While the Portuguese have a rich history of being discoverers, the tables were turned last week at the MAN menswear trade show in New York when we stumbled upon the relatively new men’s clothing brand Litoral.
Helmed by self-taught designer Pedro Monteiro, the Porto-based collection is named after the Portuguese word for the shore zone between high and low tide and is aptly inspired by the colors and textures of where the land meets the sea. Its assortment of bottoms, jackets and tops boasts an immensely wearable and covetable look that is entirely free of bells and whistles yet, due to the quality of the fabrics and subtle details, anything but basic. The color palette also reflects the brand’s earthy moniker with pulled-from-the-seaside hues such as blue, beige and green. And Monteiro names each seasonal collection after a different Portuguese seaside location.
Currently sold in just a handful of U.S. specialty boutiques such as Seldom Seen in San Francisco, Litoral is more readily available from its own webshop, which, like famous Portuguese explorers of the past, ships worldwide (and for free). Hence it’s no surprise that this reasonably priced brand’s tagline is “Discoverers of Tomorrow.”
Monteiro gave us the story behind his fantastic, fledgling brand last week….
What is the background of Litoral?
We started one and half years ago and this is our fourth season. We are inspired by the land and sea concept in the textures and the colors that we use.
What are your favorite pieces in the collection?
I love the Montemor pants and the Mouriz jackets and the shirting.
What is the brand best known for?
One of the things that we are known for is our details and the quality of our items. We try to have some of the colors like the greens and the beiges every season and they work really well.
Do you use any special fabrics?
Yes, some are made and developed by us and they tend to be textured and soft.
Who is your customer?
Men between 25 and 45 have been our biggest customers.
How would you describe the brand’s aesthetic?
I think it’s really clean with really soft colors.
What is your design background?
I don’t have one. I just learned by myself. I always loved to design but I don’t have any school background. I learned by myself and I think I am improving.
What is the price range?
We start at $60 for the tees and we go up to $490 for the jackets. The shirts and hoodies are $135, the crewnecks $180 and the pants $125.
What are the long-term plans for the brand?
We would love to open our own stores in big cities like New York and Paris but for the moment it’s to get as much good retail as we can.
What are the main reasons a guy should buy and wear your brand?
The quality and the design.
