Latest news with #LifestyleBrand
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Marcus Fairfax Fountaine Of Fairfax And Favor On His British Countryside-Inspired Label
Campaign imagery Established in 2013 by childhood friends Marcus Fairfax Fountaine and Felix Favor Parker, lifestyle brand Fairfax & Favor celebrates all things British. Drawing inspiration from the countryside, the label is loved for its handcrafted tall boots, accessories and outwear that combines practicality with field-to-town fashion. Having built a loyal customer base, the brand likes to keep busy with events in the U.K. and abroad, most recently at the Badminton Horse Trials and The Defender Kentucky, and this year slo announced Zara Tindall as an official ambassador. xx Marcus Fairfax Fountaine, co-founding director of Fairfax & Favor discusses the evolution of his brand, and what's next for British lifestyle label. Marcus Fairfax Fountaine: My business partner Felix and I have always been passionate about footwear. My mother would always tell us that girls judge boys on their shoes, so creating the highest quality and uniquely stylish products is something that has always resonated with us. We both come from a British rural background and found it frustrating that when you were out in the countryside, wellies really were the only practical option. There was just not any option for looking stylish and being practical at same time. So it just seemed obvious to us that there should be something that let you look the part, feel great but be practical for a rural way of life. This is where Fairfax & Favor was born. What started in 2013 with our iconic boot, the Regina, has since evolved into an award-winning luxury lifestyle brand of quality, timeless and versatile footwear, accessories and outerwear designed for modern rural living. Campaign imagery MFF: Fairfax & Favor is a luxury lifestyle brand. We are aspiring to create effortlessly stylish pieces that blend both heritage and modern rural style - timeless, elegant products with a contemporary take. We very much design the full silhouette for a rural lifestyle but with both town and country living in mind. The great thing about this is that at Fairfax & Favor we are, to a certain degree, designing for ourselves, we are our own customer. Where this might begin is thinking of concepts around problems that we could be trying to improve. So for example, our Explorer Boots were born out of conceptualising our super stylish suede Regina to make elegant yet practical and waterproof boots. We are a rural British brand so will often look to heritage, nature, our equestrian roots and the countryside as inspiration for our collections and colour palettes. After concept, the next stage is sketch and from there we will work with our factory partners to get the product development and any technology in place. In the case of the Explorer, we worked with Sympatex who manufacture the waterproof lining and produce first samples. We'll receive leather swatches with the boot and this process is repeated until we have achieved the final sample. Our products go through rigorous testing to include BLC testing for durability, compliance and safety. Our team will be on site at the factory in Portugal to sign off every individual product that comes off the line. The finishing and packaging of the product is as important to us as its development. As a B-Corp registered company, it's crucial that our materials and factories are all ethically sourced and compliant. The essence of the Fairfax & Favor brand is Rural Vogue, creating luxury heritage pieces but with a contemporary take. We take time to engage with our customers whether that is through research of our Facebook community to understand their needs and what they are looking for. We are a young company with a fresh and modern outlook and keen eyes on seasonal trends that we seamlessly entwine with our quality classics. Campaign imagery From our and a customer point of view, our most important pillars are quality, longevity and timeless style. We want people to invest in products that are not going to be in and out in one season, but are timeless in their design and luxurious in their quality. We work with the best factories in Portugal to handcraft artisan products that will stand the test of time – we want customers to wear our products for years to come. The second is delivering a unique experience for our customers. Whether that's an in-store experience in one of our nine U.K. stores where you're offered a glass of bubbles as you explore the range or a one-on-one private appointment where you can order products in advance and have the exclusive attention of one of our fabulous store team. At our show stands, we love to bring the brand to life. We have a saxophonist and a free bar when you try something on that all adds to the unique experience for the customer. The third would be our excellent customer service. We have a fantastic customer service team that we really invest in because we want our customers to feel reassured and special. It's very much what you'd expect but if you have a great experience, you'll tell those you know and you'll come again. We reflect this service ethos that across all parts of our business. There is such a broad range of customers for Fairfax & Favor as we are truly cross generational. We have a wide range of ages that shop with us and this has expanded from a quite young age base when we first started the brand and as the range and our offer has developed. We are predominantly a female led brand, although our men's share is growing. I'd say ultimately our customer is anyone with a passion for style and adventure. They don't buy into fast fashion, they buy better and so they seek something with longevity and comfort but without compromising on style. Campaign imagery My favorite piece is probably our Mini Windsor handbag. Zara Tindall has worn this many times. It's a really versatile crossbody bag, which is so popular because it is so versatile, beautiful and functional, it has just always been a staple. We're proud to have recently announced Zara Tindall as a brand ambassador. Zara has worn our products for many years and I believe she has a genuine appreciation for our values as a brand - quality, longevity and distinctive styles. We feel very honoured to be working with her. In the last six months we have opened another three stores in the U.K., which now takes us to nine. We know how important it is for customers to be able to see, feel and try on products and so we invest in offering them a multi-channel experience with physical stores and of course our easy to use website. We have just finished Badminton Horse Trials which is one of our biggest events of the year. We had a grand stand with a saxophonist, engaging team and a free bar when customers tried on any item as well as an exclusive lake side area where guests could immerse themselves in the action of the event. Oliver Townend of Great Britain aboard Cooley Rosalent on day four of the MARS Badminton Horse Trials 2025 at The Badminton Estate, Gloucestershire. Picture date: Saturday May 10, 2025. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images) In the U.S. we have just exhibited at Defender Kentucky which is a huge event in the Fairfax & Favor events calendar. We're now getting ready for the next big shows, The Game Fair, an event that was pivotal in our business growth, and The Defender Burghley Horse Trials where we will be paying homage to some of our most iconic pieces. We are expanding well in the U.S. and now have a store located at the Tryon International Equestrian Centre in North Carolina and a presence this year at 23 shows. Our U.S. share of global sales has grown from 3% to 10% in two years, testament to our dedication to nurturing our U.S. consumer and we are very excited to see where this growth takes us in the future.
