It’s no secret that we are big fans of smart sneakers over at Gentleman’s Journal. A true hero item in any man’s wardrobe, these versatile shoes will help you dress for a heatwave in the office, and can take you effortlessly from the boardroom to the bar. And, if you’re looking to invest in a pair (or three), then we recommend you look no further than North-89
If you aren’t yet familiar with this chic Scandi brand, then read on, as we sit down with North-89’s founder and creative director, Gustaf Secher, to discover what inspired his original designs, and how he sees the brand evolving.
The idea behind the brand is that we bring functionality to sneakers, and we design for seasons. We released our first collection in September 2016 with the No.1 Model. For Autumn and Winter collections we use waterproof materials, then in Spring and Summer we use breathable alternatives. You don’t have to compromise style over functionality. Bringing more functionality to our designs fits in perfectly with how people are buying today — they are buying smarter instead of just over consuming.
We seek to bring the Scandinavian ideas of an active lifestyle to footwear. We want to continue establishing ourselves in the industry with our Scandinavian designs and unique approach to become one of the top lifestyle sneaker brands out there. In the future, we’ll look into producing other things — like clothing, accessories or bags — but that will need to happen naturally and when the time is right.
Gustaf Secher
Sustainability is very important to us, and we are looking for new materials to act as leather alternatives. Instead of relying on suede, we are looking into textile alternatives, and we are also looking at the best ways to improve our supply chain. We are working on this issue all the time.
We design for everyone, but our ideal customer is young and looking to live an active lifestyle — they’re not scared to wear sneakers to work, and they probably have a slightly sportier mindset. We want our sneakers to be worn everywhere from the office to the gym, to the bar after work!
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