A few weeks back my BNTL brother Nick Lewis did a little post on Bob Sheard from Fresh Britain highlighting his work with some of the best UK and global fashion brands. The last primarily focused on Bob’s work on Nike’s ACG line, you can read that here. On this occasion Bob sits down to highlight the importance of brand immersion, using the performance running brand UVU as a case study. It’s really interesting and inspiring to read and see the lengths Fresh Britain go through just ensure they immerse themselves with a brand and it’s consumer.
Below is a short exert from Bob’s UVU piece.

“Working with UVU we ran the North Pole marathon. Our team ran across the jungle, we pounded the desert and this then culminated in running the North Pole marathon. You don’t just turn up with your trainers for something like that. It was hard but it was all a vital part of the immersion process. It meant training for six months, running in mud, running in sand, fog and snow. It meant getting up at 2am because that is when it is coldest and running at 50km runs with sleep deprivation prepared us for the North Pole marathon. Only then could we truly get into the mind and soul of the UVU consumer.”

You can read the rest of the piece here.

Bob Sheard has been working in and making undeniable marks on both the UK and global fashion industries for a minute, he’s got a wealth of knowledge and Fresh Britain continue to do some excellent work.  For anyone into fashion, advertising, branding and the like his recent lecture series is well worth checking out.  Bob has worked behind the scenes on a lot of brands you wear and admire from Nike and Levis to Arc’Teryx and New Balance and exciting new projects such as UVU.

The below exert of his work on Nike’s ACG line is particularly good.

If you’re into this “culture” of ours, you owe a great deal to Fraser Cooke. An original London legend, KTC Factory catch up with Fraser to discuss his past and what he’s currently working on.  KTC are the organisation behind brands like UVU, Arc’teryx and Rapha, they know what they’re doing when it comes to producing garments of the highest merit.  As well as this, they’ve got a nice little magazine style site and have been producing interviews with the original “influencers” and movers and shakers who have helped define what we’re into as street and casual wear enthusiasts.

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“Having recently relocated to Los Angeles from his home in Tokyo, Fraser Cooke is about to embark on a new chapter. With this crossroads in mind, it seemed an opportune time to catch up with him and reflect on his past, present and future. Glenn Kitson and Antony Crook headed to California and spent a couple of hours in discussion at the Sunset Towers Hotel. They started where all the most interesting stories start, right at the beginning.”

 Read the full interview by Glenn Kitson and check out the rest of the portraits shot by Antony Crook HERE

Back in November I was introduced to a brand named UVU. Having just a few samples to show me and some fabric swatches it was a conceptual idea starting to become something quite interesting. Fast forward a few months and a launch for the brand was set to take place at the Royal Geographical Society in South Ken.