JOSÉ BARTOLOMÉ AND ALBERT ESCRIBANO, HEREU, BARCELONA

Some stories begin with place. For HEREU, that place is the Mediterranean, with its light, textures and rituals. It forms the foundation of a brand shaped by memory as much as design. Founded in 2014 by José Bartolomé and Albert Escribano, HEREU grew from a desire to return to the craftsmanship they knew intimately and to reinterpret it with a contemporary, thoughtful hand. Their pieces feel lived-in yet refined, carrying the warmth of tradition and the clarity of modern design.

Our collaboration for Resort 26 grew from this shared sensibility and a mutual appreciation for the makers behind the work, the value of slow processes and the beauty found in small, intentional details. In this journal, José and Albert reflect on the beginnings of HEREU, the artisans who continue to shape its story and the ten years of ideas and relationships that have defined their world. It is a world rooted in place, guided by memory and evolving with care.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW HEREU CAME TO BE. WHAT SPARKED THE IDEA AND GUIDED ITS EARLY BEGINNINGS?

HEREU was founded in 2014 after several years immersed in the cultural mix of London and Paris. The idea came up from a desire to reconnect with our Mediterranean roots and the craftsmanship we grew up around. We wanted to create something meaningful, pieces that felt both contemporary and anchored in memory, shaped by the places and traditions that formed us.

HEREU’S WORK IS GROUNDED IN MEDITERRANEAN CRAFT AND CULTURE, A LANGUAGE SHAPED BY PLACE AND TIME. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PHILOSOPHY THAT ANCHORS THE BRAND?

HEREU takes its name from the Catalan word for heir (someone who continues a lineage). Our philosophy is built around that idea, to preserve and reinterpret the work of skilled artisans. We combine traditional techniques with modern design sensibilities, creating functional pieces that speak quietly of place, culture, and time.

CRAFTSMANSHIP IS NEVER SOLITARY. COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY SIT AT THE HEART OF YOUR PROCESS. IN WHAT WAYS DO THE HANDS AND HISTORIES OF LOCAL ARTISANS SHAPE THE PIECES YOU MAKE?

Every HEREU piece begins with the knowledge of the artisan. We work with family-run factories across Spain, some have been crafting leather for generations. Collaboration allows tradition to evolve naturally through dialogue between designers and makers.

COULD YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THE TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES AND DETAILS THAT RUN THROUGH YOUR COLLECTIONS? WHICH OF THESE FEEL MOST SIGNATURE TO HEREU?

Many of our shoes and bags are built using heritage techniques such as hand-stitched moccasin construction, leather twining, leather binding, and hand-braiding. These processes are intricate and rooted in specific regions of Spain. Details like interwoven straps or T-bar silhouettes have become distinctive to HEREU, gestures that connect contemporary design with familiar forms.

YOUR IMAGERY OFTEN FEELS LIKE SUN-LIT MEMORIES, SMALL STORIES TOLD THROUGH LANDSCAPE AND GESTURE. HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE CREATIVE DIRECTION OF YOUR CAMPAIGNS?

We approach creative direction through atmosphere and a sense of nostalgia. Each campaign becomes a quiet meeting point between the product and the Mediterranean rhythm that shapes it. We collaborate with photographers and other creatives who understand this world intuitively, bringing their own sensitivity to images that feel natural and close to memory.

THERE IS ALWAYS A SENSE OF CHARACTER AND A LIFE BEING LIVED WITHIN YOUR VISUALS. HOW DOES NARRATIVE INFORM THE ATMOSPHERE AND IDENTITY OF HEREU’S WORLD?

Our imagery carries fragments of memory: sunlight, sea, an afternoon walk, as well as the relaxed moments often found on holiday. These elements form a language that connects HEREU’s world to lived experience, grounding our identity in memory and movement.

