Photo Mateus Augusto Rubim - @mateusamlr
Since its inception in 2018, Midas Touch has stood out as a brand that transcends the boundaries of fashion, transforming into a creative platform that celebrates originality, human connection, and the passion for storytelling. Founded by Rodrigo Tinoco and Guido Ferreira, the Rio-based brand began its journey humbly, with a small collection of t-shirts designed in a living room. Today, it has become a prominent name in Brazilian streetwear, fostering a loyal and passionate community.
The world of Midas Touch has been shaped by the founders' love for cinema, literature, and pop culture. "We’ve always felt a strong urge to create something that reflects our values and passions. Each collection mirrors the moments I’m living, the passions, vices, and obsessions," explains Rodrigo Tinoco. This personal and authentic approach has helped the brand build a unique identity and forge a deep connection with its audience.
Photo Mateus Augusto Rubim - @mateusamlr
In the beginning, the influence of international brands like Palace and Supreme was evident. However, Midas Touch quickly found its own voice, incorporating elements of cinema and literature into its collections, such as the 2021 release inspired by the film Dead Poets Society. Over time, these references became more subtle, weaving through the photography, campaign videos, and the overall feeling of the pieces.
"We’re not part of the fashion world, and we don’t aspire to be. We just like to dress well and tell our stories through clothing,” says Rodrigo. The brand’s slogan, “Writing Our Verse,” encapsulates this philosophy. Inspired by a Walt Whitman poem and the iconic scene from Dead Poets Society, the motto reflects the idea that every day is an opportunity to write our legacy, whether through grand achievements or small, everyday actions.
Classic screen printing and polychrome are fundamental pillars of Midas Touch’s visual identity. For Rodrigo, the artisanal nature of screen printing and the imperfect beauty of the prints give the pieces a unique charm. “It’s something that simply captivates us. We love the results and the natural wear over time, which adds even more personality to the clothes,” he explains.
Photo Mateus Augusto Rubim - @mateusamlr
From the very beginning, building a community has been essential to the brand. “Without the community and co-creation, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” emphasizes Rodrigo. This direct connection with the audience is reflected in every project the brand undertakes, including Midas Room, a party label that merges fashion and electronic music. “Midas Room is a celebration of our essence. It’s joyful, authentic, and surrounded by people who share our love for music and life,” he explains.
Photo Daniel Righetti - @daniel.righetti
In 2025, Midas Touch will open its first physical store in Rio de Janeiro, located in the Flamengo neighborhood. Rodrigo describes the space as a reflection of everything the brand represents: “We’ll have the most beautiful view in Brazilian streetwear and an environment that blends transparency, creativity, and connection with our community.”
With plans to bring Midas Room to São Paulo and further expand its legacy, the brand proves its story is only just beginning.
Interview with Rodrigo Tinoco, one of the brand’s founders:
1. How have cinema and literature shaped Midas Touch’s identity, and how do these elements remain present in the brand’s collections?
Reading and writing have always been passions of mine, greatly influenced by my father. One thing leads to another, and going to the movies has become a pleasure we maintain as part of our daily routine, as well as discussing our favorite films.
At the brand's inception, the influence of these art forms was very direct, featuring quotes from films and series or even using them as the theme for an entire collection. For instance, in 2021, we released an entire drop dedicated to Dead Poets Society, a film I believe I’ve watched more than ten times during my teenage years.
Today, these references have become more subtle and less direct, influencing the photography of our collections or the emotions we aim to convey. While developing the main video for our latest campaign, for example, we discussed the tension between characters in the film Challengers and how it could inspire the acting of the models in that release. Through these small interventions, we bring some of our current interests to the table in a less tangible and obvious way, enhancing the final product. It’s a very natural and enjoyable process because we genuinely love this type of content.
Rodrigo Tinoco - Photo Mateus Augusto Rubim - @mateusamlr
2. You mentioned that Midas Touch started with a focus on skatewear but evolved into something more unique. How did this process of finding the brand’s essence and standing out in the market unfold?
When we started, our references were the brands we grew up consuming during our childhood and teenage years, as well as international streetwear icons. Quiksilver, Spitfire, DC, Diamond, Grizzly, Volcom, Supreme, and Palace were some of the brands that shaped our daily lives while growing up in Rio de Janeiro. Naturally, these brands came before the streetwear boom we experienced in Brazil and globally between 2017–2019. These brands were closely tied to the skate and surf worlds, reflecting that lifestyle in their pieces and setting trends in the market. However, this didn’t align with what we truly wanted to create and consume.
