“It does rain in Brazil,” says Mr Daniel Gorin, 39, on the phone from his office at the Hotel Arpoador in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. “It’s the rainy season right now, in fact,” he says while the MR PORTER team shivers in the cold in London. It’s January 2020 and the world is on the precipice of a pandemic, but neither of us knows that yet. He sets the scene further. “From here, I can see the sea, which is a green colour today, and the tip of the Two Brothers mountain, which is funny because I am with my brother right now.”

We’re talking to Mr Gorin because he is the perfect man to model the first collection from SMR Days, a brand co-founded by MR PORTER’s own Contributing Fashion Editor, Mr Dan May. The two men met when Mr May was staying at the Arpoador for a photo shoot. Mr Gorin has an easy-breezy sense of style, which involves loosely cut shirts, shorts and jackets in flowing linens and cottons. But it’s his sense of adventure, his background in the arts and his love of travel that make him a SMR Days man.

In an earlier life, Mr Gorin, a Brazilian native, served as an assistant to the photographer Mr Mario Testino, which meant living in London and travelling the world for six years. “I looked after his art collection and all his art-related projects,” says Mr Gorin. The job, which also involved staying in the best five-star hotels around the world, also helped develop his own hospitality ideas.

“In Brazil, all the luxury hotels are run along European lines,” he says. “For instance, the bell boys wear hats and the receptionists are dressed in suits.” The Arpoador, by contrast, was inspired by a slightly less buttoned-up lifestyle. “We wanted to create an experience that reflects the more laid-back style of Rio in terms of service and design.”

This is something Messrs Gorin and May have in common. SMR Days – an acronym drawn from the last names of the three founders, Mr Adam Shapiro, Mr May and Mr Gautam Rajani, which is pronounced “summer” (purposeful, of course) – was originally conceived as a relaxed resort collection. The founders of SMR Days are all lifelong travellers who know the value of packable lightweight trousers and a silk shirt that looks and feels cool on the beach.

Originally set to launch at the beginning of 2020, which is when we photographed Mr Gorin in Rio, the brand was poised to be a standout in the category. “We didn’t feel like there was a real men’s resort brand,” says Mr May. Yes, there are swim brands and beachy brands. But a collection that includes practically every piece you’d throw into a holiday suitcase? Not yet.

Fast forward to October. We’re not travelling like we used to and adventure, for the most part, is on hold. Mr Gorin’s hotel and Mr May’s brand have had to make some necessary shifts, just like the rest of us. Starting in March, the Arpoador began a six-month “hibernation”, as Mr Gorin puts it. He and his brother, with whom he runs the hotel, retreated to a family country home where they set up a website, City & Sea Shop, which offered advance rates, experiences and curated gifts from the hotel design team, the proceeds of which supported the employees of their hotel group. 

And while SMR Days had to hit pause on its launch, particularly while Mr May recovered from a nasty case of Covid-19, it’s more than ready to hit the ground running. It turns out the collection, designed for stylish explorers, works just as well as luxurious, hang-out-at-home staples.

When we get back to travelling, SMR Days will be the perfect packable brand. But until then, the collection includes loungewear, closet staples (T-shirts and trousers) and even soft suiting, fit for the modern, of-the-moment man.

The fabrics and printing techniques were inspired by trips to India. “Block printing, jacquard… The fabric out there is so beautiful,” says Mr May. Shirts, shorts and chore coats with simple, relaxed lines are immediately upgraded with ancient techniques for a final effect that looks and feels light and just thrown on.

“We are located on a peninsula between two iconic locations: Copacabana and Ipanema,” says Mr Gorin, while strolling around in the brand’s cool blues. “Our hotel is the only one situated on a beach between these two neighbourhoods. I get around the city by bike, mainly around three locations – the Arpoador, our family’s other hotel and the office – which are located 6km apart. We give all of our guests a bicycle to explore the city.”

“I love the silks,” says Mr May of his favourite pieces in the collection. “The block-print black and white silk comes in drawstring trousers perfect for hanging out at home or hitting the beach and comes with a matching camp-collar long-sleeved shirt.”

It’s an elegant look for an al fresco meal and, when you can get to Rio, Mr Gorin has a suggestion for where to wear it. “The terrace to the beach was closed during the 1970s and 1980s and it was our idea to restore it,” he says. “I’m totally biased, but I think this is one of the most beautiful spots to come to in Rio, grab a drink and just enjoy people passing by.”

Nothing is more relaxed than an oversized shirt that hides all manner of holiday (or lockdown) diet indiscretions – you know, an extra caipirinha or 20.

“Rio is a very democratic city,” says Mr Gorin. “It doesn’t matter where you come from or how far your studies went, if you are Carioca from Rio, you will go to the beach. That’s how you connect with different people.” The Arpoador reopened its doors a month ago and already, Mr Gorin reports, is attracting the same number of guests as it did pre-pandemic, which just goes to prove the resilience of the travel industry – and of elegant, stylish hotels.