What’s your guy’s background? How did the brand all come about

First of all thanks for having us. 

We work already for quite a bit in the fashion and footwear industry. Having met in 2016 working with the same brand, we bonded over the same idea of what is needed to change the industry we work in. 

Virón is based on 3 simple principles: 

For the planet, for the animals, and for the people. We use them as a guideline for everything we do: From producing in Portugal in a certified factory and choosing only low-impact, vegan materials to dyeing fabric with food waste and working with NGOs to raise awareness, the commitment towards a better future is at the core. 

Explain the brand name

We don't want to be too literal and therefore don’t mention it too much but Virón comes from enVIRONment, which means the same in French and in English. 

In this current landscape of emerging brands, how do you differentiate from your competitors?

At Virón we take great pride in our transparency: we really care about our customers making informed shopping choices, as nowadays we feel like that’s really rare, especially in an industry that tends to capitalise on lies and smoke-shows like the one we’re in. 

Additionally to this we feel there’s a need for sustainable brands becoming more desirable and the “cool” brands becoming more sustainable. Looking around there’s only a handful of brands who we - from a consumer perspective - appreciate the design idea, the production ethic and the brands’ universe. 

In an ideal world, which stores would you like to be stocked in?

In general, we do appreciate stores that are able to tell a brand’s story and invite consumers to explore. 

We are lucky to work with what we consider the best stores in the world already; Ssense, Dover Street Market LDN/LA/NY/TYO, LN-CC, Selfridges, or Galeries Lafayette to name a few. These are with us since our first season and we are super happy to introduce people to our universe with their help. 

What’s been the biggest challenge for you so far?

We launched during the pandemic so that was already a tough one ;) While there are a lot of challenging aspects of being an independent brand in 2021, if we had to pick one it would probably be production. Due to covid, there’s a lot of delays, prices are increasing, materials are out of stock, etc so every day there is something unexpected happening. 

What do you hope to achieve from this latest collection?

With this collection, we are building a base for future collections. Think of it as our essentials: Low Top trainers, mid-tops, combat boots, and our new Chelsea boot. 

What is a weird fact about the brand that not many people know?

It’s not weird but we don’t communicate a lot about it. Each shoe model is named after different years where different events of historical value for environmentalism happened. 

1968 stands for the hippie generation and the social movement of the 60s, 1982 for antinuclear protests and forming of green parties, in 2005 the Kyoto protocol was ratified. 

Your debut collection has received a lot of attention already, can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind this collection

For our debut collection, we wanted to highlight Virón’s key elements: plant power, rave culture, and recycling. it all started from there. 

What’s you guys’ favourite pieces from the new collection?

We’re loving the forest green and the acid patterns as we think they’re bringing out Virón’s essence even more.
As an everyday essential the new Chelsea boot is perfect and matches with everything.

What other products can we expect to see from you all soon?

We are working on some projects to extend our range a bit but at the core, we are a footwear brand 

What are 3 key pieces of information which consumers should take away from this interview?

1 - Eat fewer animal products

2 - Recycle

3 - Techno 

Where do you see the brand in 5 years?

Our dream would definitely be to not only grow as an individual brand but also to pave the road for many more brands to come, hoping that they will follow more sustainable approaches to fashion as well. It would be highly rewarding if what we do becomes the norm in 5 years.

If you like what you’ve seen and read, you can shop Virón’s new collection here.