On a scorching hot July morning at the Someros textile factory in Guimarães, northern Portugal, machines are clicking away, churning out fabrics in classic navy and blue stripes and other eye-popping colour combinations that recall the artwork of Bridget Riley. Workers stand in front of large mechanical light boxes, carefully inspecting the fabric for defects as it cascades before their eyes.
I’m with a small group of about 15 people on a tour organized by ISTO, the Portuguese brand that produces some of its shirting fabric at the factory. Quality controller Nuno Fernandes explains that to minimize waste, machines are programmed to weave only the exact amount of fabric needed to complete a particular order.
In an innovative move, starting in 2022, ISTO will be offering free factory tours to anyone interested in finding out where and how its clothes are made. The brand includes transport within Portugal (usually from Lisbon or Porto) and lunch in the price of the tour, but has plans to roll out the service to international customers as well.

According to Pedro Gaspar, 41, and Pedro Parha, 33, who co-founded ISTO in 2017, it’s an effort to underscore the brand’s transparent credentials. “Lots of brands talk about making their products in a sustainable way, but we wanted to show our customers how we actually do it,” Parha says.
All of ISTO’s factories and suppliers are detailed on its website, and they adhere to the highest industry certifications, including GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OEKO-TEX (Harmful Fiber Testing), and GRS (Global Recycling Standard). The brand shows the cost per garment for fabric, labor, shipping, logistics, labels, and buttons online, and is releasing further annual price breakdown information (the next one is in September) as part of a customer communication program the founders call “Transparency Week,” which includes accounting for all other business costs, such as rent, marketing, and salaries, for its six best-selling products.
“We found that publishing these costs annually was the most effective and reliable way to inform customers about our broader business costs and how they impact product prices,” explains Palha. QR codes on the inside of garments have also been recently introduced, showing a traceable production process and environmental footprint from fibre extraction to the finished product.


Fashion consumption is becoming an increasingly extreme story, from rising prices in the luxury sector to fast fashion, where a Shein T-shirt for men can be bought for around £2. Last month, the Italian competition authority launched an investigation over concerns about low wages and sweatshop conditions in factories producing for high-end designer brands. In this context, ISTO’s affordable, environmentally conscious approach to timeless menswear staples that are also worn by women seems particularly apt.
Jason Blanche, a 32-year-old sales executive from France who took part in the factory tour, said he’s tired of luxury brands inflating prices for their products. He thinks ISTO’s initiative is a welcome one. “I like how ISTO cares about the people they work with, which is rare in my experience in the fashion industry,” he said.
Another attendee, Filipa Silva, 39, a winemaker from Aveiro, was as intrigued by the idea of seeing the clothes being made as she was by sustainable practices. “I wanted to explore whether the idea of transparency was more than just marketing,” she says over lunch. “I went in with a great deal of faith, and I don’t think it was wrong. Consumer actions are political actions, and where you spend your money is a statement.”
Though it hasn’t reached that target, ISTO is growing. Sales are up 30 percent year over year, Parha says. The goal is to reach 3.5 million euros in 2024. It opened a permanent store in Berlin earlier this year, and the brand now has four stores in Lisbon. Celebrity interest is also on the rise: Ethan Hawke is a fan of ISTO jacket-and-pants outfits, as is Zac Efron, who has worn the brand’s jeans, and Ryan Reynolds recently wore the brand’s linen pants.
ISTO means “this” in Portuguese, and its initials reflect the brand’s pillars: “Independent thinking, meaning no investments, no middlemen, just selling directly to customers,” explains Parha. With transparency in pricing and the use of high-quality organic ingredients, the duo liken their approach to running a fine restaurant. “It’s a restaurant that sources the best local ingredients from the best suppliers and creates seasonal menus,” says Gaspar.
Until now, brands with a strong sustainable perspective have often come across as a bit sterile, but ISTO’s work is full of personality: one of the best fashion photos I’ve seen this year was from Patrimonio’s summer collection, based on 1980s leisurewear, and shows a middle-aged man lounging in a baseball cap and an open white short-sleeved shirt, proudly showing off his round belly.


Before starting ISTO, Parha studied business in Lisbon, played tennis semi-pro and dabbled in startups. His curiosity about clothing and sustainability was inspired by US clothing retailer Everlane, which positions itself as a leader in “radical transparency.” The third founder, Vasco Mendonça, who is no longer involved, introduced Parha to Gaspar, who works in design and advertising. The two launched the business with 13,000 euros.
Though the designs of the products are relatively simple (the founders cite Ralph Lauren, Drake’s, and Aimé Leon Dore as fashion inspirations), they often undergo rigorous testing; one wool coat, for example, was left in the forests of Abrantes for 94 days to see if it could withstand different weather conditions. In September, the brand will launch a trench coat made from an organic, water-repellent material developed in collaboration with Someros.
Plans include opening a store in London in 2025 (the UK capital is the company’s fourth-largest market). The company is also considering spin-off factory tours that would invite customers into its offices and allow them to contribute ideas to the design process, which could be another innovative next step.
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