Remembering Rioplex: Riopele’s First Brand

In 2027, Riopele celebrates 100 years of innovation and dedication to the textile industry. Over the coming months, we aim to keep key moments from the company’s history alive and share them with the world — so that they continue to take shape and gain meaning.

We begin this journey through time with Rioplex, Riopele’s first brand.

In the late 1940s, facing significant technical and economic risks, Riopele made a bold move toward innovation. A newly acquired piece of equipment was adapted to work with Cuprama — an artificial fiber supplied by Bayer, which had previously been rejected by several Portuguese manufacturers.

It was José Dias de Oliveira, the company’s founder, who decided to move forward with this daring project, securing exclusivity for the fiber in the Portuguese market. And so, in 1952, the Rioplex fabric brand was born — built around a truly innovative product.

Thanks to its exceptional quality, vibrant colors, and distinctive patterns, Rioplex fabrics quickly earned the preference of both professionals and consumers, gradually replacing Riopele’s traditional cotton-based products.
The brand experienced several years of strong commercial success and contributed to a period of significant financial stability. It became a symbol of the entrepreneurial, bold, and innovative spirit that still defines Riopele today.

Around 1966, with Bayer’s discontinuation of cupro-ammonium fiber production, the Rioplex brand came to an end.

However, its legacy remains a key milestone in the company’s history — and in the establishment of Riopele as a forward-thinking reference in the textile sector.