Virginia Gomez Madrid
Madrid
Updated Friday, February 2, 2024-00:11
In a traffic jam. The story of
Andesites
begins exactly there. In the car, on the way to school.
José Ten
was barely 19 years old and, in the time it takes to cross a street, he tells us, he began to develop a project that a couple of years later would see the light of day: a
jeans brand
that is already positioned internationally. His mother,
Ana Verdú
, who accompanied him on that trip, still gets goosebumps when she remembers it.
"I was in 1st year of Baccalaureate and the day before I had studied a biology topic about rocks and how andesite is formed," says José. That inspired him (Andesites is andesite in French). «I told my mother: what if we created a jeans brand that has to do with minerals? In the end, to create a cowboy you need water and rock », he adds.
"In just 10 minutes he developed the entire
branding
of the brand
," adds his mother, his partner in this adventure with his cousin (although in reality they are almost like brothers),
Manuela Verdú
, still with surprise .
Their jeans, they say, "have nothing special." Well, yes, "a good
fitting
(which means "that feels good"), some differentiating details (its button, for example, in emerald color, makes a nod to andesite) and
a philosophy of life behind it
," he clarifies. Manuela, what is the most important thing for them.
«We are a family with deep-rooted values and our cowboy shows it. Behind Andesites there is a lot of truth, in addition to our lifestyle. "We love beauty, architecture, we are passionate about the sea...", says Ana before stating that
her jeans "are a wardrobe staple"
, something that also has a lot to do with her
green
philosophy : there is nothing more sustainable than a jean that lasts for years.
Between the three of them they have managed to make a perfect
match
for the brand to grow. "We complement each other, we make a good team," says Ana, who has been working as a fashion salesperson all her life, while José is studying Fashion Design, and Manuela, Advertising and Communication.
"Since I was little I have always loved drawing, everything that had to do with art, creativity," he details.
"The truth is that we didn't see each other at an office table
," adds Manuela from her operations center, very close to the Plaza de Ópera. Both, with the support of her mentor, are the ones who design each collection, which, through a consultant from La Coruña, takes shape in a factory in Tunisia.
They have 36 models for sale. At first they started making girls' jeans, then unisex... «We have
timeless, iconic
jeans , which are there all year round, and we also make summer and winter collections, where we introduce a color or fabric. Of that, a limited edition is launched,” details Manuela.
Basic and printed
denim jackets (with printed designs on the back) also hang on their
hangers
,
as well as some t-shirts and sweatshirts. Soon, they will include some corduroy pieces and also a denim shirt.
"A total denim look is going to be total
," says Ana.
At the beginning of 2023 they went on the market and for now they are not doing badly. Their turnover last year exceeded 250,000 euros and this year they intend to double it.
They have already positioned themselves in half of Europe
(Portugal, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Holland, United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark and Sweden), through
multi-brand stores
. And they are also already in a couple of stores in
New York
.
They feel proud of what they have achieved because they have worked for it. "We do everything," they say in unison. «
We have done our own campaigns
. The first, in our house, with me as a model. And the last one in Marrakech, taking the photos ourselves," says Manuela.
Giving value to every detail, doing a thousand and one tests until they found the perfect jean, they have been growing in Andesites, a brand, says Ana, for which
they were predestined
.
DNA
Your jeans are 98% sustainable
They sell 'online' and in multi-brand stores
They have already carried out their latest campaign in Marrakech with their own mobile phones