NEW YORK — Josh and Tull Price are forging ahead with growth plans for Feit.
The Australian brothers recently opened their second store in New York’s Nolita neighborhood. They also operate a flagship in Sydney and an e-commerce platform.
“In the last year or two, we started to get a lot more interest from customers in New York,” said Tull Price, who was a co-founder of Royal Elastics.
“We always had an idea of where we’d like to be,” his brother added. “[Nolita]’s got some elements we like — it’s a bit gritty and earthy, but there are some nicer stores coming in as well.”
The store reflects the brand’s anti-fast-fashion philosophy. Feit focuses on an intensive manufacturing process using natural materials. Sneakers, which range from $460 to $800, are hand-stitched and finished with leather laces.
The store also projects a handcrafted vibe, with wooden fixtures and shelving as well as lighting that adapts to outdoor sunlight exposure.
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“What was most important was that it felt raw and minimal, in keeping with their brand philosophy, but also that it pushed the limits of what the material and fabrication could do, because that’s what they do with their shoes,” said Jordana Maisie, the artist who designed the space.
The store stocks men’s and women’s footwear. Feit will focus on its core collection of sneakers and leather boots in addition to new styles each season. “Our shoes are made the way you would make traditional men’s dress shoes, but the silhouettes and designs are slightly influenced by the streets,” Tull Price said.
A selection of small leather goods and ready-to-wear — a new venture for the brand — will also be featured.
In addition to its own stores, Feit is stocked on a limited basis by niche concept doors like Dover Street Market, LN-CC, Assembly and Biotop.
The limited retail distribution is a strategic move for the brand, which wanted to keep production on a smaller scale and target retailers with a similar approach. “We look for partners who share the same values, which are design and quality,” Josh Price said. “It’s also limited based on how much we can produce. We have to be quite selective about who we sell our product to, because we don’t have that much of it.”
Moving forward, the brothers plan to target the Japanese market, where they have already received consumer interest via e-commerce.