RESORT 26 CELEBRATED 25 YEARS OF WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE MAKERS, MILLS AND CREATIVES THAT CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR STORY. PARTNERING WITH HEREU ON FOOTWEAR FOR THE RUNWAY FELT LIKE A NATURAL MEETING OF SENSIBILITIES. IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FEEL OUR CREATIVE VISIONS INTERSECT?

Our collaboration felt intuitive. Both brands value craftsmanship, natural materials, and quiet design. There is a shared respect for process as well as the result. Working together for Resort 26 brought these affinities to life, creating pieces that feel effortless and rooted in an appreciation of the making.

MEMORY, YOUR TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY BOOK, GATHERS A DECADE OF IDEAS, RELATIONSHIPS AND EVOLUTION. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEANINGFUL PART OF SEEING THIS WORK COLLECTED IN ONE PLACE?

Memory gathers a decade of work, not just products, but relationships, places, and ideas. Seeing it all together revealed how consistent our approach has been: evolving, but always returning to the same values of craft, authenticity, and nostalgia.The most meaningful part was recognising the people and work that shape the visual world of the brand.

WHEN LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE ARCHIVE, WHAT THREADS, IDEAS, MOTIFS RESURFACED? WHICH OF THESE REMAIN VITAL TO WHO YOU ARE TODAY?

Recurring motifs appear throughout our archive: interlaced structures, soft folds, buckled straps, and silhouettes from coastal or rural life. These elements remain essential to who we are. They evolve with each season but continue to ground the collection in a sense of familiarity and place.

TEN YEARS HAVE SHAPED A LANGUAGE THAT HONOURS TRADITION WHILE EXPLORING THE NEW. WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT FOR HEREU?

The next chapter is about deepening rather than expanding, exploring new techniques within the same framework of collaboration and material knowledge. We’re also looking outward, inviting designers, musicians and artists into the HEREU universe. What guides us remains unchanged: creating pieces that feel honest, long-lasting, and shaped by the Mediterranean.

CREDITS

Documented by photographer Nia Delfau.

JOSÉ BARTOLOMÉ AND ALBERT ESCRIBANO, HEREU, BARCELONA

Some stories begin with place. For HEREU, that place is the Mediterranean, with its light, textures and rituals. It forms the foundation of a brand shaped by memory as much as design. Founded in 2014 by José Bartolomé and Albert Escribano, HEREU grew from a desire to return to the craftsmanship they knew intimately and to reinterpret it with a contemporary, thoughtful hand. Their pieces feel lived-in yet refined, carrying the warmth of tradition and the clarity of modern design.

Our collaboration for Resort 26 grew from this shared sensibility and a mutual appreciation for the makers behind the work, the value of slow processes and the beauty found in small, intentional details. In this journal, José and Albert reflect on the beginnings of HEREU, the artisans who continue to shape its story and the ten years of ideas and relationships that have defined their world. It is a world rooted in place, guided by memory and evolving with care.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW HEREU CAME TO BE. WHAT SPARKED THE IDEA AND GUIDED ITS EARLY BEGINNINGS?

HEREU was founded in 2014 after several years immersed in the cultural mix of London and Paris. The idea came up from a desire to reconnect with our Mediterranean roots and the craftsmanship we grew up around. We wanted to create something meaningful, pieces that felt both contemporary and anchored in memory, shaped by the places and traditions that formed us.

HEREU’S WORK IS GROUNDED IN MEDITERRANEAN CRAFT AND CULTURE, A LANGUAGE SHAPED BY PLACE AND TIME. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PHILOSOPHY THAT ANCHORS THE BRAND?

HEREU takes its name from the Catalan word for heir (someone who continues a lineage). Our philosophy is built around that idea, to preserve and reinterpret the work of skilled artisans. We combine traditional techniques with modern design sensibilities, creating functional pieces that speak quietly of place, culture, and time.

