Salsa Jeans’ Portuguese denim is thriving on the international stage

At its press day on November 18, the Salsa Jeans label struck a confident and enthusiastic tone as its international business continues to grow. The Portuguese brand remains owned by the Sonae group, which became its sole owner in 2020, and reported revenue of 180 million euros for the 2024 financial year.

Last May, Salsa Jeans strengthened its presence in Lisbon with a renovated 304-square-metre flagship in the Colombo shopping centre, where the brand focuses the customer experience on sensory elements. Portugal, the brand’s country of origin, is also home to its headquarters, encompassing communications, offices, and production units, and the company is supported by 250 employees, not counting in-store teams. A manufacturer since 1990, the brand produces 90% of its denim in Portugal, and even supplies some luxury labels.

Salsa Jeans moves into dog apparel

For its spring/summer 2026 collection, Salsa Jeans is working with denim as well as linen and cotton, featuring lace, co-ordinated denim sets, and printed tops. This season, the brand is also moving into clothing for dogs and cats, with leashes, harnesses, winter wear and fish-shaped keyrings, with denim pieces made from fabric offcuts.

Daniela Neto, brand and marketing manager, explains that Salsa Jeans targets less a specific age group than a state of mind, one that appreciates quality clothing. It is an outlook that generally resonates with customers aged 35 and over. “It’s essentially for people who feel comfortable in their own skin,” she says. The brand’s message centres on the “perfect fit,” both physical and mental: Salsa jeans should suit the wearer’s body and state of mind.

A global offering and narrative

Even so, the brand’s narrative adapts to the market in which it operates. In its home markets of Portugal and Spain (where it generates 60% of its sales), clothing is colourful. Daniela Neto also points out that there is a difference between the north and south of the Iberian Peninsula, rather than between the two countries. In France, colours are more subdued and the clothing more classic, more so in Paris than in Marseille.

Further north, in Ireland, lower temperatures enable the label to promote its jeans all year round and to launch jacket campaigns earlier than in Mediterranean markets. Present in the Middle East for several years, the Braga-based brand does not adapt its product offering there, but it does tailor its communications. “This advert could not be displayed there,” she says, pointing to an image featuring a model with her midriff and chest slightly exposed.

Expansion in the Middle East and India

Despite this, the catalogue remains the same in Europe and the Middle East. Sometimes, the brand even tests products there before rolling them out in Europe. Established in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and, more recently, Jordan, Salsa Jeans will soon be opening a boutique in Iraq.

Further east, the brand has been expanding over the past year with its entry into the Indian market. Present in Delhi and Mumbai, it hopes to appeal to the many potential female customers of a “growing middle class,” the two metropolitan areas together home to just over 56 million inhabitants. Salsa Jeans has six points of sale in the country, where it sells lighter pieces tailored to the country’s hot climate. In North America, the brand recently launched its e-commerce site in Canada and the US.