Bespoke footwear guru Andrew McDonald recently ventured into the ready-to-wear category. Here, he tells Assia Benmedjdoub how he’s maintained his ‘tailor-made’ production line.
How long have you produced bespoke footwear and what are the average quantities?
I have been producing bespoke footwear made-to-order for 20 years now. On average we produce 325-350 pairs per year. With bespoke it is never the one style; as you can imagine the styles are as varied as the clientele. The brogues, however, have grown in popularity over the last year.
What is the process for producing bespoke shoes?
Bespoke shoes are all about the customer, therefore you start with the customer’s measurements. From there, you build the story of the shoes with the materials and move on to the shape type of upper design and then the detailing. It is a very personal process, and you have to be attentive to the customer when they are describing what they want. The process can take from two weeks to two months depending on the complexity of the design.
You’ve had some major film contracts – you designed the boots for Superman Returns (2006) for example – can you give us an idea of the process, quantities and timeline for this?
With film production the costume designer will generally have a clear idea of the design. From here it is a matter of problem solving all the elements of the style and following through to complete the vision. Quantities can vary from character and production from five to 15 pairs of the one style . Film timelines are always very tight and therefore require a cooperative effort.
When did you decide to venture into ready-to-wear (RTW) shoes and why?
In 2009, I produced my first RTW of men’s and women’s footwear. Consumers were the main reason I moved into RTW. There were numerous requests from customers who wanted to purchase then and there in store, however I didn’t have their sizes available to try on and take home. I have just released my second ready-to-wear range for spring/summer 2010/11 and am already running low on stock!
Where are your RTW pieces manufactured? How many pieces were part of the debut collection and what were some of the key styles?
All the shoes are manufactured by hand in my Paddington workshop. The first ready-to-wear range had a total of seven women’s styles and six men’s styles. The key styles are the Foldover shoes and boots and the Asymmetrical Derby shoes both available for men and women.
Will you be producing greater quantities for future collections?
Each season consumer demand drives me to increase the volume of shoes produced, as well as the number of styles. I believe in producing unique footwear, and although the ready-to-wear range is available for immediate purchase, extending the range of styles means that people are less likely to be caught wearing the same as everyone else.
How is the process different to bespoke?
With bespoke it is one pair at a time. With production you can be making up to 50 pairs of the one style at a time.
How do you maintain your sustainability ethos for this range?
Sustainability has never been an issue. My footwear is an all-leather, vegetable-tanned product. I do not use synthetic linings, insoles and stiffeners. All the shoes are stitched and nailed, avoiding solvent or petroleum-based glues. Our shoes are designed to last up to 10 years. So in essence we spared the customer and the environment the numerous shoes they would have purchased and had to dispose of into landfill.
In just under 10 years Urge Footwear has built a brand that exports to Europe, North America and South Africa, as well as servicing Australian retailers. Here, Urge sales director James Tesoriero reveals the brand’s production power to Erin O’Loughlin.
When did Urge start trading and what are some of your key styles/areas of demand?
Urge was founded in 2001 by current managing director Mark Mitchell. Early collections were inspired by Sydney street style, though the brand has gone on to draw inspiration from street cultures from New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo and more. Urge’s keynote designs are canvas shoes and leather sneakers for men, women and more recently, our range for “little dudes”. Canvas product has been our biggest success, I think because in the current economic climate it’s an affordable product. It’s disposable, affordable fashion.
Where do you source your materials and where are your shoes manufactured?
Canvas is sourced from material markets in China and our leather is sourced in India. Sheep, milled and cow leathers are our main ones. The shoes are made in China and India. We use four main factories, but we do have others depending on the shoe specifications.
How many people does Urge employ in production? Have you had to modify your supply chain to support your export effort?
There are about 10 in the Urge office but along the supply chain... wow, a lot! Very difficult to answer. When we were looking to export we briefed our factories about our plans so they could be prepared to build production.
They were happy to do it because it’s good for them as well as for us. When we started exporting we also introduced strict quality control teams in all our factories.
Who are some of Urge Footwear’s key stockists and how did you land these accounts?
Locally, David Jones, Glue Store, Universal, Parliament, Platypus Shoes, Transit, Wanted and Zomp are all key stockists. David Jones is the exclusive Australian stockist of our children’s range. I’m lucky because before Urge I worked for Converse so I already had an established relationship with many people in the industry. When I started with Urge, I was able to leverage those contacts. For the international accounts, we went to the Project trade fair in Vegas and it all flowed from there. International distributors got in touch with us at the fair and were interested in stocking us. It really helped open doors and now we’ve got stockists across Europe and soon we’ll be in South Africa and Canada. In Europe we’re not in any department stores yet, we’re more focused on boutiques. Our key stockist in Canada is Little Burgundy, Canada’s version of Hype DC, a really youth-focused store.
How have export markets been performing?
Europe is trading nicely. We’ve just finished our first season there [European summer 2010]. We’re launching in South Africa in July and product will be landing in Canada from August. The market in the United States is still quite up and down so we’re focusing on building the other markets at the moment. We’re very happy with the accounts we’ve got. We want to build brand equity slowly and have small quantities in the right doors. Hopefully we’ll have an e-store live by the end of the year.
What are some of the key changes you have seen in the footwear industry since Urge was founded nearly 10 years ago?
Prices, loyalty and brands are king. Building a brand is all about laying the correct foundations.