AN ODE TO THE METROSEXUAL MAN: BORTEX & FRIENDS

from EBM Magazine #16

by NEXT Magazine

COOKING WITH FIRE

AN ODE TO THE METROSEXUAL MAN

Robert Galea & Sam Borg

BORTEX & FRIENDS

Words by Nicolà Abela Garrett

Casually yet immaculately attired for the Maltese heat, Robert Galea makes his way to Bortex & Friends at Level 2 Bay Street. He’s on his way to catch up with his good friend and long-time collaborator, Sam Borg, COO and third generation of the Borg family. Having just undergone a gentleman’s glow up, the Bay Street Bortex & Friends outlet has now matured into a sleek and exciting hub for all things metrosexual, and Robert has brought us along to see how it’s all going.

“You are the perfect representation of the Bortex man,” Sam fondly remarks on Robert. “Successful in your own right, you dress up, you dress down, but you make it work every time.” Way back in 2009, Sam and Robert had bonded over biceps at the gym, and discovered they had mutual friends, as one always does in Malta. A bromance was fostered. At the time, Gagliardi was still a brand on paper, with the Borg family sewing all its pieces together. Robert had just kickstarted his career as a model abroad; he was clearly destined to be part of the Gagliardi foundations. He went on to appear in the brand’s first ever campaign, and also became a major success within the iGaming industry as the founder of an international online casino brand.

Over the last thirteen years, both Sam and Robert have evolved with the brand’s lifecycle. In that time, Robert’s only ever missed one Bortex show. He and his groomsmen donned Gagliardi for his wedding, with Sam right by his side for the special occasion. It’s been a while since they last saw each other, but they quickly immerse into a discussion about wardrobe space, travel stories and good fabrics for summer. Sam proudly shows Robert the store’s latest summer collection of premium linen. The subject then turns to Bortex & Friends. Over the years, Bortex has been a beacon of entrepreneurship, style and resilience, setting the sartorial scene for the Mediterranean gentleman since the 1960s. With a generational mantra that instructs the Borg family to turn every crisis into an opportunity, this advice had certainly come in handy back in September 2020, when a fire had caused serious damage to the company’s Bay Street outlet. “It was obviously calamitous in the beginning, considering we had only been seven months into the pandemic, but we quickly realised that this was our chance to move into this experiential retail we had been talking about.” Here, Sam is referring to a concept store that takes the customer on a multisensory journey, rather than simply a transactional encounter.

In the most phoenix of fashions, the Bay Street outlet was reborn from its own ashes. Six months into its launch in 2021, Bortex & Friends is the most gentlemanly of man caves, giving some of the finest concept stores around the world a run for their money. “Our inspiration was the rise of the metrosexual man, so that constitutes self-grooming, everything around the idea of savoir vivre - such as wines, whiskeys and cigars - and men’s gifting.” The company certainly got it right on all fronts. Bortex & Friends is a conglomerate of top names associated with gentlemanly interests – Bortex, Franks Gentleman’s Essentials, Percy Nobleman and Manouche. The pristine outlet is made up of a clothing section, gifting, a premium grooming parlour and a café/bar, all within a gracious interior with major globetrotter vibes. The custom woodwork that adorns the store lends it its exploratory feel, while the selection of decorative car, plane and boat models, geographical memorabilia, globes, knives and hip flasks appeals to the well-travelled metrosexual.

But Sam’s foresight goes beyond the basic retail experience. “We’ll actually be setting up six events as courses for people to choose for team-building projects and bachelor parties. Two of these courses are Gin Gentlemen and Cigar Aficionados, where Bortex & Friends delivers a fun but informative education on the proper ritual of cigar smoking and gin selection.” Other courses will also cover wine, whiskey and tequila tasting, all of which can accommodate up to 18 people within the shop’s designated area. “The courses are an insight into the world of gentlemen. I want them to be experiences over which high-flyers and gaming bros can bond, hang out and do business,” Sam affirms.

Indeed, the concept store is a one-stop shop for grooming, shopping and networking. The collaboration with Franks and Manouche has ultimately resulted in a social workspace, where customers can stop for a coffee and a business encounter after their premium shave and a new suit. Customers may also purchase a bottle at wholesale price from the store’s discerning selection of spirits and mixers, and have it served to them at the bar. We’re all thoroughly impressed, not least of us Robert. As someone with a vested interest in the Bortex world, he asks his chum, “Having reached such new heights, where do you go from here?” Ever the visionary, Sam is ready with an answer. The idea is for Bortex & Friends to transform into a perennial community for local artists and creators, with the store hosting exhibitions, capsule collections and boutique fashion shows. “We want to deliver more authentic Maltese experiences to the customer and to the community.” With metrosexual authenticity found throughout this glorious new hub, Bortex & Friends is certainly the genuine article.