Q+A with Love Brand

LOVE BRAND & Co. create beautiful and responsible beachwear. They firmly believe that beautiful clothes don't have to cost the Earth.

Their unique prints are designed to raise awareness for endangered species and they donate 1% of their sales to supporting extraordinary wildlife charities.

⚡This giveaway has now closed. ⚡ VOTARY and LOVE BRAND & Co. are offering you the chance to win a Super Seed set and Super Seed mini set (worth £350) and a selection of LOVE BRAND & Co. pieces worth £350. Tap here to find out more!*

We caught up with Co-founder Oliver Tomalin to find out more about LOVE BRAND & Co., and as a seasoned traveller, his best travel-tips.

Sustainability is at the core of your brand’s ethos. Can you share any tips on how we can all strive to be more sustainable and mindful in our purchases?

Interrogate where and how you purchase. A company now should be transparent and responsible as we strive to be, they should also be able to answer any questions you have. Everyone should be more aware and ask those pressing questions of the brands we choose to support. Buy less and buy well. 

You originally trained as an architect and have travelled extensively. How has this helped you build a brand?

LOVE BRAND & Co. is the culmination of my life experiences and passions. My training in architecture has been so helpful throughout, I think most importantly it taught me to not over engineer or design anything. Simplicity is beautiful. My brand is therefore pretty simple. It's built on all the things I love. A love of my family, friends and the good times, my love of wildlife and the planet, my love of travel and adventure.

Where have you not yet managed to travel to?

Cuba. I am desperate to experience Havana and I am sure it will inspire a new collection.

Elephants are at the core of LOVE BRAND & Co., what other creatures have inspired LOVE BRAND & Co. on your travels?

We have been helping wild elephants since day one. From when we sold our first pair of trunks with our idea 'Trunks for Trunks' - swimming trunks saving elephants. Since then the brand has evolved to be generally about loving the planet - how to make things more sustainably and halt extinction of all endangered species in the wild. Over the decade or so, we have supported a number of incredible charity partners helping different endangered species. Sharks, Pangolins, whales - all of our prints have connected conservation stories behind them. One of our new partners is the Aspinall Foundation and their work reintroducing Gorillas to the wild and providing economic benefits to local communities to help manage and protect wild Gorilla habitat in the Congo and Gabon. We are excited to launch our print 'Gorilla Gossip' in support of this special partnership.

 How does sustainability seep into your beautiful Notting Hill and Chelsea stores?

We make sustainable choices across the whole business. Our store fit out is pretty minimal and using mainly up cycled or natural materials. That's the architecture training in me again. It's simple, natural and built to last. All the power in store is from renewable energy. But mainly the store is a place to promote sustainable shopping choices, we now have amazing women’s edit promoting sustainable brands and other artisanal makers alongside the men’s offering. All share the style and values of our own line, a concept we call 'Love Brand Loves' It's now the ultimate eco-conscious holiday shopping destination.

Post-pandemic, how do you think we can try to travel more sustainably? 

Staycations are great, As a travel nut, who knew. I think we all have a renewed appreciation of what's on our doorstep, our families and our freedoms also. So when we travel we are now more mindful and appreciative than ever. I think supporting local businesses when you travel is incredibly important and the most sustainable way of travelling. My wife and I like to get involved with a local conservation project where possible and work with them closely through the brand, educating ourselves and our audience. We also focus on having the best experiences rather than the best material things. That's the ultimate luxury. And the most enriching.

What are your travel essentials?

I always take a light linen jacket with me. Inspired by this, we have just launched our Nassau unstructured jacket. It's a beautiful light-weight jacket, perfect to travel in or throw on for a dinner or impromptu party.

We would love to hear about your grooming routine, are there any products you can’t be without? 

Living in the Bahamas, we really take care of our skin. SPF and moisturizer I could not be without.

Do you have any favourite grooming places you go to, or rituals you have? 

I keep it pretty simple. SPF every morning and off I go. And then moisturize every night. Big fan of the Votary Super Seed Nutrient Cream. I love plant-based and vegan products like these.

Quickfire questions:

Q: Favourite SPF?

A: Sunbum

Q: Favourite beach?

A: A secret beach in the Exumas (Bahamas), we name all our LOVE BRAND & Co. products after the beautiful islands and beaches of The Bahamas.

Q: Favourite city?

A: Barcelona

Q: Favourite building?

A: Our beach house. My wife and I have been designing it ever since we met but we have not built it yet! 

Q: What is your signature dish?

A: Spaghetti Vongole 

Q: Party trick?

A: Singing and dancing badly. 

Q: Favourite travel game to play with your family?

A: Perudo

Q: Never travel without?

A: A pen and a notepad of sorts. I always get really inspired when I travel and have to sketch everything down.

* Terms and conditions apply, please see link for further details. Competition closes midnight GMT on 17th October 2021.