[INTERVIEW] ARCTIC ARMY ON LAUNCHING LUXURY CASUALWEAR

With a reputation for delivering the most desirable outerwear, Arctic Army have dressed some of our favourite musicians in the UK and US. Following the launch of their Luxury Casualwear, VIPER talks to co-founder, Ed Jefferson, about future plans and who they dream to see wearing the brand …

You’ve just launched Luxury Casualwear, tell us about the collection?

Luxury Casualwear was a natural category for us to develop with the collection taking over two years to fully realise. Paul Waite (co-founder) and I wanted to make sure that the quality of the product was true to the brand aesthetic, the fabric was super heavyweight and when the pieces were washed, that they only got better with age. The collection is made up of quality heritage pieces that you can wear continuously and will last over a long period of time. We want to make staple pieces that are built to last.

How important is it for you to have a luxury element to the brand?

It’s extremely important to the brand. Both Paul and I are luxury fans, always have been. I’ve been into luxury since a very young age, at 12 years old I saved up for a Louis Vuitton pencil case whilst most kids my age were into Beanie Babies. This is really what Arctic Army is all about, the excess, the biggest silhouettes, the OTT trims, the brightest colours, basically the most luxurious and unapologetic pieces. If you wear an Arctic Army jacket, you’re going to get noticed. The luxury speaks for itself.

In Ivorian Doll’s ‘Bow Down’ video, she’s wearing an Arctic Army black and white puffer, what other videos have you been featured in?

Our outlandish, over-the-top styles have been a massive hit for music videos, talent such as Bugzy Malone, Chip, Krept and Konan and ArrDee have all worn the brand. We created a bespoke Swarovski crystalised pink jacket for Saweetie’s, ‘Tap In ‘ music video over in the US, which was a massive success. Another big video for us was for Latino popstar Becky G, who isn’t necessarily that well known in the UK but in the Latin Pop scene is huge. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the one we’re featured in currently has over 800 million views.

AW21 sees the collection launching at Flannels stores across the UK, what makes Flannels the perfect fit?

Flannels works well for Arctic Army as the demographic and aesthetic aligns well with our luxury outerwear. We have an exclusive collection available at Flannels and with stores across the UK, it means we are easily accessible for our consumers based throughout the country, not just London, which is important to the brand. It’s a really exciting time.

What have you got planned for the rest of the year?

We want to celebrate the launch of our new brand properly with a VIP/Press party later in the year. Sadly, COVID pushed back many of our plans, so it’s not just about launching a category; it’s about launching Arctic Army to the world! We’ve been very popular on Instagram so now we are looking forward to some real-life events. We have some really exciting plans soon which I can’t wait to share!

You’ve got the best rappers in the UK scene rocking Arctic Army, including Blanco, Chip, Bugzy Malone and B Young. Which UK artist would you love to see in the brand?

I don’t know if you can call her an artist, but I’m kind of a bit obsessed with Maya Jama and would love to see her wearing a tracksuit. In terms of actual music artists, I would love to see either Stormzy or Aitch wearing a full look on stage; honestly, I would cry!

And what about further afield, which global stars would you like to see wearing Arctic Army?

This answer is easy for me, I would love to see the likes of Cardi B, Kylie Jenner, Doja Cat, and of course the Biebers’ wearing the brand. Hailey Bieber’s style is actually insane and I think she would rock an Arctic Army tracksuit.

Will you always remain an outerwear brand or do you see the company expanding into other clothing as well as the luxury casual wear?

We definitely plan on expanding the brand. Our main initial expansion was of course the luxury casual wear line, however our aim is to become a 360 brand available throughout the year offering many different categories. Unfortunately, I can’t go into too much detail on plans, but what I can say is that we are looking to venture into activewear and swimwear in the future. I’m also really looking forward to the launch of our summer season as it will see the introduction of lightweight jackets and gilets. It’s certainly a very busy and exciting time for us, so watch this space.