Right from the first capsule, we realized we enjoyed embedding ideas or teachings into every piece, whether through direct references to artistic movements that fascinated us—like the European Renaissance—or through phrases and sayings connected to Greek mythology or foreign cinema.
This type of narrative gradually became more common in the Brazilian market, losing some of its novelty. At the same time, commercial performance constraints began to limit certain creations that would have previously been approved, something expected as the brand grew.
We truly found our footing in our exchanges with the community, which is an incredibly strong pillar for the brand. Since 2018, engaging directly with our audience has been crucial in understanding the message we wanted to convey. It’s safe to say that without community and co-creation, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
Photo Mateus Augusto Rubim - @mateusamlr
3. The slogan “writing our verse” conveys a deeply personal and creative message. How does it reflect Midas Touch’s philosophy and the impact you aim to have on your audience?
This slogan came from a rather introspective phase I went through in 2021—a time when I was experimenting with many aspects of my life and trying to make sense of everything, philosophically speaking.
For reasons I don’t quite remember, I decided to revisit the previously mentioned Dead Poets Society once again. In my favorite scene of the film, the professor introduces his students to a poem by Walt Whitman that delves into the meaning of being here, of living. That was the spark I needed to tie together the brand’s values and overarching concept.
The use of "writing" in the present continuous tense is intentional, as is always ending the phrase with a comma, preserving the sense of continuity. Writing our verse in the world is something we do every day—not just through our big achievements. It’s about how you treat those you love and even those you hate, how you deal with frustrations and success. Every day, we add a little more to this book, and in the end, the feelings you inspired in those you interacted with are what remain.
Photo Mateus Augusto Rubim - @mateusamlr
4. Classic screen printing and polychromy are key elements of your collections. Why are these components so important to the brand’s visual identity?
This answer is quite straightforward: we simply love the results. Digital printing alternatives have always bothered me from an aesthetic point of view. Beyond that, there’s an almost artisanal aspect to traditional screen printing that I find incredibly appealing.
Often, it’s more costly to stick to this principle when it comes to how the pieces are printed. The feel of the silk screen on a T-shirt, the natural wear over time, and the often imperfect definition of the prints—all of these combined create a deeply fulfilling outcome. In short, we’re just really into all of it.
Photo Mateus Augusto Rubim - @mateusamlr
5. With the opening of the first physical store in Rio de Janeiro, what can customers expect from this new space?
This is a topic I can't talk much about just yet. I promised everyone it would be our little secret until we get closer to the opening. However, I can share that we will have the most beautiful view of national streetwear in our store, right in our backyard, and it's been an indescribable pleasure working in this environment. In this regard, I can reveal that it will be a space we’ll share with an office, and we’ll naturally have a dedicated and exclusive area for customer service, with plenty of space for the products. It's something I've always enjoyed, this transparency in every aspect, allowing the community to get to know the people behind this project.
Our expectation is to open the store before the end of the first quarter, and I can already tell you there will be multiple celebrations there. Expect a lot of house music and funk on the twelfth floor.
Photo Caio Backer - @___backer
6. Midas Room is a creative extension of the brand into the world of electronic music. How do you see the connection between fashion and music, and how do these parties complement the legacy of Midas Touch?
Midas Room is such a cool project, it brings all of our essence into a party. Everything is so joyful, surrounded by people who share the same vibe. Guido and I have shared this passion for music since we were very young, and we’ve always celebrated our birthdays this way—playing music we love, for people we care about.
The project allowed us to turn this into a way to expand the brand's presence beyond the digital realm and consumption. It’s not about ticket sales or increasing the company's profits; it’s a huge celebration of our recent achievements. And on top of that, we provide the public with a slightly different night, especially for those tired of the same old events in Rio de Janeiro. We plan to bring the project to São Paulo later this year, but that’s a bit further down the line.
With increased investment in the project, we’ve connected with several exciting names in electronic music, and today we’re proud to support some Brazilian artists who explore various genres like house, tech house, and funk. These artists are now always rocking the brand, both literally and figuratively. Also, since 2022, we’ve been making indirect entries into the events market—we’ve been to the main clubs in Rio’s South Zone and supported some university parties. This is reflected on the dance floors; we see more and more people wearing the brand. On event days, it all comes together—lots of happy people, all wearing Midas. It’s incredibly gratifying.
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