New to Trunk for the Autumn/Winter 2014 season, MAN 1924 draws on three generations of history in the Spanish textile trade. The brand is the work of cousins Carlos Castillo and Jorge Navares, a pair who will be familiar to many for their incredible personal style and ubiquitous presence on street style blogs. The pair's grandfather founded the original MAN brand in Madrid in 1924, and as the family business was handed down through the generations, Carlos and Jorge received an upbringing steeped in the clothing trade. Crafted primarily in Spain using fabrics milled in England, today the brand offers a relaxed, contemporary take on the traditions of English and Spanish tailoring. Shortly after welcoming the brand to Trunk's rails, we sat down with Jorge to gain further insight into one of menswear's most intriguing and coveted brands.
Trunk: Can you tell us a little about the philosophy behind your brand?
Jorge Navares: The initial philosophy behind the brand is to create a "young luxury" look. This means a mixture between casualwear and traditional sartorial wear. Being the third family generation in this industry, we try to put together the best knowhow we have in terms of patterns and cloth, and combine it with a fresh Anglo-American style. For us it is not strictly a matter of fashion but garments you can combine for many different occasions without having to think too hard. Garments that can last for years and which our customers appreciate more and more when using them.
– Jorge Navares and Carlos Castillo.
T: What is the story of your latest collection?
JN: The story of our latest collection is simple. We travel a lot and we pick ideas from all over. From airports to restaurants. We focus a lot on people that we find elegant. For us it's not a matter of age but of the way people dress. Our latest winter collection was inspired by a trip Carlos and I made to the oldest golf links in Scotland. We were impressed by the way this old, traditional place combined that tradition with the modern reality of people's needs.
T: What are you currently working on?
JN: Now we are working on our next winter collection. We want to surprise our customers with something new but with the MAN 1924 imprint. We want our customers, old and new to feel that our company is dynamic but conserving the main philosophy of the brand.
T: Tell us about some of your favourite local places, whether in Madrid or further from home.
JN: Carlos and I very much like authentic places. We are not very friends of fashion places. We used to go always to the same restaurants. In Madrid for example we go to a fish restaurant called La Trainera. The sole and the turbot are exceptional. It is not a glamorous place but the product is unbeatable.
In Bilbao we go also to a place call Kirol. It's a downstairs, small place were you can eat the best food, always in a familiar ambience.
T: Where would you like to visit on your next trip?
JN: For our next trip, we love sports and especially surfing and skiing – we would like to go to somewhere in the Austrian Alps or for example, the West Coast of Morroco where at certain times of year you can find the best waves near Europe and a kind of relaxed-hippy ambience.
T: What are your five essential items for travel?
JN: A MAN 1924 navy jacket, a pair of New Balance sneakers, the iPad, a navy or white polo shirt and the most important thing; a good mood.
T: Do you collect anything?
JN: Carlos and I are not very into this. The best things for us to collect are good friends and good memories.
T: Who do you admire in your industry?
JN: I think that the person that we both most admire in this industry is our grandfather. He created the brand in 1924 and was the person who taught us everything.
A warm thank you to Jorge for taking the time to talk to us. Shop the latest arrivals from MAN 1924 here. For more from behind the scenes at Trunk, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.