My City
Barcelona
Welcome to Barcelona, the hometown of Tomás Ledesma, photographer, cyclist, and barista. When we launched our first collection, Urban Essentials, we received an enthusiastic message out of Barcelona from him. We asked him to tell us a bit about his home base, lifestyle, and of course, experience with Le Picot.
When talking to Tomás, you wouldn’t believe that he has only lived in Spain for a few years: There is not much left in his speech of the singsong of his original home town Buenos Aires. And it’s not just his Spanish accent that proves that he arrived. As if he had lived there his whole life, Tomás knows every corner of the city and the surroundings, the result of his bike excursions in and around Barcelona. The region fascinates him: «There are so many picturesque villages full of history, and impressive landscapes that just wait to be explored. On the bike, there is nothing between you and the places you visit, and you can enjoy your trip much better.»
Because as for many, the bike is Tomás’ preferred way to get around. Most of Barcelona is flat, so it’s comfortable to cycle. While some of Tomás’s friends are hard-core cyclists like him, he knows many people that just chose the bike as their preferred form of transportation for convenience. «Some parts of the city are a bit chaotical when on the bike, but Barcelona is very welcoming to cyclists. I don’t know many cities in which it is so pleasant to commute on a bike. And there are plenty of tracks for mountain or gravel bikes» Tomás says.
The three passions of Tomás
That’s one of the reasons why Le Picot appealed immediately to Tomás: «It called my attention. There is little fashionable, casual wear for people on the bike. A lot for sportive rides, but nothing for everyday life.» The aspect of sustainability in Le Picot’s clothes and operations is also essential for Tomás: «We are destroying this planet. I don’t know if we can save it, but at least I can contribute by choosing clothes like Le Picot that are made with a mentality I share.»
At least I can contribute by choosing clothes from brands like Le Picot.
Next to cycling, another big passion of Tomás, who studied publicity and marketing in Argentina, is photography. To live of his passion is difficult because there is a lot of competition: «You buy an iPhone, and already you are a photographer.» Nevertheless, Tomás takes his camera everywhere with him. If you check his social media accounts, you can delve into his world and enjoy his incredible shots, some of which we used to illustrate this portrait.
So, to add income, Tomás started working as a barista and developed a new passion, creating a perfect triangle of cycling, photography, and coffee. Even in the latter, as you will see in Tomás’ photography, he finds the aesthetics, which brought some cafeterias and coffee roasters to ask Tomás for a photo shooting. His triangle makes sense.
Addendum March 2022: After a ride this spring, the heart of Tomás Ledesma has stopped beating. A life full of ideals, energy and plans, has ended unexpectedly at a young age. We are very sad to have lost a friend. May this blog article be a worthy memory of him. Thank you, Tomás, for everything!