The National
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Enduring Americana: Tommy Hilfiger on the secret to his company's 40 years as a leading lifestyle brand
Tommy Hilfiger has always been a master of a certain kind of American mythmaking. He was probably the first person to introduce the world to the aspirational Americana of glossy campuses, convertible Mustangs and endless East Coast summers. Since launching his eponymous brand in 1985, Hilfiger has turned varsity stripes, nautical preppy codes and a deft sense of the pop culture zeitgeist into a multi-billion-dollar lifestyle empire. Unlike many of his peers, he's never looked at fashion as a fortress of exclusivity – he has always made it feel like a block party. 'I think a laid-back element is what people want to show up in,' Hilfiger tells me during our chat in the newly refitted store at Mall of the Emirates. He's seated with the ease of someone who long ago stopped needing to prove himself. Even at 74, Hilfiger is still at it, as comfortable walking a store floor in Dubai as he is hosting front-row celebrities in New York. 'The reason I'm where I am today is because I surrounded myself with incredible people.' He says it like a mantra, going some way to explaining his longevity. Long before the term 'brand collaboration' had PR departments salivating, Hilfiger was making overtures to musicians. In the 1990s, when streetwear was still largely subcultural, he made the bold move of dressing hip-hop stars such as Snoop Dogg and Aaliyah in his oversized logos. It was a move that scandalised the country club set and electrified everyone else. The result? A brand that wasn't just seen, but worn, lived in, sung about. The clothes didn't just sell, they belonged to the culture. Hilfiger has built a career not only on good taste, but good timing. He knows when to amplify tradition and when to deconstruct it. 'I don't believe in fashion rules,' he says and perhaps that's the secret to staying relevant across decades – knowing which codes to keep, and which to tweak. 'There's a lot of exciting things going on in the culture,' Hilfiger says about what keeps him motivated. 'Fame, fashion, music, sport. There's never a dull moment. And that's all part of the DNA. And I'm still having fun.' He says the last bit with a knowing smile. He drops names like a man who's earned the right to: Zendaya, Lewis Hamilton, Shawn Mendes. But these aren't just a list of friends from dinner parties. These names that have recently collaborated with his brand are proof he still understands the zeitgeist 40 years on. 'There's always someone on the wishlist,' Hilfiger says of any potential future collaborations, 'but I can't reveal that". He's as much a tight-lipped business man as he is a creative. And there's no qualms about that. 'I started my business when I was still in school. I opened a shop for people who loved music and fashion,' he says of People's Place, the shop he opened in Elmira, a small town in New York State. With $150, he drove into New York City to buy 20 pairs of bell-bottom jeans to sell in the store. It was a place where he could sell 'the cool styles we couldn't find in our small town'. 'In those days, It was the late 60s. It was a time when rock was exploding. During the summer of Woodstock, the English groups were touring all over North America. People had never seen long hair and bell bottoms.' But that electric feeling wasn't enough. He didn't want to sell other people's clothes. He found a business partner and well, the rest is history. The word 'fame' comes up often in our conversation. Not as an aspiration, but as a kind of currency – something to be exchanged for relevance. He classifies it as a category that almost sits above music, cinema and sports. And when I ask what has changed most since he started, it is also linked to how that currency gets traded: 'Social media,' he says plainly. Does it influence his process? 'We're on our own journey,' he replies, like someone who's learnt that it is just one more thing to adapt to. 'I notice you're wearing olive green,' he says pointing to my workman's jacket. He tells me there's something in the collection I'd like. When we're done with the sit-down, he takes me around the store looking for the piece. He's moving through the racks like a salesman on the shop floor. Beyond the iconic collaborations and mega-deals, that's the true key to his longevity.
