Raising the Bar: Portuguese Soaps hit Manhattan

Since 1887, Claus Porto has been brightening bathrooms with finely milled soaps wrapped in beautiful hand-drawn Art Deco and Art Nouveau prints. Now, stateside fans can luxuriate in the company’s fragrant goods at the company’s new Manhattan shop, which was designed with Portugal in mind. A striking 42-foot-long white archway made entirely of cork stretches the length of the petite Nolita space and features 1,500 diamond-shaped “tiles” (a design nod to the famous Casa dos Bicos building in Lisbon) that ingeniously house the products. From the classic Banho vegetable soap to the eucalyptus-scented Deco candle to the Agua Clementina cologne, each item is a work of art in itself. Pick your favorite, and be sure to buy two: one to use and one to keep on display for years. clausporto.com