CRAFTSMANSHIP IS NEVER SOLITARY. COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY SIT AT THE HEART OF YOUR PROCESS. IN WHAT WAYS DO THE HANDS AND HISTORIES OF LOCAL ARTISANS SHAPE THE PIECES YOU MAKE?

Every HEREU piece begins with the knowledge of the artisan. We work with family-run factories across Spain, some have been crafting leather for generations. Collaboration allows tradition to evolve naturally through dialogue between designers and makers.

COULD YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THE TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES AND DETAILS THAT RUN THROUGH YOUR COLLECTIONS? WHICH OF THESE FEEL MOST SIGNATURE TO HEREU?

Many of our shoes and bags are built using heritage techniques such as hand-stitched moccasin construction, leather twining, leather binding, and hand-braiding. These processes are intricate and rooted in specific regions of Spain. Details like interwoven straps or T-bar silhouettes have become distinctive to HEREU, gestures that connect contemporary design with familiar forms.

YOUR IMAGERY OFTEN FEELS LIKE SUN-LIT MEMORIES, SMALL STORIES TOLD THROUGH LANDSCAPE AND GESTURE. HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE CREATIVE DIRECTION OF YOUR CAMPAIGNS?

We approach creative direction through atmosphere and a sense of nostalgia. Each campaign becomes a quiet meeting point between the product and the Mediterranean rhythm that shapes it. We collaborate with photographers and other creatives who understand this world intuitively, bringing their own sensitivity to images that feel natural and close to memory.

THERE IS ALWAYS A SENSE OF CHARACTER AND A LIFE BEING LIVED WITHIN YOUR VISUALS. HOW DOES NARRATIVE INFORM THE ATMOSPHERE AND IDENTITY OF HEREU’S WORLD?

Our imagery carries fragments of memory: sunlight, sea, an afternoon walk, as well as the relaxed moments often found on holiday. These elements form a language that connects HEREU’s world to lived experience, grounding our identity in memory and movement.

RESORT 26 CELEBRATED 25 YEARS OF WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE MAKERS, MILLS AND CREATIVES THAT CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR STORY. PARTNERING WITH HEREU ON FOOTWEAR FOR THE RUNWAY FELT LIKE A NATURAL MEETING OF SENSIBILITIES. IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FEEL OUR CREATIVE VISIONS INTERSECT?

Our collaboration felt intuitive. Both brands value craftsmanship, natural materials, and quiet design. There is a shared respect for process as well as the result. Working together for Resort 26 brought these affinities to life, creating pieces that feel effortless and rooted in an appreciation of the making.

MEMORY, YOUR TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY BOOK, GATHERS A DECADE OF IDEAS, RELATIONSHIPS AND EVOLUTION. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEANINGFUL PART OF SEEING THIS WORK COLLECTED IN ONE PLACE?

Memory gathers a decade of work, not just products, but relationships, places, and ideas. Seeing it all together revealed how consistent our approach has been: evolving, but always returning to the same values of craft, authenticity, and nostalgia.The most meaningful part was recognising the people and work that shape the visual world of the brand.

WHEN LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE ARCHIVE, WHAT THREADS, IDEAS, MOTIFS RESURFACED? WHICH OF THESE REMAIN VITAL TO WHO YOU ARE TODAY?

Recurring motifs appear throughout our archive: interlaced structures, soft folds, buckled straps, and silhouettes from coastal or rural life. These elements remain essential to who we are. They evolve with each season but continue to ground the collection in a sense of familiarity and place.

TEN YEARS HAVE SHAPED A LANGUAGE THAT HONOURS TRADITION WHILE EXPLORING THE NEW. WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT FOR HEREU?

The next chapter is about deepening rather than expanding, exploring new techniques within the same framework of collaboration and material knowledge. We’re also looking outward, inviting designers, musicians and artists into the HEREU universe. What guides us remains unchanged: creating pieces that feel honest, long-lasting, and shaped by the Mediterranean.

CREDITS

Documented by photographer Nia Delfau.