Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/925208
TRENDSETTER | FILSON textileinsight.com Aude Tabet and Jeremy Bennett Modernize Hook and Bullet Design. By Suzanne Blecher s the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation reports that fly-fishing is growing, brands like Orvis, Costa and Yeti have devel- oped initiatives to help foster females in the out- door activity. "Women like the independence of being out there on the water. It builds confidence," said Amy Terai, outdoor enthusiast and public relations manager for Filson. Like the other brands, Filson execs see room for expan- sion. "There's all of this interest in where your food comes from, and they want to be a part of the process and more involved," said Terai. Since 1897, Filson has been a part of the lives of fisherman, hunters, loggers and anyone hoping to conquer rugged outdoor conditions (it originally outfitted Klondike Gold Rush stampeders). Keeping heritage in the forefront, albeit with a modern tilt, Filson director of design, Aude Tabet, and Jeremy Bennett, manager of product development, are working to nurture –and widen – its consumer base in both field and stream and urban environments. "There is definitely pent up demand for our core product," according to Tabet. Textile Insight talks to Aude and Jeremy about the Seattle-based brand. Which part of the business do you work on? Aude: "I oversee design for apparel and accessories. Jeremy oversees product development for accessories. He's focused on leather bags and wallets. We work on product development together." Have you worked on specific pieces together? Aude: "We started working together three years ago when Jeremy moved to Seattle. Prior to that, we had worked on a project called Rogues Gallery (purveyor of shirts and outerwear) in Maine. Then Jeremy moved here to head up leather goods for accessories for Filson." Jeremy: "The two most exciting things we've worked on here are the weatherproof leather and rugged suede. For bags, materials need to perform and be waterproof, plus have high durability. We naturally started looking at footwear because there is a high demand for water repellency there. We worked closely with Wickett-Craig. For the suede, we went to Horween Leather and partnered with them on development. It's top grain leather, just sueded. It has a lot of durability and rigidity throughout the cell structure." Filson's Jeremy Bennett and Aude Tabet Hooked On Heritage