Last November, on the eve of the UK’s second national lockdown, industry veterans Dan May, Adam Shapiro, and Gautam Rajani launched SMR Days; a menswear brand built for laid-back days in the sun, home or away. It was bittersweet. The brand’s easy-going men’s pieces – think relaxed suiting, lightweight tunics and loose-fitting trousers – made for the perfect lockdown wardrobe. Yet SMR Days was created with sunshine in mind, and with traveling restricted across the globe, the brand’s beginnings were tied to dreary England.
Though, with the glorious June 21 only four weeks away (!!!), it looks like we could potentially be finally wearing our summery garb out into a free world. Lucky for us, then, that the second SMR Days collection has arrived – just in time! Built on ease and escapism, the collection features everything from workwear jackets to silk trousers, created in ocean blue, pale pink and pistachio green; made to be mixed and matched and worn everyday.
Like the brand’s debut collection, traditional Indian craft is utilised throughout, with SMR Days working with artisanal communities to bring centuries-old techniques to the clothes. One of which is Ajrak, a printing method that makes distinct zig-zag patterns – seen across silk shirts and matching shorts. The trio also worked with bamboo flax, a sustainable fabric made from bamboo and production offcuts, alongside hand-woven sustainable jute, used by Maison Bengal – an initiative founded to support craftspeople in Bangladesh – to create summer-ready bags.
Each piece from the collection has been named after a beach personal to each of the brand’s founders, and to celebrate the launch, SMR Days is heading on a little road trip. Across the brand’s social channels, get to know the people and places that have inspired May, Shapiro and Rajani on their journey leading up to SMR Days. And that’s not all. Over the next few months, the brand will also host physical pop-ups in London, Provincetown, Mykonos, The Hamptons and Ibiza. You better grab your SPF, it’s going to be one hell of a summer.
Photogaphy by Arnaud Pyvka. You can shop the collection online and at select retailers worldwide, including Mr Porter and Matches Fashion.
