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Behind iconic design – The Regina Boot – Fairfax & Favor

Fairfax & FavorFairfax & Favor is now a must-see and must-wear brand on the equestrian, country (and increasingly city!) circuit, but it all started with one boot – the Regina to be precise. Here I have a chat with the company’s founders, Marcus and Felix, about how they created this iconic piece, when they realised that they’d hit on something pretty special, why tassels and more…

Fairfax & Favor started life as a country brand creating gunslips – how did you transition from this to the Regina and what design features make the Regina unique and different to what was available in the boot market when you launched?

Spanish boots have been around for decades. What we did was strip it down and make it the fitted boot it is today, with the added detail of interchangeable tassels.

Why tassels? As the first brand to embrace interchangeable tassels, you created a trend that other companies are starting to emulate, but what made you take matching tassels Reginaand decide to do something different?

We sold our men’s shoes, the Bedingfelds, with different coloured tassels and thought it would be a great if you could change them, it’s too fiddly on a shoe (for now) but it was perfect on a boot.

When did you start to believe that this boot was putting you firmly on the map? Was it the amount of sales, the kind of people wearing them, a comment someone made?

We believe the Regina is the perfect boot in town and country. It’s stylish and always gets attention, we are very lucky that our customers love them so much that they promote the boot for us.

Is the Regina we see today the same as the first model that you sold or has it evolved over time? 

The Regina has evolved to feature stretch at the back panel, padded insoles and new rubber grip.

Why did you call it the Regina? 

Regina is queen in Latin and we thought it was fitting for a regal boot

What elements of the Regina carry forward onto your other pieces? Things like the craftsmanship, design detail…

For all our products, we pride ourselves on the quality, time and craftsmanship that goes into any Fairfax & Favor product.

The Regina might be Fairfax & Favor’s flagship and first boot but it’s now been joined by the Explorer and new Amira for ladies, and these add to the collection of shoes, ankle boots, accessories and bags for ladies, and loafers and accessories for men. See the full range on their website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

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Packaging matters – with Fairfax & Favor

As Badminton Horse Trials starts this week, it seemed a good idea to share this blog all about Fairfax & Favor, a brand and stand that is on my hit list when I attend the event on Friday, and a website I find myself straying towards more regularly than I’d admit in public (oops).

As you may have noticed (if you follow my blog or my Facebook page, you will have noticed!), that I’m a teeny bit obsessed with packaging. Well, obsessed sounds bad. I have a keen interest in packaging. I think packaging as much as social media, blogs, press releases, the design of a website (I could go on and on) helps to tell your company’s story. Whether you’re a sole trader or a huge company, packaging matters. Just like your social media does. Just like your website does. But how often do you see amazing packaging? Yep, not all that often. So when I see something special, I have to share. I’ve written about a few great examples, but today I’m going to talk about Fairfax & Favor and their Regina packaging.

Haven’t we been here before?

Yes and no. Last time I created a video about Fairfax & Favor’s Windsor Bag. That was equally stunning, but this time we’re talking about boots. Now, the Regina is the boot style that Fairfax & Favor is best known for (although there’s now an Explorer and other boots too). Being quite tall, I went for the flat version, although I assume that the heeled ones have similar packaging. I can’t see why they wouldn’t.

What did Fairfax & Favor get right?

Quite a few things…

  • The care and attention given to the packaging gives you a feel for the quality of the product within.
  • The handwritten note. Something that I think all businesses should do. It makes you feel special and like the company cares about your business.
  • The show dates/invite. It promotes the events that the company is at this season, but framed as an invite which, again, makes you feel special.
  • The fabric wrap/liner. I’m not sure the correct name. The boots were/are wrapped in a piece of material to help protect them. And it’s Fairfax & Favor branded. Obviously.

Anyway, I’ve created a video about the packaging too – enjoy!

I’d love to hear you thoughts. Have you experienced packaging that has blown you away? Do you think it matters? Let me know!

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