Footwear
that looks good, and is functional – that, put simply, is the best way for us
to describe the offering of shoes from Fronteer.
Just how do you manage to do that though? Well, we thought we’d get answers
straight from the man himself, and pestered Jon Tang, founder and creative director of the brand to give us
some insight.
Could
you explain a bit about Fronteer? And how you started the brand?
Fronteer
is a lifestyle outdoor brand. It bridges the gap between performance outdoors
and the everyday lifestyle. It's meant to really be the grey area between and
tells a narrative of outdoor culture for the everyday. I started the brand in
2015 out of just my own shear passion to make something that spoke to things I
loved like space, nature, inspiration and the idea of the journey.
What
is the process like in designing and then manufacturing a pair of Fronteer
Shoes? The Aqua Solo, for example, how long did it take to go from initial idea
to finished product?
My timeline is around 5-6 months from sketch to
consumer hands. A lot of process goes into really figuring what kind of product
each is going to be. It's so important to really give a reason for everything
that exists for each product. Everything really has to connect as whole to the
inspiration from what it is and how that still is a part of the FRONTEER DNA.
What
are the inspirations behind the footwear you make?
I am inspired by the outdoor culture. I like to really
dive into stories and fun facts about the outdoors that I can manifest into
something tangible. It’s great when I can really find something that fits a
great story but also gives you something you didn't know or expect.
Each
pair of Fronteer shoes are limited in quantity - is this an intentional
decision? Or just something that happened naturally?
The decision to make less really comes
from the idea that I just didn't want to overproduce something. We make a lot
of things in this world and I want to be smart about what I'm putting into this
world.
You've already worked on a collab with
Manastash, do you reckon you'll be working on more collaborations? How did the
Manastash collab come about?
I
love all the collaborations I get to do. I have a great relationship with that
team. Collaborations are great because it
gives you a moment to stretch your brand in a different kind of way that
connects with the other brand. It offers a new kind of perspective for both
brands. If it's the right kind of collaboration, I'm always willing to figure
something out. The Manastash collab happened cause they were sitting across
from me at a tradeshow. I'd see them everything. We both found we had a similar
thought process on our own take on the outdoors. A connection happened almost
instantly.
What plans do Fronteer have for the
future?
Just to grow.
And grow organically. I hope people can adopt FRONTEER naturally for their own
everyday and stay with us on this journey of telling these outdoor cultured
stories.
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