“We have more talent than we think”: Rosa Tous and Roberto Verino champion Spanish fashion

As if they were two travelers meeting on the same flight, in adjacent seats, Rosa Tous Oriol and Roberto Verino settle into their chairs, ready to have one of those endless conversations between two possible kindred spirits. In this case, belonging to the universe of Spanish fashion. After an initial exchange of impressions – the Galician designer asks about the jeweler’s parents, the popular Rosa Oriol and Salvador Tous, now retired – the conversation unfolds with a connection and affection that only two people with the same approach to their profession can share: with passion, enthusiasm, and respect for the client.

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We are looking at two key names in the world of fashion and jewelry in our country in recent decades. On one hand, Rosa Tous Oriol (Manresa, 1966), gemologist, third generation at Tous and current corporate vice president of the centenary firm whose origin dates back to 1920 in Manresa. On the other hand, Manuel Roberto Mariño Fernández, better known as Roberto Verino (Verín, 1945), and founder in 1982 of the eponymous firm where generational succession is also a reality, through his grandson Iago Jover, who joined in 2024 as Innovation Director.

The conversation between both creators, references in the democratization of designer fashion, emotional luxury, and craftsmanship, follows converging paths to the same destination. And that is none other than the absolute defense of Spanish fashion talent and, also, the importance of what they define as the theory of the 3 Ts: work, work, and work. 

Furthermore, the Galician designer calls for more pride from Spanish brands. “Given the snobbery that has always existed, thinking that what came from outside was better, it’s time to believe in our work. We have the same capacity or more to prove it. We are a country that has gone from being insignificant to having some of the most important companies and distribution in the world. When are we going to believe it?” he reflects. And he insists that “we have a lot of talent. But they love us more outside than inside. We need to feel more pride, and not just when we win at football, which sometimes seems to be the only important thing,” he says with a touch of irony. 

Rosa Tous agrees with optimism. “We are at a moment where we have a lot of talent and very good training. Fashion in Spain is in crescendo with new brands, surprising projects…”, she assures, and highlights transparency as one of the current keys of the sector they share. “Opening our heart, our home, and letting people in to see the inner workings of what we do and how we do it so that others can appreciate our work. We are not aware of it, but people are very surprised to see those inner workings. Because behind every garment or jewel there are hands, a craft, talent, innovation, and a lot of work and passion,” explains the Catalan gemologist. 

Verino agrees, and adds another aspect: enthusiasm. He assures that nothing is achieved without focus, project, ideal, or values. “An enthusiasm that makes you overcome all the adversities that we have never stopped. Not only because of what this country has meant, where we have come a long way. Also because we have magnificent capabilities,” he encourages. 

The Galician also talks about coherence and, of course, sustainability, a concept he already introduced into the DNA of his firm more than four decades ago. “The best sustainability is to rationally buy what is of good quality and lasts over time.” Rosa, completely in agreement, explains this concept, that of sustainability, from the perspective of Tous jewelry: “Before, they were only for celebrating special moments, and they still have that sentimental character. But my mother transformed jewelry into a mode of self-expression so that it could be worn from day to night. Into accessories that last over time, accompany and help the wearer feel good.”

“For us,” Rosa Tous continues, referring to her sisters Alba, Laura, and Marta, “the best is always yet to come. My parents have been very demanding all their lives. Even today, my father still says ‘girls, you have to improve’,” she assures with a laugh. “Well, for a father, his children will always be children,” interjects the Galician creator, also amused. And he resumes the conversation with a wish: “Let’s continue in that search for excellence.” And satisfaction?

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Does it exist in a world as demanding as fashion? “It horrifies me when they ask if I am satisfied,” says the creator. “Never! That word does not exist in my dictionary. I will be happy, but never satisfied. The day you say you are satisfied, what is left for you to do?” “I also believe in ambition, a word sometimes misinterpreted, but which is very good, it helps to pursue your dreams,” comments Tous. “Exactly,” Verino agrees. “It is that ambition that tries to make others happy and make the world a better place.”

Within the global vocation, in the personal and professional sphere of our characters, there is a very special setting: Aena airports (and many others around the world). Places that have at times become almost a second home, and which for Roberto Verino are magical. “And a clear reflection of prevailing modernity and globality,” adds Rosa Tous. 

For the Galician creator, the waiting times between trips have their advantages. “Many different people pass by, it helps me to get inspired. In a short space of time, you can see many cultures, many ways of understanding life and, above all, many ways of dressing.” Rosa Tous believes that these scenarios have also transformed “into very pleasant small spaces, where you feel good. They have also managed to become places of distraction, with all the services offered, such as shops, restaurants… They are perfect spaces. I buy a lot at airports,” the gemologist admits. 

“I also love to shop! And visiting stores, in the end, is also a form of work,” the creator agrees. Both firms, Tous and Roberto Verino, also have airport stores. These establishments enjoy a very special type of clientele that the Catalan gemologist differentiates into two clear categories. On one hand, there is “the one who takes advantage of that time to enter and discover new products, observe and buy something if it catches their eye. It has an emotional character, of living the experience.” And there is also a “more executive” client, who enters out of necessity, because they have to bring a gift or buy something for their travel destination. 

The veteran creator adds new reflections on the fact that so many different people coincide in such a specific place. “It generates a lot of sympathy for me, everything that so many people becoming, at a very specific moment, unexpected travel companions can mean.” And Rosa Tous, for whom spending hours at airports also consists of “moments of reflection and observation,” recognizes another way to entertain herself: “I pay a lot of attention to the jewelry people wear,” she assures. “And I to how they dress!” laughs the Galician designer. 

Tous also confesses that she loves “watching people and thinking that everyone has their own life, what they are going to do, where they are going to go.” Verino, in another demonstration that they are perfect travel companions, seconds this idea of fantasizing about so many other lives in transit. And he concludes: “You almost become a screenwriter.”

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