Camper, avarcas, Farrutx: which brands really come from the Balearics?

Brands truly born in the Balearics revolve first around footwear: Camper, founded in Inca in 1975, the traditional avarca sandals of Menorca, Pons Quintana and Farrutx all come from the islands. Alongside this backbone, a new generation of designers (jewellery, sustainable fashion, young stylists) keeps a local craft alive that is worth far more than a beach souvenir. Here is what to know, and above all where to find them.

Why is footwear the Balearics' industrial DNA?

It all starts in the small town of Inca, in the centre of Mallorca, the island's historic leather capital. According to Camper, the family story begins as early as 1877: Antonio Fluxa brought the first leather-sewing machines back from England and mechanised shoemaking in Inca. That local know-how fed, over more than a century, several brands you may know without realising they were Balearic.

Inca, Mallorca

Camper, the Mallorcan brand that went global

Camper is probably the best-known Balearic brand in the world. It was founded in 1975 in Inca by Lorenzo Fluxa, grandson of Antonio, according to the brand's own history. The first Camper shop opened in Barcelona in 1981. Today the company is still family-run: it is led by the fourth generation of the Fluxa family, with Miquel Fluxa as CEO since 2011.

In Palma, you will find several official stores: the Camper San Miguel shop (carrer de Sant Miquel 17), the shop on Avenida Jaume III (Av. de Jaume III 5), and a corner at El Corte Ingles Avenidas.

Camper San Miguel, Palma

Camper Jaume III, Palma

The Menorcan avarca: where does this sandal come from?

The avarca (or abarca in Castilian) is Menorca's emblematic sandal, the one you see everywhere in summer. According to the Avarca de Menorca guarantee mark, the term dates back to Roman times and local use to the 13th-century Catalan-Aragonese conquest. Originally it was a peasant shoe hand-sewn from leather and waxed thread, made in winter. A lesser-known detail: the leather sole was later replaced with recycled tyre tread, which explains its grip and durability.

Watch out for copies: to guarantee genuine Menorcan manufacture, the island council created the "Avarca de Menorca" guarantee mark in 2010, regulated and used by around a dozen local companies. Among the makers based in Ciutadella are Avarca Pons, a family firm, and Avarques Naturals de Menorca, which claims more than thirty years of local craft production.

Ciutadella, Menorca

Pons Quintana, Menorca's woven shoe

Still in Menorca, but in Alaior this time, Pons Quintana is a house not to confuse with the Inca makers. It was founded in 1953 by Santiago Pons Quintana (born 1929), first for children's shoes, then for women's and men's. It is genuinely based in Menorca, not Inca: a useful landmark when all the Balearic brands start to blur together.

Alaior, Menorca

Farrutx, the Inca brand fighting back

Farrutx is another brand born in Inca, founded in 1982 by Jose Campins and Matias Salva. Its story has been more turbulent: after the founders, the brand passed to the Swiss fund Alpstar Capital from 2011, then to the Alicante-based group Globalmarks. It entered insolvency proceedings in 2012, and was bought and rescued by Globalmarks in 2013.

Today, Farrutx is in an active relaunch phase, with an expansion strategy across Spain and Asia (notably Singapore and Beijing) after the setback caused by Covid-19. In Palma, the brand has a shop on Jaume III street, the smart shopping strip.

Farrutx, Jaume III street, Palma

Which designers keep Balearic craft alive today?

Beyond footwear, several designers carry local fashion and jewellery forward. Damia Mulet, a jeweller born in 1975 in Campos (Mallorca), the son of a watchmaker and a certified master craftsman, runs the "Damia Mulet, joies" brand, inspired by traditional island motifs. On the sustainable fashion side, Palma-based designer Catalina Borras runs the "Vius Esporles" studio and shop in Esporles, in the Serra de Tramuntana, built around a craft-based, responsible approach.

This network of craftspeople comes together under the collective label "Moda Artesana de Mallorca", which staged a show at Palma's Teatre Principal with eighteen artisans (jewellery, footwear, textiles).

Vius Esporles, Esporles

Where can you see Balearic design in person?

Two events let you discover the local scene. The Mallorca Fashion Days brought together, on 1 November 2025 in Palma, more than a hundred models and a lineup of designers (Samuel Gartner, Carlos Delgado, Abel Lara, Mercedes Oliver Miro, Vicente Berlin, among others). To spot emerging talent, the 2026 Certamen de Jovenes Disenadores de las Islas Baleares was staged at the Porto Pi shopping centre (Palma): an exhibition from 18 June to 2 July 2026, with a winner named on 3 July 2026. A good entry point if you enjoy following the islands' art and creative scene.

Porto Pi shopping centre, Palma

Frequently asked questions

Is Camper really a Balearic brand?

Yes. Camper was founded in 1975 in Inca, in the centre of Mallorca, by Lorenzo Fluxa, and the company is still run by the Fluxa family, now in its fourth generation, with Miquel Fluxa as CEO since 2011.

How do you recognise a genuine Menorcan avarca?

Look for the "Avarca de Menorca" guarantee mark, created by the island council in 2010 and regulated since. It is used by around a dozen local companies, including several makers based in Ciutadella such as Avarca Pons or Avarques Naturals de Menorca.

Are Pons Quintana and Camper the same thing?

No. Camper comes from Inca, in Mallorca, while Pons Quintana is a Menorcan house, founded in 1953 in Alaior by Santiago Pons Quintana. They are two distinct companies.

Does Farrutx still exist?

Yes. After insolvency proceedings in 2012 and a buyout by the Alicante-based group Globalmarks in 2013, the brand is in an active relaunch phase, expanding across Spain and Asia (Singapore, Beijing). It has a shop on Jaume III street in Palma.

Where can you discover young Balearic designers?

Two events: the Mallorca Fashion Days (1 November 2025 edition in Palma, more than a hundred models) and the 2026 Certamen de Jovenes Disenadores de las Islas Baleares, exhibited at Palma's Porto Pi shopping centre from 18 June to 2 July 2026.

Sources: brand histories and local press reports. Dates and details verified in August 2026. The Daily Baleares is an AI-assisted publication with human review.