Our purpose.
The Randies supply chain is an ever evolving landscape. We have our current designs, that we hope you are wearing as you read this. These are our foundations, and these are the building blocks upon which we will develop and grow our brand. We travelled to Portugal because we have new products waiting in the wings that we needed to interrogate, innovative new fabrics to put to the test, and a mutually strong relationship with our manufacturing team that we highly value.
We spent our time in Portugal between fabric knitters, dyeing companies and manufacturing facilities, learning and absorbing the processes involved. We took time to educate ourselves further about developments in sustainability, and how this will shape Randies in the years to come.
We watched our products being cut by hand, and then stitched, all in our 4th generation family owned fabrica. The factory have a refreshing zero bullshit approach to business so we all know exactly where we stand. We are a team, and our joint objective is to make the best mens underwear on the planet. They share this approach and understand our passion, and this means that no job is too big nor too small.
Why Portugal?
The Randies family is a small team of dedicated individuals in the UK, but our extended family branch out to traditional fabricas in and around Porto, one of the most ancient European centres located along the Douro river in northern Portugal. The centre, a Unesco World Heritage sight, is all cobbled streets marbled with spring rain, twinkling lights in steamy windows and gently clinking port glasses. The pace is soft and the people are kind, and this permeates from hospitality to manufacturing.
Portugal is globally renowned as a hub for high quality and ethical manufacturing. It’s won the geographical lottery, being perfectly positioned to send shipments quickly to the Americas and Europe, saving precious time and money in a modern and face paced world.
The Portuguese garment history dates back to the 17th century, when Indian silks and African cottons were imported for garment manufacturing, putting Lisbon on the map as one of the most important trade ports to Europe. Lisbon remains a fashion capital today, and the manufacturers have a crafty and unique combination of traditional know-how and modern technology to produce high quality garments.
Starting a small business is a lifestyle choice as much as it is the desire to create a specific product, so deciding who to work with, and where in the world plays an important role in the development of a brand and its fundamental values. It all has to align, and we strive to make every process involved a pleasant one.
Our trip was short, precise and personal. We got done exactly what we needed, whilst having time to soak up some rich Portuguese culture, and lots of custard tarts.
We have some incredible and exciting things up our sleeve and we can’t wait to share them with you.
