for six years, having spent most of his childhood holidays in the Algarve. Five years ago, he partnered with Olhão resident, Claudia Lichenstein, founder of architect agency, Saudade Algarve, to work on his 1920s townhouse. Claudia came from a background of Parisian fashion and interior design marketing when she decided to move to this glorious part of the Algarve to work on renovating some of the enchanting old fishermen’s houses. While focused on the redevelopment of Olivier’s property, both he and Claudia found it difficult to find their choice of interior decorations. And it was from that search that Zé e Maria was born. Olivier laughs: “I couldn’t find anything for my house. Interiors were my passion, so I opened an interior décor shop!” A delightful mix of French and Portuguese homeware brands, the likes of Jars Ceramistes and Casa Cubista, would become their signature style. “These two brands are the spirit of the shop as they represent the tradition of Portugal and the modernity of France,” he says.

Six months after the opening of Zé e Maria, Stéphane arrived on the scene. Hailing from Burgundy and a family of

French winemakers, he based himself in Tavira for three months. “When I arrived, I thought ‘wow I want to live here, do my photography and work on interiors’. One day I met Olivier and Claudia, they invited me to work on projects with the shop. The rest is history!”

The story took a tragic turn in 2021 with the death of Claudia. Stéphane recalls: “When Claudia died, we decided to continue the shop and the story together with courage.” What started with only French and Portuguese brands has grown to include ones from Belgium and Sweden.

A curated edit of hand-crafted pieces with a distinct house style, items are purchased in small quantities from the brands to ensure that the stock is always new and exciting. Stéphane says: “We have our own house style, so we look for Mediterranean themes with soft colours, woods, ceramics, natural products, organic cotton and no plastic.” The sustainable element is key to the personality and brand ethos of Zé e Maria, showcasing handmade Portuguese and European brands side by side.

A glorious variety

Ceramics, it seems, are Olivier’s destiny, his former profession being the kind of ceramics you put in your mouth rather than on the table. Yes, he was a dental ceramist in the South of France in his previous life! Aside from running the store with Olivier, Stéphane gets creative in his own right as a photographer.

In our March issue, you’ll have seen some great photos accompanying the article on tufting duo Sönmun – Stéphane was responsible for some of these. His creative eye gets cast over brand websites, social media accounts, and interior decoration projects for Saudade Algarve.

“Photography is my passion, I love it,” he says, “For the interior decorations, we work together on ideas, I make some moodboards with our house style and then we get to work on the project. We like to include the spirit of Portugal, keeping it very natural with white, terracotta and the blue of the sky, but with a modern style.”

Collaborations with brands like Luz Editions enable the Zé e Maria store to carry some unique and interesting pieces. The limited edition collab saw the two brands come together to create three linen tea towels featuring screen-printed original photos of Olhão from the 50s and 60s by local photographer Artur Pastor. I simply couldn’t resist buying one when I recently visited the store!

Stéphane says: “The collaboration with Paula of Luz Editions was very special for me because when I met her, it was clear immediately that we had the same taste and style. The old pictures from Olhão are very special, I love them.”

From bed linen, tableware, candles and ceramics to clothing, bags, sunglasses and artwork, the concept of the store revolves around ‘slow living’. As Stéphane says, “Olhão is more and more popular with people like us who want to live the real Portuguese life, the element of slow living. We work a lot, but we are also on holiday at the same time, it’s the perfect balance – something we couldn’t find in France.”

Inspired by surroundings

A brand from Olhão itself has proved to be a best-seller for Zé e Maria. Casa Cubista (named after the cubist style of the fishing port due to its square buildings and roofs) is a brand that collaborates with family-owned businesses and traditional craftspeople. “We want to help share Portuguese handicrafts, because sometimes the Portuguese designers don’t have the platform to showcase their talent,” Olivier explains. On the clothing side is the uber cool Lemel Apparel, a 100% organic cotton brand born in the pandemic year and based out of Loulé.

With 85% of the store being taken up by Portuguese brands, Zé e Maria is really flying the flag for local and sustainable shopping.

The duo’s dream commission would be to work on the interior decoration of a boutique hotel or a particularly charming house (I’m already lining up Olivier and Stéphane to work on my own Algarvian getaway!). And of course, their own in-house brand of ceramics, bags and, potentially, clothing.

If you’re wondering where the inspiration for the name came from, Zé is the nickname for José, which together with Maria are the two most common names in Portugal. Olivier says, “As the shop was created by a man and a woman, it was important to retain the Portuguese soul in the name of the store.” More than just a shopper’s delight, Zé e Maria is a showcase of brands with inspiring stories behind every piece. And when you are able to visit, do make sure to check out the delightful goat paintings of Portimão-based, Dutch painter, Meinke Flesseman.

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