A BRAND THAT IS SIMPLY UNFEIGNED
One of the newest and most exiting brands unearthed at Pitti in June this year was Unfeigned, a label that looks very Scandinavian, but in fact hails from the Spanish capital, Madrid.
Fast-forward six months and we are in the city walking along the C. de Fernando VI and stumble across Unfeigned again. This time it’s in their own store, their first store and it’s already doing great numbers since opening its doors in September.
A true family affair, unfeigned is the brainchild of founder Rafa Gomez and embraces a look and feel that could well be the latest Scandinavian offer. Clean lines, relaxed fits and clever fabrics featuring throughout.
“We strive for the best in quality and want to be known as a brand that creates elevated, relaxed and easy-to wear pieces,” says Rafa. “We are evolving and creating refined capsule garments for men that can be a flexible and easy go-to addition to the wardrobe. Natural and interesting with style at its core.”
With a tech business background and having studied law and economics, Rafa is a self confessed ‘hard-core user’ of fashion and a sneaker head. With a long-standing love for clothing, he channels numerous inspirations into unfeigned to achieve a distinctly independent aesthetic. It is also a brand with a very natural international reach.
“I have always been an early adopter of new trends and styles via a natural intrigue,” he says. “At unfeigned, we know our customer and this is very much bedded in the design savvy market. People who understand the need for good quality and wearability, which is a lot like us personally,” Rafa adds.
Extending the team initially through his sister Maria who looks after much of the art direction for the business and who, incidentally, is the only family member with a fashion background having studied fashion and journalism and latterly working for the likes of Mary Katrantzou, unfeigned now boasts five Gomez siblings and a wider team totalling 9 at their headquarters situated behind the store.
Growing up in Malaga, southern Spain, it was both studies and latterly work that brought the family to the country’s capital and a previous business venture that led to there idea of unfeigned becoming a reality. “I had met a lot of people in the fashion industry through running my own specialist shoe business from Levante,” says Rafa, “therefore the idea that I’d had in my mind was able to become realistic.”
Moving quickly, the brand came to life in just one-year, a period of time where two collections, certification and also brand development was honed and established, eventually showcasing a 60-piece capsule at trade shows including Seek, Berlin and Pitti Uomo in Florence, the latter being the last trade show in January 2020 before COVID hit.
“It was 2018-2019 when we spent a year getting everything sorted properly,” says Maria. “We worked hard and moved quickly in a short period of time to get ourselves ready.”
The initial focus of the brand was on T-shirts. A favoured garment of Rafa’s, he was unable to find a simple, durable white T-shirt that would last and remain stylish over multiple wears. The unfeigned Tee carries a longer length at the back, side slits and is made from a durable 100% organic cotton.
“The issue of sustainability and longevity of garments remains at the core of our business, but it’s something that we now feel is a given and is explained thoroughly through our brand manifesto and milestones which is outlined on our website,” says Rafa. “At the end of the day, we are here because we love clothes and we want to create the best, stylish, quality menswear pieces that we can. We want to do it in an ethical, quality way and help to re-shape the world.”
Having recently opened their first, flagship store which experience a consistent and respectable footfall in September this year, unfeigned is undoubtedly building momentum and a level of awareness that is growing quite organically. In 2021, younger brother Quino, who had initially been working in the beer industry joined to work within global sales and as an ambassador for the brand at trade shows and networking events, and the brand also experienced a great reception at both Pitti and Welcome Edition in Paris.
Working with a collection of elevated, premium garments, unfeigned fuses a beautifully effortless and eclectic mix of fabrics from the technical, to simple cotton and velour staples to achieve its very distinctive look. Roomy, relaxed with leanings toward Japanese workwear and utilitarian uniform, the brand touches all lifestyle points for men to make simple, cool style choices when they open the wardrobe. Each piece can be easily partnered or layered with others or stripped down according to the occasion.
“We are very much the brand that sits between streetwear and more formal attire” adds Maria. “This is the new-wave in menswear clothing that can be worn to work more formally. It can look smart and presentable, but equally carries that edge and style points that make it transitional to the streets. It’s comfortably cool.”
With the new AW22 season well underway, unfeigned continues to evolve and learn along the journey. Now boasting a full-on, all-encompassing capsule that is certainly a ‘welcome addition’, the range includes technical jackets and pants, velour two-piece sets as well as wool-check jacket, gilets and sweats to give its well-rounded presentation.
“We are proud to be from Spain and that’s tremendously important to us, but we also have a distinct international reach and style without boundaries, adds Rafa. “Solid family values are channelled into the brand and we work together tirelessly to get to where we want to be. Our next store we would love to be in London.”