DESIGNER OF THE MOMENT – RAMOS MARTIN

 

 

 

The weather is gorgeous, the drinks are flowing, everyone is looking sunshine fabulous and all focusing on one thing; Ramos Martin. Held in the North Pole bar in the ultra trendy town, Greenwich, it was the topic on everyone’s lips. Phillip and Richard – aka Ramos Martin- are one of London’s most fresh and exciting talent at the moment and showcased their first ever show right here in London’s most hip and happening town.

 

 

The show featured their summer collection which included floaty chiffon and silk dresses, layered tops and gorgeous flapper style dresses all perfect for those long summer nights ahead.  There is no denying that the dress was the labels knockout piece and due to the selection, us girls were spoilt for choice. They experimented with colour giving us mouth watering fuchsia pink and hues of lemon and banana tie dye, exotic jungle-themed leaves and Pucci inspired prints with a mixture of cool pinks, greens and aqua blues.  

 

Styles included multi layered slip tops, gathered waistbands, Grecian style rope detailed straps and 1930 flapper style loose fitted dresses with loop holes at the back, making it sexy but ever so stylish. All items are really versatile as they would be perfect for the beach with a pair of flip flops as well as a glam evening outfit with a pair of killer heels and flamboyant accessories.

 

They oozed sex appeal and exotic glamour which is exactly what summer is all about; feeling good and looking even better. The hair, by John Long for Lockonego, was carefree, wavy and low maintenance as was the make up which was natural, dewy and sun kissed, which reflected the overall feel to the collection; carefree, glamorous and relaxed. All models looked like Ibiza goddesses and were confident and radiant adding the final ingredients into a really great first show.

 

 

The show came to life with the help of DJ, Ollie Jenkins playing a selection of funky tunes alongside the setting of the catwalk which was casual and intimate, giving the audience a chance to really embrace the collections from a close view and see how well the fabric and colours work together. “I felt that the show went really well – very slick and sexy which is exactly what we were hoping for,’ Phillip told me after the show. Even though the venue was relatively small, the space was stylishly put together and the show went without any hitches and was a complete credit to the designers and everyone involved.

 

Ramos Martin, which consists of two men called Richard and Phillip, got their label’s name very close to home. “Our label’s name came from both our mothers’ maiden names,” they told me.  Both had a passion for retail and dress making ever since they can remember as Phillip graduated from the London College of Fashion in 1998, having completed a BA Womenswear degree, and Richard has worked in retail management with brands such as Prada and Zara. The two men met through the designer, Ashley Isham, and as they say, the rest is history. 

 

 

They started business in May 2003 doing designs for evening wear, however after a few designs, they felt that it wasn’t working and expanded their designs into stylish womenswear. “It is hard to break the mould of evening wear, as many women prefer to wear the classic evening dress which is usually black, long in length and elegant”. After finding their niche in the fashion market, they have pursued their talents in making loose fitting, free flowing dresses with bright and vibrant colours, and haven’t looked back since.

 

However, with the label consisting of two men, where does their inspiration come from? “We get inspiration from all the everyday women walking down the street day to day,” Phillips tells me.  “The woman next door, down the street or the one that works in the coffee shop- it doesn’t matter who as long as they have that something about her style. That’s where we get our main inspiration from.” It is clear that they know what women want judging by their collection which is feminine, pretty and wearable for everyday women. 

 

 

“Our main muse is my wife, Anna, as she is a real woman and she likes to wear nice clothes but at a nice price too, which represents many women around the world,” says Richard. With the use of bold colours, high quality Italian silk and precise detail, you would not be mistaken in thinking that the prices would be just as extravagant.  However, these boys don’t believe in quantity over quality, and like to keep their prices at an affordable reach, enabling women to look fab but still have their bank balance in tact. “We want to appeal to women who like to spend that little bit extra on looking good, without breaking the bank. We want our customers to feel good about buying our products. All items seen tonight are under £300”.

 

 

They are also fans of cheap and chic retail shops such as Primark, as they believe you get great value for the money and they try and inject that into their label.  It seems that they are men after our own hearts and it was clear to see at the after show, with women queuing up trying to bag these beautiful creations.

 

They got the idea of showcasing their first show in the North Pole bar when they worked alongside the events manager, Natalie Otton. They came up with the idea of combining their collection and the bar itself and along came Ramos Martin’s first show. The show’s main aim was to raise awareness of Ramos Martin Ltd, and also raising money for Breast Cancer, with 5% of every sale made going to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

 

 

Although this is their first show, don’t be fooled into thinking that these guys have been waiting around for their big break. They have a wide international following and stockage which includes Harvey Nichols in Saudi Arabia, ‘Language’ and ‘Sauce’ in Dubai, ‘Psyche’ in Middlesbrough and ‘Sefton’ in Islington. “I get a real sense of pride when I hear people tell me that they saw one of our creations whilst in Dubai or Saudi Arabia, it’s a great feeling of achievement,” both men tell me.

 

With a fantastic first show and a chain of international shops under their belt, not to mention an expanding fan base, what is in store for Ramos Martin in the future? “We are going to be exhibiting our collection in Tranoi, Paris during Paris fashion week which we are really excited about as there will be many influential people there,” Phillip told me excitedly. They are also considering holding more fashion shows in conjunction with the North Pole bar in the future and from there they are hoping to be able to expand to bigger and better things.

 

 

The boys behind Ramos Martin were a pleasure to talk to, extremely down to earth and ambitious.  Their future plans are exciting and shouldn’t be missed.  They are top talent in London at the moment and if you have a weakness for silk, chiffon and bright vibrant colours, these are your boys and by wearing their creations, you can bet your bottom dollar that all eyes will be on you.

And remember…you heard it here first!

 

 

Kyrsty Hazell

 

For further information about Ramos Martin Ltd, they are based in Greenwich and can be contacted via telephone 0208 293 33 77 or email info@ramosmartin.co.uk