Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 13th March 2023

LA PAZ is a menswear label inspired by the Atlantic, its people and traditions. Their aim is to work in a straight relationship with some of the best local Portuguese manufacturers, crossing their knowledge with a single approach to the design and the making of timeless and durable goods. PAZ means PEACE in Portuguese and that’s what’s behind the spirit of their project and the relationship they want to have with their crew, partners, customers and planet. Sustainability is now part of the world agenda, but LA PAZ feel that it must go far beyond production and consumer habits, turning into something intrinsic to our way of living, and during the last few years the brand has been researching new organic and recycled materials.

In a recent episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interviewed Jose Miguel de Abreu, Co-Founder of sustainable heritage menswear brand LA PAZ about his background and the founding story of his men's fashion brand. Our host Peter Brooker and Jose talked about the ethos of the brand, clothing fabrics, funding, fashion shows, inspiration, store design, Portuguese manufacturing, and international stockists.

“We started this project in 2011 and our main idea at that time was to distribute some brands here in Portugal, but the economy was very low. We had some contacts in factories nearby and we were both passionate about clothing. So, we started putting a collection together to see how it would look. We don't have a design background, so we were helped by a friend to develop some prototypes. The first collection was supposed to be a summer collection but it didn't happen because things took longer than we had expected. Eventually we managed to put a small collection of around 30 pieces together, and we did a trade show in New York. Most of the work we do is probably trying to find new textures and new fabrics. Of course, we have basics like t-shirts and sweatshirts, but I think it's very important to touch the materials because that's where we invest most of our time and research.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 195 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Jose Miguel de Abreu, Co-Founder of lapaz.pt. You can listen to the full version on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player.

Sustainability, Fabrics, Textures, and Recycled Materials are the talking points in this interview with Jose Miguel de Abreu of La Paz.