I think that’s sometimes an unfortunate aspect to product development in that the journey to fruition is often swept aside. But moving forward, what are some interesting projects in the works for 2010 spring? We’ve caught wind of something created with Tim Burton?
We have a couple capsule collections in the works that should turn some heads. The first is classified as our Pony Archive collection. Conceptually, this collection is all about “restoring” rare, old school styles from our past. This is exciting because we are carefully replicating these models down to the exact shape, stitch, and even including quirky inconsistencies seen on the original version. This is the first time to date that Pony will be re-releasing this level of authentic product and will be designed and manufactured to the exact spec’s of the original. We’ve searched high and low, far and wide, pulling from our old catalogs and archives in recreating these rare styles from yesteryear. The look and feel of these shoes will appear as if they have been sitting in its original shoebox since the early 80’s.
The second capsule collection is called P.O.N.Y (Product of New York) and takes on a more sophisticated, refined direction. Inspired by our rich heritage as an authentic, performance sport brand, the Product of New York collection reinvents timeless silhouettes from our extensive archive. The Brooklyn Bridge metaphorically represents this assortment “Bridging” Pony’s Brooklyn roots with the progressive, fashion forward nature of “The City.” This collection is crafted using only premium materials and constructed for supreme comfort resulting in the perfect balance of innovation and wearability. This clean, minimalistic-based footwear will retail from $80 – $110 representing our premium footwear assortment.
And yes, you heard right. We did collaborate with Focus Features on a project celebrating Tim Burton’s latest fantasy based movie 9. Both film and shoe have a coinciding release date of 9.9.09. The inspiration of the shoe was based on the design of one of the “stitchpunk” characters from the film made of burlap. Feedback for this limited edition novelty item has been nothing short of positive.
Seems like some great projects on the horizon including a team-up with Tim Burton and 9 as we all know the popularity traditionally achieved by his movie exploits. For the Product of New York and Pony Archive collections, how would you say they fit in the marketplace? When placing different capsules, ultimately how do you control the overlap, is too much overlap between collections something that needs to be controlled and carefully fine-tuned?
Both collections are super relevant in terms of conveying our brand position and connecting with consumer needs. They’re classified as “capsule” for spring 2010 because they’ll be limited in the beginning, offered only within specialty distribution channels. We’ll follow up this soft launch approach with more comprehensive collections in the fall.
The Pony Archive collection is vital because it represents our brand product backbone, influencing all peripheral projects moving forward. Pony Archive communicates our brand authenticity in the most honest, and direct way, giving us a reason for being. A complete departure from so many contrived, wannabe authentic brands out there. And ultimately, it’s what consumers want from us. Now, without our Archive collection in place Product of New York would be non-existent. Because the entire P.O.N.Y concept was derived from our archives both collections must coexist to complete the story. I believe this halo effect methodology will help us stay focused and prevent any potential conflicting initiatives as we move forward.
What kind of stores will we be able to find the capsule collections you’ve just described?
A lot of the interest for these collections has come internationally, primarily in Europe. With Europe often at the forefront of trends, this is a good sign. In terms of the US, better department stores and various boutiques within larger markets will carry first. We anticipate this assortment will transition into a wider distribution channel for fall 2010.
It seems each time we re-connect you guys are consistently advancing in leaps and bounds. It’s been fun to watch the whole progress go down. Thanks a lot for the opportunity Kyle, did you have any last words?
“Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.” – Arnold H. Glasow
Interview: Eugene Kan
Photography: Mr. Chan
Art Direction: Season Chan & Jason Chow
