Miguel

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us.

Tell everyone who you are and what you do?

A. My name is Miguel, I am 35, originally from Venezuela but have lived in London for the past 12 years and I am the creator and Managing Director of Kromo

Menswear.

Q. Tell us about “Kromo Menswear” and the motivation behind the brand?

A. Kromo is a sustainable menswear label founded in London during the first COVID-19 lockdown; all our products are also manufactured in London and we source our eco-friendly fabrics from Italy and

Germany. Our minimalist aesthetics focus on comfort, quality and durability. The motivation behind the brand is the amount of waste you can nowadays find in the ocean, mostly coming from plastic and also how much the fashion industry and especially fast fashion contributes to pollution overall.

Q. Can you tell us more about the new garments you just released?

A. Sure, for our first collection we decided to launch with 4 styles made from 2 types of fabrics, one organic and one regenerated. Our t-shirts and vests are made from bamboo lyocell and our shorts and swim briefs are made from 78% regenerated nylon, better known by its branded name, ECONYL® which is made from retired and abandoned fishing nets and other pre and post-consumer waste like carpet fluff. Each product has taken the name of a city that is very closed to my heart: London (London Essential T-Shirt) - Where

I’ve lived the past 12 year and where I have experienced the

most growth so far. Ibiza (Ibiza Vest) - The island where you can experience some of the best sunsets in the Mediterranean. I also love the contrasts of colors of nature there.

Miami (Miami Long Shorts) - Where I grew up and where I have some of my best memories. Miami is my second home and I love going back there; it has been great seeing the city evolve from the early 2000’s and see how art, design and food has really changed the scene there. Rio de Janeiro (Rio Sunga - Swim Briefs) - I just fell in love with Rio the moment I arrived, and I recommend everyone to go there to experience it. The air, the people, the buzz of the city. I picked this city for our swimwear line as the style is inspired by a typical brief worn by the local boys on the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema.

Q. Do you have any specials right now?

A. Yes, we are offering free worldwide shipping! Don’t miss the deadline.

Q. What makes your brand different from others?

A. I would say the fact that our clothes are designed and produced in

London and we partner with a sole local manufacturer that follows strict ethical standards such as keeping fabric waste to a minimum and paying their team a competitive fair wage for their hard work. We source only sustainable fabrics that are knitted/woven in the UK

“ My focus is to make products that are as sustainable as possible but also comfortable and simple."

and Europe and carry a fair-trade certification.

Q. You also are hosting a Beach clean can you give us more details?

A. Sure, we support a fantastic charity called Surfers Against

Sewage who recently launched their most ambitious community campaign called, The Million

Mile Clean, which connects their beach cleaning action throughout the year, and targets 100,000 volunteers walking 10 miles whilst cleaning the places they love.

Their program is very extensive and through their website you can sign up for any of their cleans, including beaches, parks and rivers across the country, so make sure you guys sign up too, the more support we can give these guys the better! :) We are starting by joining their Hackney

Marshes clean with 8 of our friends on Saturday May 15 from 10am to 12pm and will be joining other cleans throughout the year as well.

Q. What is your most popular product you have?

A. Our Miami Long Shorts seem to be very popular at the moment due to the lightness and comfort the fabric offers and also their simplistic design that makes them so versatile.

Q. Do you have any new projects or upcoming events?

A. Our main focus at the moment is to build Kromo as a staple sustainable menswear label in the UK and Europe and as we evolve, we want to incorporate new designs and fabrics.

Hopefully a pop-up store in the near future too :)

Q. Where is your favorite store to shop?

A. Gosh I haven’t been shopping for a while and lately if I need something specific I tend to get it online, but I would say Liberty; the building is iconic and there are so many fantastic brands big and small to shop from. Also love going into EASOP, their products are organic, they don’t use harmful chemicals or animal testing and their shops are amazing. Every single one of them is very unique and I love the fact that architecture and design is so key to their identity.

Q. How do you come up for your ideas for Kromo Menswear?

A. I constantly have lots of random ideas coming into my head, so I try to write everything down at the time and then think about how I can incorporate that into a style.

My focus is to make products that are as sustainable as possible but also comfortable and simple. I want Kromo to be that t-shirt that you can wear to either go grocery shopping or on a night out, always keeping sustainability in mind.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Our website and on social media, here are the links: https://www.kromomenswear. com/ https://www.instagram.com/ kromomenswear/