Here at TWOTHIRDS we’re incredibly proud of our range of ethical menswear. Each piece is designed and handcrafted especially to care for the ocean, using the highest quality recycled, organic or botanic eco fashion fabric. The man behind our slow fashion collections for men is Toni Ramos, who has managed to merge relaxed surf vibes with smart-casual cuts, to create sustainable clothes that never look out of place, no matter what our ocean-loving community chooses to do in them.
We sat down with this softly spoken designer to pick his sustainable fashion brain and find out how he does what he does, as well as to see what he has planned for male fans of sustainable shirts, eco-friendly t-shirts and ethical shorts.
Q. How Did Your Sustainable Fashion Journey Begin?
A.
“I started my journey into the world of fashion working for Josep Font. There I got the opportunity to learn lots about how to work with colour treatments; how to combine prints, as well as how to take care of style details like embroidery and the interior design elements that go into the creation of high-quality clothing. At the same time, it was an incredible opportunity to work in illustration and to bring lots of graphic designs to life. I’ll always be grateful for this grounding in high fashion, which has stood me in good stead for the rest of my career in men’s sustainable fashion. There’s actually an incredible exhibition all about Josep Font in the Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, which I would highly recommend anyone go and see.”
“After this formative experience, and following various years working for brands within the Inditex group, I then collaborated for a while with Medwinds and Camper. Following that, I spent time at ECOALF before arriving at TWOTHIRDS, where I design our men’s sustainable fashion collection as well as the eco-friendly jackets we craft for women.”
Q. What’s Your Overall Design Philosophy?
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“Minimalism is a concept I abide by at all times when designing any sustainable jacket or eco-friendly shirt. Comfort and simplicity are also at the forefront of my mind when I’m envisioning our ethical fashion collections for men, which I try to balance with the rich Mediterranean culture that we can’t help but be intoxicated by here in Barcelona.”
“This being TWOTHIRDS, the ocean is also a huge source of inspiration, both when it comes to the search for textures and tones, as well as graphic elements. Based on a somewhat Scandinavian aesthetic, our whole team is constantly trying to develop sustainable clothes and collections that are versatile – something that’s achieved by harnessing casual looks that borrow retro design features, or even those found on workwear.”
Q. Is There Another Person Or Brand That Inspires You?
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“Without wanting to sound too pretentious, there are just so many! In my earliest days I found myself drawn to counterculture, the punk aesthetic and the stylings of Raf Simons. Other names that undoubtedly shaped me as a designer include Jil Sander and Phoebe Philo.”
“I’m also a huge admirer of Cristophe Lemaire and Studio Nicholson, with a special mention for Nigel Cabourn, whose collections for men and women reinterpret vintage military uniforms in the most ingenious ways, and have certainly rubbed off on our sustainable jacket and eco-friendly trouser designs.”
Q. Are There New Sustainable Design Elements In The Works?
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“In our upcoming men’s sustainable fashion collections we will attempt to increase the use of mono-materials. This will mean that many of our sustainable sweatshirts and eco-friendly t-shirts will be more recyclable than ever before, because mono-materials are far easier to recycle than complex fabric blends.”
“We are also making great strides to boost the overall percentage of recycled fibres we use, by collaborating with the likes of Recover™ and SEAQUAL INITIATIVE, as well as increasing our use of regenerative materials that are sourced from increasingly sustainable and regenerative crops. Similarly, some of our upcoming capsules will work with innovative eco fashion fabrics such as CIRCULOSE®, a new material made entirely from discarded textiles, meaning it relies on no new raw material extraction.”
Q. How Do You Work Alongside TWOTHIRDS Captain, Lutz?
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“Lutz loves surfing and being connected to the ocean, and those influences have a huge bearing on the direction we take each sustainable fashion collection for men. It’s for this reason that I love to regularly exchange ideas and concepts with him, so that I can bring to life the vision he has for each collection.”
Q. Is There A Garment You Dream Of Designing For TWOTHIRDS?
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“I would love to work with neoprene, or better still one of the more eco-friendly alternatives, to design a surf wetsuit along with some other technical pieces made from similar materials.”