Everything
The team at MR PORTER have a goal – to not only ensure that the men of the world are dressing well, dressing smarter but also dressing for a life lived to the fullest.
This latter is of particular importance as the luxury online mecca for all things menswear and men’s lifestyle has recently partnered with Nordic brand Arket to create a capsule of rugged, yet irrepressibly cheerful garments inspired by nature and designed to be worn while enjoying its bounties.
Going live this month, the collection is an invitation to make the most of the outdoors, all year round and to do so with those who matter most: family, with a selection of childrenswear also available. Consisting of elevated, everyday pieces such as rugby shirts, quilted jackets and cool weather essentials: beanies, robust socks and caps.
With the collection live now across MR PORTER, ICON spoke to Daniel Todd, Buying Director at MR PORTER, and Karl-Johan Bogefors, Brand & Communications Director Arket, about the collaboration and what made MR PORTER want to spend more time in the great outdoors.
ICON: The collaboration feels quite specific in its goals – what was the reason behind MR PORTER going down this route with Arket?
DANIEL TODD: Both MR PORTER and Arket share a unique vision in design and we wanted to celebrate this with the notion of togetherness. We decided from initial conversations that the collection would hinge on the idea of family – so it felt natural to create something that spoke to a wide age range. When we worked through the collection we didn’t necessarily design things for adults or children. Instead, we started with shapes that could be scaled up or down. We also wanted to work with Planet Good Earth to celebrate community; we were inspired by their message of inspiring the next generation – so the inclusion of childrenswear was crucial.
KARL-JOHAN BOGEFORS: When we started working together, we realised that there are a lot of synergies between our brands and creative expressions. Having worked together during the full process, from design to creative campaign, the collection is a new take on the classic Arket everyday uniform with modern and colourful designs, drawing inspiration from the joy of colour and spending time in nature. The collection is unisex and ageless in its approach, meant to be used and loved for a long time and worn by the whole family.
How did you decide with Arket what kinds of clothing would be created for the capsule? Why a rugby shirt, for example.
DT: The design process was very organic, looking to existing Arket silhouettes and popular MR PORTER categories – updating them through the use of colour and fabrication. We’ve worked hard to create a collection that is very easy and wearable, taking classic shapes but designing them in brighter colours.
The result is a collection that is designed to have fun and explore in and most importantly to enjoy whilst spending time with those closest to you. That mix of classic menswear updated with the use of colour is really what this collection is all about.
In the press release you mention the use of Limonta – where there any specific fabrics that you sought out for the capsule? And why?
DT: I’m a big fan of technical fabrics and the Rueben windbreaker in the Limonta fabric is a really special piece, to be worn with the matching bucket hat of course. It’s exciting to be able to share this with family too. For my kids it’s all about clothes they can just run around and have fun in so styles like the Ludwig fleeces and the Ken jacket will be perfect.
We’re familiar with outerwear, athleisure as concepts of clothing – would this capsule be described as outedoorwear?
DT: This collection is very much created for enjoying life in the outdoors and sharing it with loved ones. Our partnership with Planet Good Earth aims to promotes their core values of enjoying and nurturing the environment so it can be enjoyed by generations to come.
