8 Brazilian Menswear Brands To Know

Written by Benjamin Fitzgerald

The Olympics in Brazil are nearly over. But, our fascination with the South American nation — and its boisterous and bright Rio de Janeiro — has us searching for other hot things to come out the mega city. Namely, men’s fashion brands and designers.

From swimwear labels to on point tailoring to luxury streetwear, Brazilian men’s brands are experiencing some medal-winning moments. Here are the golden ones.

#1 Alexandre Herchcovitch

Best known for his skull motifs, use of moulded rubber and religious iconography, Alexandre Herchcovitch is a major favourite among Brazil’s young, fashion crowd. Eclectic prints and experimenting with fabrics are his forte. As is his less talked about understanding of tailoring (his mother taught him how to sew, aged 10).

Contemporary and cool, Herchcovitch’s suiting is certainly worth having on your style radar. As well as being online, the major Alexandre Herchcovitch store in Tokyo and in his native Brazil. Herchcovitch’s is also sold in the USA, Canada, England, France, Spain and Australia.

#2 Frescobol Carioca

“Frescobol Carioca embodies the true spirit and style of Rio de Janeiro,” explains the luxury beachwear brand on its website. Frescobol beach bats – the iconic summer ballgame – were the first item to be launched in 2009 by the brand, sparking a whole range of luxury swimwear and beach accessories inspired by the vibrancy of the Olympic host city. From swim trunks to linen shirts – and handcrafted surfboards and skate boards now, too – Frescobol Carioca is colourful and big on prints. Trademark patterns include Copacabana and Ipanema, which can be picked up in London,

#3 Piet by Pedro Andrade

Brazil might not be the first place you think of when it comes to upcoming streetwear talent. But here’s a front runner from designer Pedro Andrade and his urban gear label, Piet. Inspired by renegade youth, Andrade likes to reference important social and musical movements in his collections, offering a kind of cut-and-paste motif. Still a very new label, Piet’s technique takes on distressed knits and high-tech prints, which are produced via photo transfer developed by Andrade himself. Reckless, but well-made, bring on more streetwear exports from Brazil like this one in the future.

#4 Luis Morais

Brazilian jeweller Luis Morais has been known since 2001 for his stylish beaded men’s jewellery. It all started on a Miami, Florida beach where the Brazilian noticed a bracelet in a magazine that he liked, but couldn’t purchase one like it. So, he made a variant of it himself, DIY-style. Resembling craftsmanship and a gothic edge, Morais’ bracelets can be spotted by the designer’s signature skulls. And their dazzling beadmanship. Each piece is immaculately threaded and constructed from fine materials, including ebony, sandalwood and gold. Accessories-game win.

#5 Joao Pimenta

Sao Paolo designer Joao Pimenta is a luxury menswear designer who likes to reference Brazil’s social contrast, specifically rich and poor, in his clothing. Coming from a poor childhood himself, Pimenta also likes to riff on the female wardrobe (let us explain) in his strikingly tailored men’s collections: front dart jackets, round silhouettes, fluid fabrics, and even embroidery lighting up his neutral colour palette.

Experimenting with fabrics is another traditional characteristic of his tailoring, as well as hooking up with graffiti artists from the local creative scene to make design magic happen. Joao Pimenta has a flagship store in Sao Paolo’s Vila Madalena neighbourhood, which is certainly worth a visit when in Sao Paolo.

#6 Osklen

A big name in Brazil’s fashion scene, Osklen is a luxury label that offers tailoring, smart casual pieces and more recently, streetwear. For the sportier side, skating, snowboarding and surf are activities of inspiration, offering kicking sneakers that are a point of difference among your average Nike and adidas. But the urban fashion brand, helmed by designer Oskar Metsavaht is essentially about fuss-free fashion, crafting cool, contemporary pieces that are big on minimalism. Oh, and Metsavaht even sells a line of furniture. Now, you can have a fully-fledge taste of Brazil in your wardrobe and throughout your home.

#7 League Goods

You can never have too many basics. Newcomer League Goods is one for the stylish gym junkie or the comfort clothes seeker. The limited collection offers jersey cotton shorts with an easy-go elasticated waist and cotton tees cut in a relaxed fit, as well as snapback caps to top of the sports vibe. League Goods is very much vintage inspired, taking the best from the Seventies-sport scene in colour and print, and reworking basics into modern fits. These are pieces that will slick into your casual wardrobe with ease.

#8 Cotton Project

The Cotton Project aims to convey the cool, Sunday-by-the-sea vibes associated with the brand’s beach loving Sao Paolo in its clothes. It’s about creating quality pieces for a group of individuals who share the same lifestyle. The casual sophisticated style of dress typifies a tropical country like Brazil, mixing the haze of summer days with the urban jungle, riffing on subcultures in music, art, photography and fashion.

As summed up by the brand itself: “Unlike other brands who go to the beach in search of influences for urban clothing, the Cotton Project takes your city lifestyle to the beach”. Give us some more of that, please.